Israel Matzav: Oren: 'No one can force peace on us'

Oren: 'No one can force peace on us'

Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, told PBS on Saturday that no one can force Israel and the 'Palestinians' to make peace. He compared it with trying to force someone to fall in love - it cannot be done.

"No. I think peace has to be made between two people sitting opposite a table. America can help facilitate that interaction. But at the end of the day, no one can force parties in any conflict in the world to make peace. It's like forcing somebody to fall in love. We have to sit down and thresh it out between us."

Oren added: "If we arrive at points where we can't agree, we can't close the gap between us, then we - both the Israelis and the Palestinians as well - are willing to look at various bridging formulas."

"But America is not in a position where it's going to come in and impose a plan. I don't think that's to anybody's benefit. And I'm sure parties on all sides of this conflict understand that."

Well, the parties on all sides may understand it, but that might not stop the US from trying to impose a 'solution' anyway. The two sides will never love or trust each other, but that's okay in Obama's book if he's willing to station US troops permanently along the green line. North and South Korea don't love each other, but they'll been on their respective sides of the line for nearly 60 years. If Obama wants to try to impose that sort of arrangement on Israel and the 'Palestinians' there is very little that can stop him.

What could go wrong?

Israel Matzav: Oren: 'No one can force peace on us'