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Subscribe to RSSA U.S. official confirms that Special Envoy to the Middle East, former Sen. George Mitchell, will announce his resignation today.
The official would not say why he is stepping down, on that the White House will make the announcement later today.
Interestingly, Middle East policy will be in focus next week. The president is expected to make a speech on it and Jordan's King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are slated to be meeting with President Obama at the White House.
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George Mitchell has a list of accomplishments that would fill this page. From legislation that included the Clean Air Act, The Americans With Disabilities Act to the formation of the World Trade Organization. he was the key player in the Northern Ireland Peace process, issued the report on the baseball steroids investigation and has been actively engaged in the Middle East peace talks. This is a good man and he will be missed.
George Mitchell was one of the last great Senators this country has had. He had a great list of accomplishments, both in government and in private business, and would be a tremendous asset in the budget and debt ceiling negotiations going on today. The members of Congress today would be right to model themselves after this man.
You may not have always agreed with Senator Mitchell, but you knew you were dealing with a man of integrity and honesty.
True, that, JoAnna. Like Herb Kohl, only better.
Hi Ira and JoAnna,
So true.
If next week's focus is on the Middle East why is he leaving? George Mitchell is an accomplished public servant and one who I have always trusted.
Obama doesn't want any body else steeling the spotlight.
Domenico, It was good to see you on T.V. today. Congratulations
here's a rumor for you. he's leaving to be the next owner of the LA Dodgers... or the Commish of MLB...tired of dealing with the mess that is the Middle East he decided to take on a bigger fight between base ball owners and baseball players.... (just kidding...) a great man with many accomplishments has probably earned a rest....
Whether you like his politics or not, he has shown integrity and class in whatever he has done over the years.
Every politiician in office now, either party, could take lessons from him.
George Mitchell failed Miserably in his effort in making peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. He was found to be a postman or messenger to deliver notes from one block to the other without having any say. He was fooled by the Israelis who did not provide any help and Obama and his timidity not to stand up for his own vision of two state solution by forcing Israelis stopping settlements. The best way out come for Obama and our Senate and Congress (80% members are more hawkish than Israeli hawkish) is to appoint any Israeli political or military leader as our special envoy to represent us in the middle-east unless our own hawkish leaders change their mind.
john bagoti..
Since the formation of the State of Israel in 1948, can you name anyone who has made been able to broker a peace between the Israelis and Palestinians? The violence is never ending and it's roots go back to biblical times. To blame Obama or Mitchell or anyone for that matter for this failure is not to understand the history of the region or its people. You blame Obama for not DEMANDING that a sovereign country do exactly as he says? You want an Israeli to represent the US interest in the region?
How about this...the Palestinian Authority recognizes that the State of Israel has the right to peacefully exist, cracks down on the militants who are shooting rockets and mortars into Israel and are killing innocent Israeli families in their homes while they sleep as a first step to formalizing an agreement.
One doesn't "broker the peace" in the Middle-east. One manages the chaos.
Really, I heard about violence starting there after 1915 when Balfour Declaration, promoted by the Zionist movement, allowed Eastern European Jews into the British protectorate of Palestine. I didn't know there was a lot of violence during Turkish rule.
Alan, NJ..
Historically, Israel gave birth to other religions and both Christians and Muslims also claim that they are the descendants of Abraham; that Yahweh, the god of Abraham, is their God too; that the land of Israel is their ancestral homeland and that their ancestors were Israelites. It is clear that the common origin of, or shared ideological lineage between, religions does not reduce inter-religious violence. The conflicts between the three Semitic religions -- Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- have existed since their inception and are persisting.
Alan, NJ..
About Turkish rule..
In 1914, after returning from his heinous mass slaughter of the Armenian people, Turkish commander Baha-ud Did threatened to do the same to the Jews if he ever got the chance. Fierce persecutions ensued. Use of the Hebrew language was banned. Entire Jewish families were thrown in prison. Jewish males were forced into labor battalions. Farm carts and animals were confiscated just before harvest time. The entire Jewish population of Jaffa was expelled on Passover, 1915. Resistors were hanged. Thousands wandered helplessly on the roads, starving.
(Martin Gilbert, Exile and Return, New York, 1978).
Yeah...what a pipe dream...getting anyone in the Middle East to agree to anything resembling "peace"!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_David_Accords_(1978)
Why are we still supporting Israel and its right wing Government? They adopt nothing short of measures of a hegemonic state and justify it with some old book always under the umbrella of being a democracy, Netanyahu should be before a war crimes tribunal like most of the recent Israeli Governments. They are only a friend of the US when they need us or our check book and its high time for the US to get out from from the Israeli entanglement. Obama or any President should hold off from getting engaged there or anywhere in the Middle East. Let them kill each other which is what they are living for " Eye for Eye". Revolting.
Given his superior talent in matters of diplomacy, Mitchell's resignation is a clear signal that Israeli-Palestinian peace once again will have to wait until a new dynamic forms along with a new political reality on the ground. The same old-same old does not work. I daresay peace will only come when Israel sees Palestinians as fully human and all Palestinians acknowledge Israel's right to exist.
But both sides will have to embrace this 'new' view as serving their own national interests. That's the only way to create conditions compelling enough to break out of the stale cycle of minor accomodation and active violence.
Mitchell got tired of having an empty suit for a boss and went ahead and got out before having to defend him anymore. Mitchell doesn't want to have anything to do when Egypt attacks Israel.
Mitchell retires. Now this makes how many that have left this administration since the mid-terms? Anyone wonder why?
Could it be they don't want to be there when the ship sinks, or is it that they can't spin a positive statement anymore?
And black_belt, it won't be egypt that will attack Israel, but it will be a group of mid-eastern politicals aided by two or more mid-eastern nations. And Israel knows they don't currently have support from this administration. Can you say major mid-east conflict?
Sen. Mitchell just got tired of being snuffed and railroaded by the Zionists as to their false peace offerings and plans, while doing everything to derail a fair Peace Plan.
Mitchell did his job to the best of his abilities, and now he wants to move on. Thanks for your service to our nation Sen. Mitchell.