This new feature on Progress Online brings you a round-up of progressive views on the news of the day.

‘It is important not to over scrutinise every development regarding the Middle East conflict – the road to peace is bumpy and unpredictable. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meetings in London with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US envoy George Mitchell can only be regarded as positive. The suggestion of tougher international action against Iran’s illegal nuclear programme in return for an Israeli settlement freeze demonstrates that President Barack Obama sees peace in the Middle East as dependent on many interlinking factors. Whether we see a breakthrough in the coming days or not, those that want a two state solution and those that justifiably fear an Iranian nuclear weapon can be reassured that the new US President is approaching the Middle conflict in a progressive, comprehensive and refreshing manner. Gordon Brown is, I believe, right to be cautiously “optimistic”.’ – Andrew Gwynne MP, chair of Labour Friends of Israel

‘The Israeli government is not the major obstacle to peace in the Middle East and it is not the Israeli government that breaks promises. The Palestines’ leaders have betrayed their people over and over again by throwing away opportunities to reach a political settlement, by being seduced by those preaching the destruction of the state of Israel and then suffering the consequences of excessive force from the IDF as they try to neutralize military threats to their citizens. Threats embedded in civilian populations. These security operations then encourage the most extreme groups amongst the Palestinians even further. But beyond this it is the shortsightedness of the Palestinians and the Arab states that bank roll them, the sheer strategic ineptitude of them, that is the greatest threat to this peace process as it has been to virtually every other process since the Camp David accord. The Israel government have got many things wrong, the Palestinian leaders of all the groups from Hamas back have got nothing right – why should we expect anything more this time. As Progressives we need to support moderates on both sides but above all we need to articulate a realism about the nature of the current leadership that the Palestinian people have chosen and be honest about where the real obstacles to peace lie.’ – Brian Brivati, director of the John Smith Memorial Trust. He writes here in a personal capacity.

‘The active participation of President Obama in Middle East peace moves is strongly to be encouraged, but attempts to revive sham negotiations between unequal parties or to build trust between an occupying authority and an occupied people are a waste of effort. Freezing settlement growth is desirable but not an end in itself. Linking progress towards Israeli-Palestinian peace with the Iranian nuclear issue is full of hazards. Rather, Obama should invite the parties to tender their realistic visions of the endgame within a brief period and then mediate between them, backed up by powerful inducements. We cannot afford a further failure.’ – Tony Klug, special advisor on the Middle East to the Oxford Research Group and vice-chair of the Arab-Jewish Forum

‘More pieces are in place for a breakthrough on the Middle East than we have seen in a decade. Obama is engaging in a way Bush refused to do. Fatah have shown at their congress last week a real break with violence and are now a partner for peace. Prime minister Netanhyu is being told by all European leaders this week it is time to stop building colonies in Palestine. The Jew-haters are still there as are the ultras in Israel. But this is a chance for peace if all seize it the way the IRA and Unionist ultras made peace under Tony Blair in 1997.’ – Denis MacShane MP, former minister for Europe

‘President Obama has made a difference. The right wing Israeli government has lost the previous unthinking neo-con support of Washington. It faces a concerted US effort to get meaningful negotiations, but continued Israeli settlement activity and Palestinian divisions between Fatah and Hamas and the West Bank and Gaza make prospects for a two state solution and a viable Palestinian state extremely doubtful.’ – Mike Gapes MP, chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs select committee

‘It’s absolutely essential that the United States is fully committed to a fair and just settlement in the Middle East and especially at a time when most people are very pessimistic about the prospects of a successful outcome. President Obama has done well in using his profile to stress that the US is committed to being an honest broker and a facilitator for peace.

He has begun to break down scepticism about the Americans from the Palestinian side and although that could create suspicion among Israelis he’s also been very clear that he is committed to a fair outcome, and pro-peace Israelis can see that his motivation is sincere.

The role of the international community in Britain is much less to pick sides or engage in the inevitable blame game between different parties, it is to keep stressing that the international community will broker a fair settlement that gives peace and security to Israel and Palestine. Anybody outside the region who wants to play a constructive role should make that their goal.’ – Sunder Katwala, general secretary of the Fabian Society

‘Even though the recent news seems positive, it’s easy to be cynical about the possibility of a lasting peace agreement in the Middle East. History would seem to tell us that such dreams are illusory. But as Bobby Kennedy once put it, “Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.”’ – Alex Bigham, progressive internationalism columnist on Progress Online