Martin Indyk US envoy for peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians resigns

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Martin Indyk, who was appointed as special Mideast envoy in July 2013, announced his resignation Friday
Indyk was appointed by Secretary of State John Kerry to help Israel and Palestine reach a resolution of their conflict within nine months
Talks fell apart in March 2014, when both sides backed out of pledges made
Indyk is the second Mideast peace envoy to quit during the Obama Administration

Published: 08:41 EST, 27 June 2014 | Updated: 18:28 EST, 27 June 2014

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Martin Indyk, seen in his appointment as the special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian relations on July 29, 2013, announced his resignation Friday amid the failure of negotiations between the groups

The U.S. diplomat placed in charge of forging a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians is resigning after nearly a year of unsuccessful efforts, the Obama administration said Friday.

U.S. special Mideast envoy Martin Indyk is resigning after being appointed to the post last July by Secretary of State John Kerry when he announced the resumption of peace talks between the two groups.

The goal of the talks was to reach a settlement within nine months. However, negotiations failed before the target date, amid a low point in relations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Kerry said in a statement that Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, would return to his position as vice president and director of foreign policy at The Brookings Institution think-tank in Washington but would continue to serve as special adviser on Mideast peace issues.

'Ambassador Indyk has invested decades of his extraordinary career to the mission of helping Israelis and Palestinians achieve a lasting peace' Kerry said, reaffirming the commitment of the U.S. in resuming the peace talks.

With the peace process in hiatus, it is unclear whether Indyk will be replaced. His deputy, Frank Lowenstein, will assume the envoy position on an interim basis, the officials said.

Indyk's resignation marks the second time the Obama administration has lost a Mideast peace envoy following a failed bid to bring the parties together.

Former Sen. George Mitchell stepped down from the post in May 2011 after two years of frustrating efforts to get negotiations going.

The latest effort collapsed in March, when Israel and the Palestinians each backed out of pledges they had made when the peace talks resumed.

Each side blamed the other for the breakdown.

Indyk (pictured left), talking with Secretary of State John Kerry (pictured right.) Kerry appointed Indyk to the position of special Mideast envoy in July 2013

'The United States remains committed not just to the cause of peace, but to resuming the process when the parties find a path back to serious negotiations,' Kerry (pictured left) said in a statement Friday

The Palestinians accused Israel of reneging on a promise of releasing prisoners and continuing to construct Jewish settlements on disputed territory, while the Israelis accused the Palestinians of seeking greater recognition with the United Nations.

The Palestinians then formed a unity government backed by the militant Hamas movement, which Israel refuses to deal with.

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Indyk, 62, had taken a leave of absence from his job as vice president and foreign policy director of Brookings when he was appointed envoy on July 29, 2013.

At the time, he thanked President Barack Obama and Kerry for 'entrusting me with the mission of helping you take this breakthrough and turn it into a full-fledged Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.'

Israeli security forces detaining Palestinian men during a July 22 operation. The peace talks stalled between the two sides in March 2014, when both sides reneged on previous promises

'It is a daunting and humbling challenge, but one that I cannot desist from,' Indyk said then.

Prior to joining Brookings, Indyk had served as former President Bill Clinton's ambassador to Israel and was a key part of the 2000 Camp David peace talks. Prior to this, he had experience working with Near East and South Asian affairs.

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VKSheridan, Tulsa, United States, 54 minutes ago

And the list of failed attempts to bring peace to that region grows......

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HollywoodReporting, Hollywood Florida, United States, 1 hour ago

THE IZZRAELIS never want peace, because it means accepting the FACT that they are guests there and are occupying land and even GOD doesn't like them.

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Mark S, Los Angeles, 1 hour ago

Wait, you mean Obama's not really loved by everyone? And he can't bring peace to the world!?!? And he and his admin really don't know what they are doing?!?!?!? Shocking!