REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WASHINGTON - US special Mideast envoy Martin Indyk has resigned to return to a Washington think-tank in a move symbolizing the collapse of the latest American effort to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Indyk's departure Friday, while not unexpected due to the failure of the talks, comes amid turmoil in the region and as relations between Israel and the Palestinians are at a low point with little hope for a resumption in negotiations.

Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement that Indyk, a former US 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. It's the cause of Martin's career, and I'm grateful for the wisdom and insight he's brought to our collective efforts," Kerry said. "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 appointed Indyk to the envoy post last July while announcing a resumption in long-stalled peace talks with a nine-month deadline for a settlement. Negotiations broke down before the end-of-April target date with recriminations from both sides.

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

Indyk's resignation marks the second time Obama 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 during President Barack Obama's first term.

Mitchell's attempt was marked by severe turbulence in US-Israel ties, mainly over Jewish settlements on disputed territory and tensions between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,

The latest effort, in which Kerry and Indyk had invested significant time and energy, 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.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika