"Obama can end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but will he meet the challenge?".

Ridiculous statement. The only people that can end the conflcit are the peoples involved, not outsiders as they don't "get it".

For every country urging peace there are just as many urging the opposite. So how is Obama going to stop them doing that?

There truly isn't a solution to this problem as long as the Jewish people live where they do. They have every right to do so but all those around them will never let that be and we all know that.

So "a solution" is neither likely nor probable. It only takes one person to throw a grenade or a Molotov cocktail and instantly reprisals are on. They are still avenging things from so long ago they don't even remember what it was.

What gets me about this is that all the peoples' in that area are so closely alike that why they fight defeats me. They essentially have the same heritage, just depends how far you go back. Look much the same and even share the roots of their religions. But all 3 mentioned there have diverged for what? Possession of Jerusalem isn't it?

Solution, no pollution, yes of all the minds in that area.

Ridiculous article to expect or even hope Obama can change what history has shown to be a battle to the death.

I can't fault the thrust of this article it appears to cover the main issues fairly. They are right in saying that in both cases the inmates have control of the asylum. Personally I doubt Obama will solve the issue simply because of internal US politics.
What the solution needs is to quarantine both countries from external bellicosity, rhetoric etc. So long as the ideologues (on both sides) have the political power to block the will of ALL the people or what is best for the people(again both sides) it will be war as usual. If any real change is mooted the ideologues will turn feral then internecine.
Controlling these cannibals of course is impossible; it's not democracy yadder, yadder.
Sit back and watch the disintegration and hope the maniacs don’t get their fingers on the button

It's unlikely he can bring an end to hostilities RobbyH but he can certainly make a difference. US subsidies to Israel in the form of money and weaponry makes them a proxy state in the M.E.

The simplest and least palatable action would be to make these payments conditional upon Israel making more than token efforts towards compensation to those they've displaced and relentlessly tormented since.

Israel has all the water, all the land, all the weaponry, all the money, all the resources, the lions share of media coverage - but none of the public support it craves. In short, it has all the obligation to pull its finger out.

As a Bible student it may be that the mighty USA is going to desert Israel...that she may already have this desertion in mind or soon may under Mr.Obama.

In Revelation 9:16 and 16:12 we see a huge asian confederacy army refered to as the Kings Of The East (China and regional cohorts) and no USA to stop this mighty army from crossing asia, and the Euphrates River, and moving on to Israel.

I have discussed this with other christians and some feel likewise that the USA is going to either dump Israel...or that one day the USA will not be standing on her feet sufficient to do any retaliation against the Chinese action.
One chap I go to church with says that the USA... and...Australia have already begun to vote against Israel in the UN showing an early shift in attitudes to Gods Chosen people.

How can Obama, or anyone for that matter, end a conflict that does not exist?!

The conflict in the middle east is not between Israel and Palestinians - it is between ordinary people who want to live peacefully and extremist fanatics (both Jewish and Muslim) that would not allow them to.

Even mentioning such phrases as "the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" is a victory to the extremists, whose object is to try to incite the one against the other. It makes them smile to see how the world falls prey to their definitions.

Well, Obama could take sides in the real conflict, but cannot achieve much on his own. Perhaps a coordinated international effort that includes all permanent members of the UN security-council can do more. The question is, will the world unite to meet the challenge?

yes obama has been fed a plan
bomb bomb iran [preferably while still under the busche watch]

recently ol rummy warned of an adverse attack expected the day before obama takes over ,plus israel wants to settle with the iraqies[its part of their feeling of being wronged thousands of years ago] [supposedly]

just look at who he has hired so far
http://www.cherada.com/articulos/with-a-clinton-flavor-zionist-jews-are-now-a-crowd-in-obamas-cabinet

http://www.bollyn.info/home/articles/polphil/rahm-emanuel-and-barack-obama/

israel dont want peace [thus it can continue to oppress anyone it choses]plus they believe the messiah will come to beat up on the palisteins[they need armogeddon to bring that on]

and good ol usa will do as its masters lobby it to be doing[frankly they think they can pull it off ,they learned nothing from their murders on that lowly state across the jorden ,even trangressed humanity further by using yanki cluster bombs]

if there really were gods people they would know god is the creator of ALL life [yes even thyne enemy was yet given to live from the ONE god[how does ANY death honour god?][if life is only by H_S will?

but the british neo con teutonic zionists ; lawyers/bankers run the show ,even gave them a letter from the bellfore[ from mere men, why? wasnt gods word enough?]

god knows the 'men' at the un , making un motions
dont affect israels autocities in the least.

jesus said by their deeds will we know them [he never clarified who 'they' would be [so jesus says love god [love neighbour, any who dosnt believe jesus is the messiah[who in issiah was rejected even by his own] thus didnt 'get' the new testimony revealing the new covenant]