President Bush is making the obvious points on his trip to the Mideast. Any peace accord will oblige Israel to pull back settlements on the contested West Bank, and Palestinian leaders must rein in terrorist strikes.
But we've been there and done that on prior U.S. diplomatic missions. What's new and encouraging is the sharpness in Bush's message. Israel's presence in Palestinian-claimed land is "occupation," a loaded word that Israel avoids and Arab states use freely. He also said Palestinians deserve better than a "Swiss cheese" state fitted between Israeli territories.
Bush was equally blunt in talking to the other side: The Hamas faction in the Palestinian government, which runs the Gaza enclave, "has delivered nothing but misery" by fostering internal strife and bringing on Israeli reprisals for missile strikes.
Maybe it's frustration after seven years of little movement in reaching a peace treaty. Maybe it's the quest for a golden legacy in his final year. Or it could be the kind of blunt talk that an aging and unsolved stalemate deserves.
In any case, Bush should keep up the pressure, something he may do in a possible follow-up trip. He should also make the dispute a priority on the rest of his eight-day trip that will take him to Arab oil states - prime bill-payers for the Palestinian side - and Egypt, a useful ally in the region.
Until now, Bush has low-keyed his role in this standoff. But Washington has a historic role as go-between, enforcer and knowledgeable player. It's a pity he's waited this long to try to settle a dispute that reverberates throughout the Middle East. But his newfound urge to settle matters represents a welcome change and potential legacy for his tenure.
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