It is the United Nations who are the world authority to settle conflict between Israel and Palestine,
not the United State of America.
WHAT THE UN IS DOING
The UN has been working on the question of Palestine since the first special session of the General Assembly in 1947. Its work today encompasses diplomacy, maintenance of peace, human rights, assistance, international law, public information, research, and more. Involved in this work are the Secretary-General, the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Human Rights Council, other UN organs, while numerous UN Agencies are active on the ground.

Obama's change of policy on Israel reflects America's democratic right to change. Obama (unlike Bush) didn't even do Israel a favor by invading an Arab country - Iraq.

Obama even refused to bomb Syria and Iran - acts partly in Israel's interest.

Sharon, to his credit, and before his strokes, moderated in his attitude to Palestinians.

@ David S

Here's a curly one which shows not all Israelis are Likud-Netanyahu policy pushers:

"Israel jails Orthodox Jew who offered to spy for Iran" see http://intelnews.org/2014/01/29/01-1414/

"An Israeli citizen, who belongs to an Orthodox anti-Zionist Jewish group that rejects the existence of the state of Israel, has been jailed for offering to spy for Iran.

Yitzhak Bergel...is a member of the Neturei Karta — which translates in English as “Guardians of the City”. The Jewish group opposes Zionism — the belief that a state-sanctioned Jewish homeland ought to be created in the territory described as “Land of Israel” in Jewish scriptural texts.

The group [Neturei Karta], which was founded in the 1930s and has thousands of adherents in Israel, the United States and Europe, is one of several branches of conservative Judaism whose members believe that Jews are forbidden by the Torah to create their own state before the coming of the Jewish Messiah."

This shows Israelis, like any citizens of a democracy, don't all think as one and don't all follow the Likud Party line in their criticisms of US foreign policy.

Pete

Ah back again,Singer the Zionist apologist,Sharon was along with Bush a mass murderer,warmonger and like bust should have been up on war crimes charges in the Hague.

To #Raise The Dust

The UN has nothing to do with the current negotiations - other than as being one of four mediators including the European Union, Russia and the United States comprising the Quartet - set up in 2002. Its mandate is to help mediate Middle East peace negotiations and to support Palestinian economic development and institution-building in preparation for eventual statehood - which increasingly is becoming less likely with every passing day.

To #plantaganet

America's democratic right to change does not entitle it to renege on Presidential letters that are subsequently overwhelmingly endorsed by the Congress and acted on by parties in whose favour they are issued.

This constitutes a binding contract that cannot be changed by subsequent Governments without being in breach of America's contractual obligations.

To #John Ryan

Your opinion of the late Ariel Sharon is of no interest.

What might be relevant is your opinion on what Sharon did in 2004 to legally tie up America to back Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza.

That withdrawal proved disastrous for Israel and America needs to honour the obligations it made to Israel to secure such withdrawal.

Have you got an opinion? Then express it.

Their are treaties, agreements and politics.

Outside of commercial contracts most governments understand that a change of government in a foreign country to a different party, with different policies, changes the nature of inter-governmental relationships.

And beside Obama gets his mandate from the American people not from the rather aggressive leaders of Israel.

Pete

#plantagenet

A commitment given by a United States President to another State - whose terms are overwhelmingly endorsed by the American Congress - cannot be ridden over roughshod by a succeeding President without consequences.

So far to my knowledge Obama has not said whether he intends to honour Bush's commitment or not.

Netanyahu has indicated to Obama that he expects him to do so.

If he doesn't then Netanyahu would be entitled to regard any commitment to negotiate any further on the Roadmap to be at an end.