Mitchell resigns as US envoy in Mideast

On his second day in office in January 2009, President Obama appointed Mitchell, signaling the administration’s desire to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace. But despite more than two years of shuttle diplomacy, the two sides appear further apart than at any time in years.

“His deep commitment to resolving conflict and advancing democracy has contributed immeasurably to the goal of two states living side by side in peace and security,’’ Obama said in a written statement announcing the resignation.

The news of Mitchell’s departure, while not a surprise, broke at an awkward time. His resignation is effective Friday, the same day Obama will meet at the White House with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, with whom the president has had an icy, if polite, relationship. Yet the date on Mitchell’s brief resignation letter, which the White House released late yesterday afternoon, was April 6, five weeks ago.

In the letter, Mitchell, 77, said he had initially agreed to do what the president called “the toughest job imaginable’’ for only two years. He largely abandoned his diplomatic efforts after a failed push last year to persuade Israel to freeze the construction of settlements in territories claimed by the Palestinians.

Mitchell last visited the region in December, even as divisions between the Israelis and Palestinians hardened and hostilities deepened. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appointed his deputy, David Hale, to take over as acting envoy.

The Middle East has been transformed by popular uprisings that toppled aging autocrats in Tunisia and Egypt, prompted a NATO-led air war against Libya, and led to harsh crackdowns in Syria and Bahrain.

The White House announced that Obama will address the region in the wake of the upheaval and the death of Osama bin Laden in a speech Thursday at the State Department. Obama was also scheduled to meet Tuesday with King Abdullah II of Jordan.

“We remain committed to peace in the Middle East and to building on George’s hard work and progress toward achieving this goal,’’ Obama said, though officials said it was unlikely the president would outline new US proposals to break the impasse.

For his part, the Israeli prime minister will visit Washington in search of support for heading off Palestinian plans to seek a vote in September at the UN General Assembly recognizing an independent Palestine with territory that includes all of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. He has made it clear that the turmoil in the region has heightened his country’s security concerns, making a negotiated peace an unacceptably risky gamble for now.