. Tactically, it makes no sense for you to oppose something which ultimately, you have little control over. Moreover, most Jewish groups both in America and in Israel are prepared to accept Palestinian self-rule so long as it's not at the expense of Israeli security.
. Appoint a high-level envoy to the peace-talks to demonstrate your commitment to the talks. A special emissary with the prestige of either former President Carter or Jim Baker will show you mean business.
Judith Kipper, a Mid-East expert at the Brookings Institute, favors appointing Carter and calls him a "superb choice" because of his ability and readiness to hear all sides. You shouldn't forget that Carter's enormous contribution to the Camp David accord between Israel and Egypt was due in part to his relative evenhandedness and his meticulous attention to detail.
Baker, on the other hand, has been conducting shuttle diplomacy for the last 18 months and has a familiar rapport with the leaders in the region. The big question is whether Baker would cross party lines and accept an offer of a short-term position as a special emissary.
My guess is that he would accept for one of two reasons. First, his shot at the presidency in '96 was substantially weakened by a Democratic victory; if he could somehow facilitate dramatic progress at the talks, his credit as a diplomat would rise markedly, thus increasing his political capital. But if he's concentrating right now on how history will appraise his Washington experience and perhaps winning a Nobel Peace Prize, accepting the offer to be a special envoy would be the right choice. He has little else to do except go fishing.
Most importantly, both Baker and Carter have a reputation of fairness among all sides and should be competent enough to act as a presidential surrogate while you and Al concentrate on fixing the economy. My personal recommendation would be Carter, if only because he's much more of a mensch.
Finally, make sure that your sources of advice and counsel on this issue are as broad as the ones you consult on other issues that concern you. The most important thing a president requires is free-flowing information channels so that all ideas are well-represented.
Don't just rely on Marty Indyk, Michael Mandelbaum and Tony Lake for advice--as smart as they may be. Academics and policy experts may be bright, but a president needs to get people from many fields of knowledge too, i.e., medicine, religion, law, business and technology.
Of course, there's no way that the U.S. can solve any of these problems on its own. The dual threats of violent Islamic fundamentalists and hypernationalist Israelis persist daily. Your task here is to assist others to do what you did during the campaign: marginalize the fringe further and reclaim the center. That's not a small task in a region where moderation is the acknowledgement of another's right to exist.
Ultimately, the parties have to work things out for themselves. But now is the time for you to actively engage the participants with a display of your enthusiasm, empathy, and intellect. Peace be with you.