As President Trump prepares to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for the first time Wednesday, he can thank former President Barack Obama for setting abysmally low expectations for a Middle East peace deal.
Negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians have been at a stalemate since April 2014, when talks under Secretary of State John F. Kerry broke down. By the time Mr. Obama left office in January, Palestinians essentially had written off the U.S. as a broker for talks, and relations between the Israeli government and the Obama administration were at a low point.
Against that backdrop, any understanding Mr. Trump reached with Mr. Abbas will look like progress.
The most important message that Mr. Trump can convey in the meeting is that he is no Obama, said Dennis Ross, former special envoy on the Middle East in the Clinton administration.
“Abbas used to trumpet the fact that he said ’no’ to Obama 12 times, which meant that the price of saying ’no’ to Obama was nonexistent,” Mr. Ross said. “Trump needs to convey to him that he’s a very serious guy, when you’re dealing with him he expects you to respond to what he asks, and he will deliver on what he says he will do.’’
The president has said he believes that a Middle East peace deal ultimately is possible.
“I want to see peace with Israel and the Palestinians,” he told Reuters last week. “There is no reason there’s not peace between Israel and the Palestinians — none whatsoever.”
Said Mr. Ross, “This is a deal he really wants to do.”
Mr. Abbas, 82, comes into the meeting very unpopular among Palestinians, who view their leadership as corrupt and are as pessimistic as the Israelis about the prospects for a peace deal. Simply appearing with Mr. Trump at the White House will show he is still a relevant player in any talks.
“Trump has leverage,” Mr. Ross said. “He can give Mahmoud Abbas relevance at a time that he desperately needs it. It’s not something he should give away for free.”
He said Mr. Trump should ask Mr. Abbas “to take action to end the financing of those who kill Israelis” and to move toward an acknowledgment that “there’s a historic Jewish connection” with the land of Jerusalem.
In March, Mr. Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Administration officials pushed for limits on the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, but the talks ended without an agreement.
As the White House was preparing to host Mr. Abbas, Vice President Mike Pence spoke by phone Tuesday afternoon with Mr. Netanyahu, ostensibly to wish him “happy independence day” on the 69th anniversary of Israel’s declaration of its independence.
Mr. Pence also spoke at a White House reception to mark the occasion with an audience that included U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer; Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican; Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican; and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The vice president told the crowd that Mr. Trump is “personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.”
“Even now, we’re making valuable progress toward the noble goal of peace,” Mr. Pence said. “Thanks to the president’s tireless leadership, momentum is building and good will is growing. While there undoubtedly will have to be compromises, you can rest assured, President Trump will never compromise the safety and security of the Jewish state of Israel. President Trump stands without apology for Israel, and he always will.”
He also told the audience that Mr. Trump, “as we speak, is giving serious consideration to moving the American Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.” Mr. Pence did not elaborate on that point, which received sustained applause from the several dozen guests.
During the campaign, Mr. Trump promised to relocate the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, a move that Palestinians oppose vehemently. The president has not spoken of the issue in recent weeks.
“Under President Donald Trump, let me assure you this: If the world knows nothing else, the world will know this — America stands with Israel. Her cause is our cause. Her values are our values. Her fight is our fight,” Mr. Pence said.
The vice president also pledged that the Trump administration “will stand strong in the face of the leading state sponsor of terrorism.”
“This administration has put Iran on notice — America will no longer tolerate Iran’s efforts to destabilize the region and jeopardize Israel’s security,” Mr. Pence said. “Under President Donald Trump, the United States of America will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. This is our solemn promise to you, to Israel and to the world.”
Mr. Dermer recognized in the audience special presidential envoy Jason Greenblatt, who has been tapped by Mr. Trump to work toward Middle East peace talks.
“How hard could that be?” Mr. Dermer joked. He also praised Mr. Trump for seeking to “upgrade our alliance.”
Leading up to the president’s meeting with Mr. Abbas, the terrorist organization Hamas released a set of principles Monday portraying itself as more moderate.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Edward R. Royce, California Republican, and other lawmakers rejected the move as a public relations stunt.
“Until Hamas recognizes Israel’s right to exist, its words are meaningless,” Mr. Royce said. “I will see to it that Hamas remains designated a terrorist organization as long as it continues to launch rocket attacks against Israeli civilians, remains an Iranian proxy and engages in other acts that threaten the U.S. and Israel.”
While observers acknowledge possibilities for progress with a new administration in Washington, Mr. Ross said expectations are realistically low. He said it’s not time for a high-level meeting between the Israelis and Palestinians.
“The gap between the parties has probably never been greater both psychologically and practically,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve ever been at a lower point, not in terms of levels of violence but the level of disbelief between the two sides has never been greater. The cynicism about what could happen has never been worse. We’re not at a point where resolving it is in the cards. The question is whether or not it’s possible to break the stalemate and restore a sense of possibility.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.