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what is there to stop us? what is there to stop us from beginning peace negotiations? >> suarez: but after 18 years of failed negotiations, there was no sign that talks might resume. instead, secretary-general ban referred the palestinian statehood bid to the security council this afternoon for consideration. its fate there is uncertain. a vote could be weeks or months in coming. the u.s. has warned it will veto the resolution, if it comes to that. and in his address on wednesday president obama again urged direct negotiations. later today, the mideast quartet-- the u.s., european union, russia and the u.n.-- urged a return to direct negotiations within a month. now, two assessments of the speeches and what's next. from ghaith al-omari, a former advisor to president abbas, now executive director of the american task force on palestine. and david makovsky, director of the project on the middle east peace process at the washington institute for near east policy and former executive editor of the "jerusalem post." gaith, earlier this week, the obama administration tried to convince mahmoud abbas not to go ahead with the bid. obviously, they didn't succeed. but why now and why this? >> now because the two factors. one is a sense of frustration. i think that was expressed today in the speech, a feeling the negotiations were going nowhere, a feeling settlements were being built in a way that would undermine the two-state solution. and the second factor, the arab spring, the movement among the people of the arab world demanding action from their government, i think abbas felt compelled to do something, moving the ball forward. >> suarez: an hour later, prime minister benjamin netanyahu delivered a tough speech. he said things will go badly on the ground in that area once that statehood bid is made. what does it change for israel? >> look, i think he was trying to tell the world, the way statehood rubs through peace, and it cannot be divorced from it, and anything done in the u.n. is not just a purely symbolic move but could have real implications in making peacemaking more difficult. and given that these people live on top of each other, almost, too much history, too little geography, these are the people that have to live with the results so they have to actually sit together and solve their problems. and then they go to the u.n. and announce the two-state solution. >> suarez: but what does it change? the document has been filled out, handed over with much fanfare. what does it change in israel? >> it disappoint change much. it focuses the effort of the quartet, the u.s., european union, as you said in the setup piece, to call for renewed talks. this is something the u.s. and israel have wanted for a long time. so by weighing in this afternoon after the two speeches, the international community is basically saying let's cut the symbolism. let's go straight to talks now. it will change things only in israel if it leads to violence as a result of all this, if the dynamics are unleashed that cannot be controlled. i don't think either abbas or netanyahu want this at all, so i think main arena with the international community weighing in is the return to talks. >> the speech got a rapturous applause among members of the general assembly, now that this is done, what is the change for the palestinians? >> one thing that changes for abbas himself is his popularity internally has increased. no palestinian thinks going to the u.n. will get you a stake on the ground but he feels it will strengthen his negotiating position. at the end of the day, he knows he has to go back to negotiations. he talked about this in his speech. david said, the quartet now, we will see diplomacy over the next days and weeks to try to create a formula for both sides to get together but at the end of the day, i think abbas feels he raised temperature, increased the temperature and creating more leverage for himself. >> suarez: but, gaith, it's been widely said by friends of both sides that you need two sides to talk. this doesn't dismantle a single settlement, doesn't take down a yard of the barrier wall. why was it so important if it anitizeinizes people you have to talk to? >> on the one hand, abbas-- he looks tat as a way of increasing his leverage. but at the end of the day, and i think it's worth pointing out, as the systematic wrangling goes on, there are things happening on the ground that we can build on. david talked about the risk of violence. yet we have security cooperation that is ongoing. let's make sure this continues. the palestinians have been working on building institutions to increase governance, increase the economy. let's make sure this goes on, because that's where progress will really happy. until they get to the right race and until the partyes of both sides and in this country allow us to go back to meaningful negotiations. >> suarez: along with a long litany of grievances, president abbas' speech also included several messages to israel, assuring it of a peaceful future and of security guarantees that can be durable. was this important for israelis to hear from the u.n. today? >> i think, frankly, ray, it was lost. i mean, i think the overall impression-- i'm glad, by the way, abbas spoke in arabic. that's important. but i think it was basically assuring his own people, this is the palestinian narrative that i'm bringing to the world. that was, i think, certainly the tone that was heard. i don't think it was much more extending a hand, here's how we can renew talks. i don't think that really carried over. he didn't prepare his people for compromises or be seen as telling the israelis, here we can build this two-state solution. it was more bringing the palestinian narrative to the world. i kind of expected it. and you could tell by the reaction in ramalathat's what they heard and that was well received. >> suarez: what cot israelis need to hear from the palestinians now to at least have an opening to talk? the quartet has called for new talks today and other prominent members of the u.n.? >> i think you need-- they would want to hear abbas say something like this-- we understand your fears. you have to understand ourselves. your freezer you got out of gaza and lebanon and you've got rockets. and we know with arab spring, egypt and adjourned are much more shakier now. we understand that these security reallies have been to be ironclad for you, that the peace has to be every bit as strong as the land that is tangible we expect to deign. i think he has to focus much more on the security side. it's clear on the land side he had already heard from president obama and netanyahu kind of hinted at it today that it will be based on the '67 lines plus land swaps-- that means land exchanges. so both sides have to be assured going forward. >> suarez: given the way things stand at the close of today, is the palestinian delegation inclined to give israel what it needs to reopen talks? >> as david mentioned today, both leaders spoke to their constituencies, and that's the only way to understand how netanyahu talked about in the u.n. both sides i think now go back home feeling more strengthened, feeling more energized, feeling they have a more security base. i think if we play the diplomacy right, we can build on the sense of triumph both sides have to bring them together for talks. what the palestinians needed to hear from the israelis is clarity, what are the basis of the negotiations, mutual swap as president obama called for and to hear something about settlements. once we have these basic issues taken into account, once both sides hear from each side what they need on hear, i think there is room for negotiation. keep in mind, both the rells and palestinians-- the publics, i mean-- what we have been hearing about for years, 70% of both communities want a two-state solution. what we need are empowered leaders who will be able on deliver that and i hope what happened today will lead to the leaders feeling more secure and able to make the necessary concessions. >> suarez: david, before i let you go-- >> ray, i can just echo that thought? i think if the net effect of today was both sides giving muscular speeches to their public gives them the political cover to pivot, to talk to empowered leaders, then maybe something good came out of this. if they don't make the pivot, i fear this could be a slippery slope downwards towards confrontation. >> suarez: when you say, "make the pivot," are we talking a few weeks, a few months? is this a moment that has to be captured quickly. >> in the middle east, the popularity doesn't last to go and i think they need to pivot soon and i think that's why it's important what the quartet did this afternoon and called for the direct talks. this has been in the works since may and they just released a statement, not coincidentally, after the speeches of the two leaders today. david makovsky, gaith al-omari, gentlemen, thank you, both. >> thank you,. >> thank you, ray. >> lehrer: still to come on the "newshour": changes to "no child left behind"; the republican debate in orlando. plus, shields and brooks. but first, the other news of the day. here's kwame holman. >> holman: stock markets on both sides of the atlantic recouped a little of their losses today. key indexes across europe were up and on wall street. the dow jones industrial average gained 37 points to close at 10,771. the nasdaq rose 27 points to close at 2483. but for the week, the dow lost more than 6%. the nasdaq fell 5%. congress went into the weekend, still deadlocked over disaster aid. house republicans passed a bill to keep the government running into november. it included $3.7 billion for fema-- the federal disaster agency. it was paid for, in part, by cutting energy technology loan programs. in the senate, republican leader mitch mcconnell said the days of adding disaster costs to the deficit are over. >> the whole "that's the way we've always done it" argument is the reason we've got a $14 trillion debt right now. if we pass it, fema will have the funds they need to respond to these emergencies. that's not the issue here. what's at issue is whether we're going to add to the debt, or not. >> holman: but senate democrats objected to the cuts, and blocked the bill. later, majority leader harry reid said democrats would accept the $3.7 billion figure, if republicans would give way on the loan cuts. >> it's a simple thing, and i can't understand their logic-- money to go through monday or tuesday if we're fortunate. >> holman: further action will now wait until monday, at the earliest. if there is no agreement, the government will run out of money and face a shutdown by next weekend. the president of yemen ali abdullah saleh made a surprise return from saudi arabia today. he called for a cease-fire between supporters of his government and protesters. instead, saleh's reappearance added fuel to the protests. thousands gathered in sanaa the capital chanting and carrying coffins in honor of those killed by government forces. in pakistan, top officials dismissed u.s. allegations that their spy agency actively aided militants who attacked the u.s. embassy in afghanistan. the chairman of the u.s. joint chiefs admiral mike mullen said yesterday the haqqani militant group is a virtual arm of pakistani intelligence. in karachi, pakistani prime minister yousuf raza gilani insisted his country is not some rogue sponsor of terror. >> ( translated ): we are not isolated. we have good relations with the whole world. we have good relations in our region and with our neighbors. we want to strengthen ourselves economically, but in response to these kind of american messages, "they can't live with us and they can't live without us." so, i would say to them that if they can't live without us, they should increase contacts with us to remove misunderstandings. >> holman: despite that protest, a white house spokesman called today for pakistan to break any links it has to the haqqani network. a dead satellite hurtling toward earth has slowed down. nasa said today the pieces of the six-ton satellite may not strike earth until late friday or early saturday. most fragments are expected to burn up in the atmosphere, but at least two dozen could hit ground somewhere. nasa said today there's a small chance some of the debris might land in the u.s. after all. the top executives from a bankrupt solar energy company refused to answer questions today at a house hearing. solyndra-- based in california-- got a federal loan guarantee of $528 million under president obama's stimulus program. this month, the firm filed for bankruptcy protection and laid off 1,100 workers. today, c.e.o. brian harrison and chief financial officer bill stover repeatedly invoked their right against self- incrimination. >> i want ask mr. harrison if he thinks the american people who have invested over a half a billion dollars deserve to know what happened to that money? >> on advice of my counsel, i invoke the privilege afforded to me by the 5th amendment of the constitution and i respectfully decline to answer. >> i want to ask the same question to mr. stover. >> on the advice of my counsel, i invoke the privilege afforded me by the 5th amendment of the u.s. constitution and i respectfully decline to answer any question. >> holman: two congressional committees, plus the energy department's inspector general and the justice department are investigating the solyndra case. those are some of the day's major stories. now, back to jim. >> lehrer: and we turn to the changes in a landmark education law. tom bearden starts with some background. >> reporter: amid bipartisan praise, president bush signed "no child left behind" into law in 2002. the sweeping education reform sought to make sure more public schools and more students performed up to expectations. but almost ten years later president obama said today, the law was not working. >> i want to say the goals behind "no child left behind" were admirable. and president bush deserves credit for that. higher standards are the right goal. accountability is the right goal. closing the achievement gap is the right goal. and we've got to stay focused on those goals. but experience has taught us that in its implementation "no child left behind" had some serious flaws that are hurting our children instead of helping. >> reporter: the president said the law's heavy reliance on annual testing led educators to teach to the test and de- emphasize history and science -- in the quest to improve reading and math scores. despite that effort, education secretary arne duncan has warned that more than 80% of the nation's schools risk being labeled failures under the law by 2014. so, the president today announced waivers for states if they offer their own plans that meet federal standards. >> we can't let another generation of young people fall behind because we didn't have the courage to recognize what doesn't work, admit it, and replace it with something that does. >> reporter: mr. obama insisted he is not weakening the law, but helping states set higher standards. and he said congressional delay in addressing the issue had forced his hand. >> our kids only get one shot at a decent education and they cannot afford to wait any longer. so given that congress cannot act, i am acting. >> reporter: as many as 45 states are expected to start receiving the waivers, early next year. >> suarez: and we explore what those changes mean for schools and students. for that, jeffrey brown spoke with a school superintendent and education advocate after the president's plan was announced, but before he delivered his speech. >> brown: there are,, a wide range of perspectives about the no child left behind law and its impact. we get two views of it as well as the president's changes with katie hick ox, president of the education trust, an organization working to improve student outcomes with an emphasis on lower income and minority student, and jack dale, superintendent of the fairfax county public schools in virginia, the nation's 11th largest school system. it has more than 175,000 students. welcome to both of you. >> katy hick ox, i'll start with you, what is the obama administration responding to? what is the problem that needs to be fixed from