A determined President Obama has crafted a multifaceted Middle East peace plan, in preparation for next week's negotiations, that calls for heavy US involvement and frequent huddles between the heads of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, according to a leaked White House conference call.
Obama is convinced that he can accomplish what has eluded his predecessors and plans to present Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with a plan for a comprehensive peace accord.
Word of Obama's readiness for an intense focus on the Israeli-Palestinian issue comes as the leaders are set to meet in Washington for a summit next week.
As proof of his confidence, Obama is prepared to wade shoulders deep into the conflict -- starting with next week's talks and followed by a visit to the Middle East sometime in the next year, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The White House will pressure the Israelis and Palestinians to sign off on a peace agreement within a year, according to the paper, which obtained the summary of a conference call between White House officials and American Jewish leaders.
Once the framework of a deal is worked out, further details will be added over the years after regular meetings that Obama wants between Netanyahu and Abbas. The plan is to be fully implemented within 10 years.
To hammer out the deal, Israeli and Palestinian peace teams would meet in secret locations for the next year. The deal would focus on settlements, the future of Jerusalem and the borders.
If Netanyahu and Abbas -- who live a mere 15 minutes apart in Jerusalem -- reach an impasse in their talks, the United States will jump in and intervene, according to the summary provided to Yedioth Ahronoth.
The United States would also try to influence other Arab states to make nice with Israel and encourage the Palestinians to pursue a peaceful agenda.
The skeptical Jewish leaders peppered the White House policy heads about why these talks had a chance when so many past ones completely failed.
White House Middle East advisor Dennis Ross noted that there will be many who want the plan to fail.
"Our challenge would be to guarantee their [the talks'] success," Ross told the Jewish leaders.
When asked what had been learned from other unsuccessful peace plans, Ross said it was unacceptable for parties to say one thing in the room and then a different thing back home.
As President Obama prepares to host Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, he is taking a hands-on approach to their summit:
* The US will pressure the two sides to sign off on a framework of a peace deal within a year.
* Obama will try to get Netanyahu and Abbas to meet frequently.
* After a deal is inked, it would be implemented over the next decade.
* If peace talks break down, the US will jump in and help the negotiations.
* The US will also try to use its influence on other Arab states to get behind the peace plan.
jennifer.fermino@nypost.com
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