Quotes of the Day

“There have been difficulties in the past; there will be difficulties ahead. Without a doubt, we will hit more obstacles. The enemies of peace will keep trying to defeat us and to derail these talks. But I ask the parties to persevere.”

- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, hailing the beginning of unconditional, direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority

"We believe it can be done within a year and that is our objective."

- US special envoy George Mitchell

"We hope the American administration and other Quartet members will work to make Israel refrain from settlement activities and turn the words (of the Quartet statement) into deeds... If the Israeli government decides to announce new tenders on September 26, then we won't be able to continue with the talks. We hope that the Israeli government will choose peace not settlements, will choose reconciliation and not the continuation of occupation."

- Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian negotiator

The US State Department is running "Middle East Peace Process" on its front page and Palestinians haven't even agreed to direct negotiations without preconditions, as US officials such as Hillary Clinton advertise. Propaganda does not qualify as progress. Rather than apply an even hand to the conflict, shielding Israel - specifically Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - and pressuring Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has led many Palestinians to believe that America remains an obstacle to peace. A recent poll from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found, "About 80% say the policy of the Obama Administration favors Israel while only 4% say it favors Palestinians."