Israel right wing government made at least two terrible mistake within a few months: The blatant building in East Jerusalem when Biden was visiting, and the botched boarding of the Turkish flautila that ended with the killing of 10 Turks were both blunders.
That is a great time for the Obama administration cash some capital it got in the Middle East, and push for a solution, but be careful! Don't be too political! That's not the way to go there!
It's time to give a date for a peace conference with participation of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestinians, Russia, EU, USA and Israel.
(Please, for all those that will just say that Israel, Turkey, Palestinians, Arabs, or me, are evil, please don't waste your time commenting. We are mostly stupid, not evil...:-))
Make no mistake, Israel's government is as weak as it was after the first Gulf war.
At that time the first Bush administration wisely pushed for an international peace conference, because they were banking on the wide range support from a coalition in the Arab world against Saddam.
The results were inconclusive because of an extreme right wing government, and because there was not enough Arab support for the Palestinian representatives in the conference.
The response? The Israeli public decided to give peace a chance and elected moderate Rabin. Unfortunately the other side had Arafat that was not quite sure he wanted peace, but even so the peace process was going well until a the extreme crazies derailed it. (Goldstein's massacre in Hebron followed by Hammas suicide bombings all over Israel, followed by the worse: Rabin's assassination, followed by uncertainty, Camp David failure, the second Intifada, and the rise of Hammas).
Obama has some political capital to spend: Obama's first trip overseas was to Turkey. He gave a speach of reconcilliation with Muslims in Egypt. He stood by his word about leaving Iraq. He stood by both Israel and the moderate wise leadership of Salaam Fayyad, the new prime minister of the Palestinian Authority. Its time to capitalize.
Its time to push Israel to a new Peace Conference. Its time to invite Hammas to the conference, if they agree to palesinian unified representation that recognize Israel's right to exist.
For 15 years Israelies have been waiting for someone that can replace Rabin. Someone who is not corrupt. Someone who can become a true leader. It COULD be Netanyahu if he stands up to Liberman and offer just a bit more than Menahem Begin did in 1979 (which is really what the Palestinians want!), but it could also be Livni or Mofaz from Kadima party if the conference drags on and Netanyahu makes Israelies look too greedy.
Show Israelis that America will provide fair arbitration, and there will be a deal!