Report: Obama Sends Letters to Arab Nations Asking for Help in Israeli Peace Process
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Obama reportedly has sent letters to at least seven Arab states asking them to start taking steps toward normalizing relations with Israel, as his chief Middle East envoy began a set of meetings with officials in Israel.
Among the Arab and Gulf states that received the letters were Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, Foreign Policy magazine reported.
The magazine quoted an official as saying the letters reinforced the message envoy George Mitchell was bringing to the region regarding jump-starting peace talks They called for "confidence building measures" in exchange for a freeze on Israeli settlement construction in the Palestinian territory.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A White House official, who would not comment on the diplomatic correspondence, told FOX News the president is calling for both sides to make concessions and gestures.
"The president has been clear that all parties have responsibilities to fulfill to give Middle East peace efforts a chance to succeed," the official said. "The U.S. has also stated that Palestinians need to continue building their security capabilities and stop incitement. Arab states need to make positive gestures toward Israel as envisioned in the Arab Peace Initiative. And one of Israel's obligations is to stop settlements."
The letter recipients would represent a group of nations the Obama administration appears to be centering on in efforts to restart peace talks.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mitchell heads to Bahrain this week after stops in the Emirates, Syria and Israel.
Shaikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, the crown prince of Bahrain, also wrote a recent Washington Post op-ed calling for "fresh thinking" in the peace process. He said Arab countries "have not done enough" to speak directly with the Israelis and expressed empathy for both sides.
"An Israeli might be forgiven for thinking that every Muslim voice is raised in hatred, because that is usually the only one he hears. Just as an Arab might be forgiven for thinking every Israeli wants the destruction of every Palestinian," he wrote.
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