Fifty days after President Barack Obama took office, we’ve seen his administration take significant steps to pursue Arab-Israeli peace. President Obama made good on his campaign promise to make dealing with this issue a priority, as demonstrated by the calls he made to Palestinian President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert on his first full day in office.

President Obama named George Mitchell, the architect of the peace accord in Northern Ireland, to serve as his special envoy for Middle East peace.

President Obama ended the Bush administration’s stubborn refusal to engage with Syria diplomatically. Two senior Obama administration officials have just returned from a visit to Damascus.

This is a truly promising start. President Obama’s actions speak of a determination to seriously deal with the challenge of Arab-Israeli peacemaking. He deserves our support and encouragement.

James Brewer

Post Falls