Right on, APN! And I think we should work to get the other US Jewish organizations on-board. I would appreciate an APN report on which of these organizations are working for peace and which are not - this will help my own charitable gift-giving selection as well as other forms of support.

Diplomatic signals of displeasure, shifts in tone...these have never work. Why should they now? If you say you're going to play hardball, you have to mean it.

Both sides have continuously lied to American mediators and have deployed a strategy of playing the US off the other side. The US therefore needs to go further and lay out the compromises it supports and expects to see (Clinton parameters of 2001-dismantlement of most of the settlements and land tradeoffs for those that remain, no unlimited right of return, division of Jerusalem, and necessary security measures}.

APN is 100% on the policy. Politics matters too as the leadership of APN well knows. That's where a major effort has to be made.

Expectations of the parties includes stating expectations to the Palestinians and the Arab countries.

Standing firm, changing our tone and using our leverage means that APN, and its allies in the American Jewish community (J Street and others) have to carry the battle to the American Jewish community.
An effective effort will let American elected representatives, Jewish and non-Jewish, know that they have political space to support the thrust of the APN advice. That will reinforce the President who is bound to get cautious advice from some of his political advisors.

Jewish leadership that has acceptance amongst Republicans must help them to understand that allying themselves with Israel's "foot dragging" runs counter to America's security interests.

You're still playing softball--all talk, no action. The US does not subsidize Hamas, but Israel uses US-supplied weapons against civilians. The siege of Gaza is an act of war against the general population, and American-made equipment and weapons help maintain the occupation. Until Israel lifts the siege and halts all settlement construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, US weapons deliveries should be suspended.

You title is correct – it is time for the U.S. to play hardball with all the parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But your method is inadequate. As several other comments have noted, clarifying expectations and a shift in tone will not break the stalemate in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Playing hardball means doing something, or threatening to do something, that the parties really don’t want. The parties, especially Israel, don’t care very much the tone of United States comments on the occupation and their drive to control about half of the West Bank. American presidents have been criticizing the occupation and settlement expansion for 40 years, yet the occupation becomes more violent and the settlements expand.

Israel really cares about American diplomatic, financial, and military support. Playing hardball means putting that support at risk. But the lead sentence in section 4 takes that option off the table. Putting American diplomatic, financial, and military support at risk does not threaten Israel's security or further hurt the Palestinian humanitarian situation.

In fact, putting American support for Israel at risk will most likely improve the situation. As long as American support for Israel is automatic, the United States is rewarding Israel for its illegal occupation including settlement expansion, the siege of Gaza, and the war crimes committed during the bombardment of Gaza using American weapons.

The only way to break the impasse in Israeli-Palestinian talks is to make American support of Israel conditional on real progress towards peace. American support should be a reward for good deeds or a real humanitarian need, not for illegal acts.

MJ Rosenberg suggested a hardball play (Talking Points Memo, Jan. 15,
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/15/lift_gaza_blockade_now/)
"The United States needs to tell the Netanyahu government, in no uncertain terms, that we will not sit silently by if it launches another war using weapons we supply. Nor will we use our UN vetoes to deter resolutions condemning the use of disproportionate force."
That play, with the required follow-through, not a change in tone, will shock the parties into serious negotiation.

Sorry to spoil the party, but the US has virtually NO LEVERAGE to force the Arab side, both the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world to support the so-called "peace process". The Arab-Israeli conflict has been going on now for 60+ years and the Arab governments BENEFIT from its continuation. Waving the "Zionist threat" in the face of their populations gives the regimes in power the ability to avoid reform, democratization and the like. The conflict with Israel also is a vehicle for uniting the otherwise fractious Arab countries. Ending the Arab-Israeli conflict would be viewed as a disaster for the Arab countries.
The US needs Arab oil and money to be available to the world, particularly in light of the curren US economic crisis. Thus if the US threatens the Arab countries in order to soften their opposition to peace with Israel, the Arabs can retaliate in ways painful to the US. Similarlyl the US has NO LEVERAGE with the Palestinian Authority, because although the PA is dependent on US and EU handouts for the majority of the operating expenses of the PA, Abbas and Fayyad will always be able to threaten that should the US cut the aid, that will only strengthen HAMAS and so the US will back down ("surely you don't want Jones back"!-Orwell) , as it always has in the past. The US is esentially powerless to force peace on the two sides. GET USED TO IT!

Thanks for all the comments.

I find it interesting that so many of the comments seem to ignore a key paragraph in our document -- the one that says:

"The Obama Administration also has the ability to impose real costs on the parties, without cutting US assistance, both with and without Congressional approval. The Obama Administration should make a comprehensive assessment of its leverage options vis-à-vis all parties, and it should make clear to the parties that it is ready to use this leverage, if required."

We are not talking here just about shifts in tone. We are urging the Administration to look carefully at the kinds of leverage it has -- and it has many that can be brought to bear on all parties, contrary to what Y. Ben-David says.

Playing hardball means, among other things, making clear that the US knows what its leverage is - whether in our bilateral relations, at the UN, or in other arenas -- and is prepared to use it.

Lara-Can you give examples of non-monetary "leverage" the US can activate against the Arab countries and the Palestinian Authority in order to get them to go along with American dictates?
Wouldn't doing this be a roll-back on Obama's Cairo speech which is supposed to show the US "respects" the Arab/Muslim world? Wouldn't they view such acts as hostile? Why wouldn't they retaliate in some way? And how can your write off Congress so simply? If Obama starts using leverage against Israel, wouldn't that lead to a political backlash-given that Israel is far more popular in the US than the Palestinians are? Wouldn't the American public view such actions as "bullying" an American ally for the benefit of the Arabs who are not viewed particularly favorably by the US public, especially the Palestinians with their long history of terrorism?

Hearty congratulations on a long-overdue call to realism in our negotiations with Israel for Mideast peace.
Good though it is, however, it still states memes that have no real basis… perhaps they’re included for the sake of political correctness - I.e.; let‘s apportion blame equally, but their insubstantial nature needs to be pointed out.
First, the use of restrictions on Israel’s military aid is a completely justifiable and eminently usable ’lever’ in the USA-Israel conversation. The days when Israel faced the combined might of the Arab world with a stated intent of annihilating Israel are long, long past. The actual stated intent of the Arab world is voiced in the "Arab peace plan of 2002 ", which has been the Arab world’s stated position since that time. While widely touted, the so-called “Iranian Nuclear Threat” is also a non-issue based on non-refuted intelligence reports including the "2007 NIE on Iran" as updated last September "Intelligence Agencies Say No New Nukes in Iran". Despite Israeli-inspired western hysteria, there appears to be no credible evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program (omitting the Israeli-supplied MeK laptop hoax).

In the absence of credible international threats requiring the sophisticated weapons the U.S. supplies Israel (and which Israel uses illegally against its captive Palestinian population) there is no reason on Earth not to require Israel to toe the line in order to continue receiving military aid. Although, it must be said, that upon successful conclusion of a Mideast peace agreement, Israel’s need and continued desire to obtain such weapons would be extremely destabilizing.

Second, to imply that the P.A. has, somehow, acted in opposite and equal reaction to Israel’s failure to adhere to the “Roadmap” is akin to equating Hamas’ resistance to Israeli aggression, and Israel’s Gaza Massacre as co-equal events of similar magnitude. Yes, the P.A. can always extend itself a little further (and has, in the past, has been embarrassed repeatedly by Israel’s humiliating responses; more illegal West Bank settlements, more ethnic cleansing of E. Jerusalem, more nighttime “arrests“, more “targeted killings“, etc.).

Perhaps it’s time to adopt a more realistic response of including the elected government of the Palestinian people, Hamas, and moderating our rhetoric & demands so as to allow Hamas a dignified entry into the process thus resolving the issue of the Palestinian’s fractured government. This would, naturally, imply that the U.S. would be willing to accept the outcome of the democratic process, regardless of our own vested interests. Something we’ve refused to do in years past.

You cannot play "hardball" as a team of one. Hoyer and Reid made it clear to Netanyahu that Obama's settlement demands were not supported by his own party, and the likes of Cantor and Huckabee handled the mutiny from the right. Obama's cowardice and ineffectual posturing is demonstrated more by his inability to control his own party than it is by his refusal to stand up against Netanyahu.

The icing on the cake for Israel was Congress' handling of the Goldstone Report. It signaled to Israel that it had carte blanche to do whatever it pleased, including frying Palestinian men and women in white phosphorous.

In response to Rahm Emanuel's alleged "threats", Israel's Finance Minister reportedly said that Israel did not need the United States' billions that we flush away in Israel.

Great, then cut the aid, guaranteed loans, and flow of arms off?

Never happen. If we can't even muster the basic human decency to decry what Israel did during Operation Cast Lead, then it is obvious that we not only accept Israel's egregious actions, but we are willing to pay for them as well.

The leadership of BOTH parties, are swimming in Palestinian blood, and, to be honest, it makes me ashamed of our leaders. Obama's failing is his lack of courage to stand up for his beliefs. Congress failing is far more despicable, for their's is not a lack of courage, but a lack of soul and human decency. History will not be kind in remembering our role in this sad and tragic saga.

I've been a peace activist with this issue for over 20 years. I said back in the late 80's it will be the Jewish and Israeli peace activists to rise, overcome & solve. Back then, it was because this was a taboo subject and anyone not Jewish was called "anti-semitic" for caring about what happened to Palestinians.

We have come a long way. It is now socially acceptable to care about each side's families and societies, and to work for peace for their sakes--though results themselves are slow in coming (i.e. Gaza siege).

However, today I still say that it will be the Jewish and Israeli peace activists to solve this, but now for a different reason. Because of so many years of failure and frustration to end the conflict, because of the suffering which has worsened with every year, there is much counterproductive anger out there (not Arab) directed towards Israel the nation--expressed in a way that is concerning to me. I am of Palestinian descent and am very saddened by this; you do not help the Palestinians when you inspire hatred toward Israel. Yes, anyone can be angry with anyone's politicians, but we must take care to separate that from anger against an entire population of regular everyday folks themselves. It is my hope that anyone reading this agrees this is also applicable to the Palestinians and the neighboring Arab countries.

It is my conclusion that it is of utmost importance to showcase to the world, especially to those dissenters, the courageous work of APN, J Street, Jewish Voices for Peace and all other Jewish and Israeli peace organizations what heroes they are to champion the cause for peace which I know is not easy for them. Someday, these organizations will looked upon as celebrated pioneers who ushered in what was once thought impossible--peace in the Middle East.

It is the passage below which does not ring true.

"At the same time, the US has other forms of leverage which it can to bring to bear. This includes diplomatic signals of displeasure and shifts in tone on sensitive policy areas. The Obama Administration also has the ability to impose real costs on the parties, without cutting US assistance,..."

If APN is against real sanctions (like putting conditions on aid or loan guarantees), then it should say what "the real costs" would be that the US could impose. Frankly, I can't think of any strong enough to do any good.

I know that Israel will never stop building settlements if the money train keeps rolling, and it is naive to believe it will. People say Israel will keep on building even if money were cut off. Then for heaven sake, cut it off. Israel is a rich nation (median household income is 7th in the world) and should not be getting the $8 million per day that it gets from US, especially in this time of deficits and economic problems.

In short, APN is totally naive to believe that Israel will stop settling on the West Bank without monetary sanctions.

The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is a principal irritant in relations between the Muslim world and the West. Ending that conflict equitably is essential to quieting the anger that fuels Islamist terrorism. We in the West MUST see to it that the two-state sollution is secured: Otherwise we will never be free of Islamist terrorism.
The lesson of history is that two-state solution cannot be implemented by way of negotiations: If is is to be achieved, it will only be by imposing it from without.
Therefore the Obama administration should seek intervention by the United Nations to impose a two-state settlement of U.N. design. The settlement should include:

1) Creation of a Palestinian Protectorate;
2) The integrity of the Protectorate to be guaranteed by military forces contributed by a mix of Western and Near-Eastern powers;
3) The contributed forces to both disarm and defend both populations;
4) Israeli settlements on the wrong side of the established boundary to be confiscated at fair value under eminent domain and sold to Palestinians under competitive bidding;
5) The Protectorate to devise and impose laws reasonably expected to be acceptable to a majority of Palestinians;
6) A Palestinian judiciary to enforce the laws, subject to first appeal to the Protectorate and then to the U.N.;
7) The Protectorate to set up general governmental institutions, and prepare for free elections;
8) Internationalization of Jerusalem under a secular governmental authority.

That it may be possible politically for the United States to play the role proposed above is suggested by the following facts:
1) The birth rate of Palestinians exceeds that of Israeli Jews, which raises the prospect of a Muslim majority in Israel within twenty years. That, in turn, raises the question of the survivability of Israel as a Jewish State. That prospect alone should be enough to motivate a majority of Israelis and a majority of Israel’s American friends to favor creation, by the U.N., of a Palestinian Protectorate.
2) Until the two-state solution is implemented, a majority of Palestinians will live under increasingly oppressive conditions as second class citizens in an increasingly apartheid society. Their reaction to these conditions will surely spell continuing violence and insecurity for Israel and its citizens. Furthermore, the continued suffering of the Palestinians in their stateless condition will continue to generate anger and hatred (against both Israel and the United States) throughout the Islamic world. This fact, too, should be sufficient to motivate both Israel and the American government to seek U.N. creation of a Palestinian Protectorate.

Donald, it is clear that you are blind, deaf, and dumb when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Radical Islamists do not hate Israel or America for what they do. They hate the America and Israel for what they ARE. They cannot stand free and open societies.

You also ignore the weakness of the UN and the power that the Arab block has over the UN. You ignore the fact that the UN was the body that initiated and implemented the first 'two state solution.' The petition plan of 1948 resulted in Israel's invasion and a near second Holocaust right after the first. You ignore that the UN has been ineffectual in real world crisis such as Darfur, where the UN allowed genocide to occur under its very nose. You ignore the influence in the UN of the numerous dictatorial Arab and Muslim states who benefit domestically from being able to name Israel as a pariah. This block and other human rights abusers have managed to ensure that the UN has passed more human rights resolutions against Israel than all other nations in the world combined. I fail to see how Israel will accept an imposed solution from a body that thinks it is a human rights abuser worse than North Korea, China, Thailand, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan combined.

I rarely ever insult someone in this manner. But Donald, any student of history would be able to see that when Jews are unarmed, they are massacred.

There is only one way! G-d's way! There is no peace if we can not leave Jerusalem in Israel's land. You think that sanctions will help? No one can stand between the G-d of Israel and the world powers trying to execute against His will. This are the days the prophets spoke about. Forget your left wing approval of the White House to appease the Muslims. Another Holocaust is on the way, the plagues are hitting the nations that are trying to divide the land. Fear Hashem! America can not be involved in Israel affairs. You tried 2 times and the 3rd will cost you. Remember Katrina, now you have a fire spill, Ezekiel 20:26-48

Many years ago I attended a meeting of local Jews where one of the ladies suggested that there was too much talk about the Holocaust. For this she was roundly booed and I must confess to being one of the booers. Yet the more I consider recent developments, the more I think that she had a point. Apparently the thought of the Holocaust blinds a majority of Israelis as well as their American supporters to any action that would lessen the tension between Muslims and Jews (e.g. ending the Gaza blockade). In fact Israel has enough military power, including its nuclear arsenal, to assure that any major attack would involve nuclear weapons (remember that Pakistan has its own nuclear arsenal), resulting in a nuclear war that could destroy the entire Middle east, if not the world. Yet, as Seymour Hersh has pointed out in his book "The Samson Option", this was considered as a realistic scenario by previous Likud governments, and probably extreme Muslim factions as well. It may already be too late, but the Obama Administration needs to take drastic action to lessen the Palestinian-Israeli tension, even if they lose part of the Jewish vote.

I am sick and tired of so called "experts" talking about forcing Israel to come to peace with the Palestinians. Face the fact, the only time that Israel has ever had a peace treaty with any Arab nation or group is after Israel defeated them in a war. Israel has nothing left to give and the Palestinians are have no leadership that will do anything positive for peace. They don't live up to their agreements or do anything positive to help themselves.

Another suggestion that might help. Disbandon "Americans for Peace Now". You hurt Israel, the United States, and all freedom loving people because some people actually think that you are trying to help.

APN is a collection of hypocrites too dishonest to even notice that they, themselves, are ALL criminal occupiers of stolen lands called America. America is founded on theft of land, slavery and genocide of native Indian tribes. To this day American refuses to honor over 300 government treaties from the 1800's and the Indians are among the very poorest and worst off of any group in this country. The Indians on the Pine Ridge reservation are far worse off than the Arabs in Gaza who eat better and live longer than those suffering America 'generosity' in Pine Ridge. But APN shows that it cares nothing for suffering victims in their midst and is unable to ever tell the truth about their own complicity in this monstrous injustice.