It is no surprise that the US envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, left the region empty handed after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A series of meetings were held between the two over the past few days in an effort to convince the Israeli premier that the Israeli settlement activity must end immediately.

Netanyahu did not budge; his promises came short of the minimum demands of the Arab side and the rest of the international community, including, of course, the US.

Now that Israel has made it clear it is not willing to freeze its settlement programme but is determined to mark time in endless talks and negotiations with Washington, perhaps US President Barack Obama will use his determination, and clout, to convince the Israeli leader otherwise. For, while it is a big disappointment for the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world to see that Israel remains defiant, this Jewish stance must be a big shock, and an embarrassment, to Obama.

The US president, with his promise of change and judicious stand, so far at least, on foreign policy issues, must feel both spurned by his country’s long-time ally and piqued by the obdurate position of this right-wing Israeli government. Or so, at least, we wish to believe.

Washington could use quite a few measures to make defiant Israel comply with international legitimacy. While the world at large seems too meek to act, Obama could live up to his promise and use his country’s influence to change things.

Israel depends heavily on the US for military and economic assistance. Closing these taps even for a short time is sure to make Netanyahu more reasonable and pliant on the Palestinian question.

Even if only for the sake of not losing credibility in this region the US should force the Israeli hand. Not only to stop settlement building but also, and more importantly, to start talks that will put an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of Arab land.

Such US show of determination on the Palestinian question is all the more urgent now, on the eve of the UN General Assembly session, where Obama is expected to deliver a major policy speech and where a show of weakness on the Middle East is bound to harm him.