Said it before, say it again, don't mess with a guy from the South Side of Chicago.

Israel's ynetnews reports; US official: No alternative to 2-state solution;

American president's special envoy to Middle East, George Mitchell, holds marathon talks with political echelon. 'Contrary to the impression created in Israel by the new government, Obama is determined to advance the peace process with the Palestinians in the near future,' says source involved in meetings.

Mitchell is making it very clear to the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who are pushing for an "economic solution," that there is only one plan, "the Road Map in accordance with the Annapolis understandings, which call for the establishment of a Palestinian state living in peace alongside the Jewish state." 

"There is nothing to add to the very clear statements made by former Senator Mitchell," said an American source involved in the meetings. "Whoever hasn't comprehended this, doesn't understand what President Obama is saying."

Obama made it clear that he has no patience for Netanyahu stalling tactics:

"Contrary to the impression created in Israel by the new government," said an American source between one meeting to another, "President Obama is determined to advance the peace process with the Palestinians in the near future.
 
There is a reason for envoy Mitchell's third visit to Jerusalem, there is a reason for his intention to rent offices here, and there is a reason for President Abbas and the Jordanian king being invited to the White House.

Obama is starting to push Netanyahu into a metaphorical corner:

 ...Mitchell's pressure during this visit, which may be followed by a meeting between Netanyahu and Obama several weeks from now, is making senior governmental officials sweat.

When confronted with the American demand that Israel recognizes the two states for two people solution, Netanyahu told Mitchell that the Palestinians must first recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The Israeli demand, which is presented as a condition for moving forward, is aimed at shaking off the pressure.

Netanyahu is a tough cookie and so are his supporters - but so is Obama. 

The is an old Jewish story (one year our Rabbi told it on Yom Kippur):

An old Jewish man finds a lamp in the desert.  He begins to polish it when a genie emerges and offers him a wish: "Anything you want."  So the old Jew says, "You know, I'd like for there to be peace in the Middle East, for Israel to live as a free and open country, and all the people there to live in peace and harmony with the Arabs. Here's the map of the Middle East, here's Israel, and here's the Arabs, and they've been fighting for centuries."

The genie says,  "That's world politics. I don't know if I can do that."

The old man says, "Well, in that case, my wife, uhh,  I really want her to give me oral sex once in a while."

"Is she also Jewish?"  the genie asks.

"Yes."

And the genie says, "Let me see that map again."

I say there is a new genie in town, President Barack Obama.

 Famous Jewish Punch lines