Liberal Democrats push Gaza cease-fire, new peace talks

A handful of liberal Democrats are urging President Barack Obama to “redouble” diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza even as the administration and the rest of Congress side squarely with Israel.

In a letter sent Thursday to the president and Secretary of State John Kerry and obtained by Al-Monitor, a half-dozen lawmakers call for an end to the “cycle of violence” in the region. The latest flare-up, they write, is further proof that a final status agreement is “urgent and necessary” and should not be abandoned despite the collapse of the latest talks.