America, James Baker once said, cannot want peace more than the parties to the conflict. The truth to this sentence encompasses more than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Israeli-Syrian one or even America's involvement in various conflicts around the world.

As much as it is about divine intervention, miracle, and faith in God, the story of Passover is about leadership and courage.

For the Sea of Reeds to miraculously part, one of the Israelites had to take the first step in. That person, according to tradition, was Nachshon. He dived into the spray without assurance that the sea would split. He knew that if the sea didn't recede, he would drown, and that turning back would mean certain death for him and his fellow Israelites at the hands of Pharaoh's advancing army.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/opinion/25mon1.html

President Obama began his presidency vowing to negotiate an Israeli-Palestinian peace. He backed off in the face of both sides' obstinacy and after a series of diplomatic missteps. Since then, the stalemate, and the mistrust, have only deepened, and it is clear that nothing good will happen until the United States fully engages.

By HELENE COOPER

WASHINGTON -- A Republican invitation for Israel's conservative prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to address Congress next month is highlighting the tensions between President Obama and Mr. Netanyahu and has kicked off a bizarre diplomatic race over who will be the first to lay out a new proposal to reopen the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.