Mediators

Obama to Moderate Middle East Talks

Netanyahu, Abbas will meet at U.N. in September.

Perhaps President Obama will take a break from trying to mediate between Democrats and Republicans on health care to tackle an, uh, easier issue? Fox News is reporting that President Obama is set to moderate a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations in late September. "Yes, I think they will meet by the end of September. President Obama will chair it, and I think that at least there is a chance that they will decide they are going to reopen negotiations," Israeli President Shimon Peres told Fox. "But that will not include Hamas." In order for Hamas to participate, Israel will likely have to agree to halt settlement construction.