THE SECRETARY REGRETS – AT 10:14 A.M. ET:  The French government, misguided in my view, is trying to arrange a peace conference for the Mideast to advance Arab-Israeli peace.  One key question is whether the United States will attend.  Our policy has always been that the parties must negotiate peace themselves.  Now Washington is, properly, stalling, which has forced the French to postpone.  It would be best if the idea died a slow death.  Only the Israelis and Palestinians can settle this bitter dispute.  From the Jerusalem Post: 

France on Tuesday agreed to delay the May 30th launch of its new Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative until some time this summer to allow for the US to attend.

It had intended to hold a ministerial meeting at the end of the month with representatives from some 20 countries — not including the Israelis and Palestinians — to lay the groundwork for a larger international peace conference in the fall.

The Palestinians have welcomed the initiative and the Israelis have opposed it. But the US, which has led all past Israeli-Palestinian peace processes has yet to formally state a position on the matter.

It had initially informed France that it could not attend for scheduling reasons.

During a brief visit to Israel on Sunday French Foreign Minister Jean Marc Ayrault said that his government would be happy to reschedule the event to accommodate US Secretary of State John Kerry.

COMMENT:  There is justifiable fear among Israelis that the Obama administration will stab Israel in the back in Obama's final months in office, payback for Israel's opposition to the Iran nuclear deal.  It's the kind of thing Obama would do, but we can hope that reason will prevail. 

It would be best if Kerry just doesn't attend the French conference, if in fact it's ever held.  We will elect a new president in less than six months.  That president will determine our policy in the Mideast, for better or worse.

May 17, 2016