WASHINGTON — U.S. President Barack Obama’s selection for Middle East envoy drew praise from Israel, as well as dovish groups and at least one centrist Jewish organization.

George Mitchell was introduced as the new special envoy for Middle East peace at a State Department news conference last Thursday afternoon.

Mitchell said he believes deeply that “committed, persevering and patient diplomacy” can bring about peace in the Middle East and “demands our maximum effort, no matter the difficulties, no matter the setbacks.”

“It will be the policy of my administration to actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as Israel and its Arab neighbours,” Obama said at the news conference.

The president said he would be sending Mitchell to the region as “soon as possible to help the parties ensure that the [Gaza] ceasefire that has been achieved is made durable and sustainable.”

Obama reiterated his statement during last year’s presidential campaign that Israel was justified in responding to Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel.

“Let me be clear: America is committed to Israel’s security and we will always support Israel’s right to defend itself against legitimate threats,” he said.

“For years, Hamas has launched thousands of rockets at innocent Israeli citizens. No democracy can tolerate such danger to its people, nor should the international community, and neither should the Palestinian people themselves, whose interests are only set back by acts of terror.

Obama added that “just as the terror of rocket fire aimed at innocent Israelis is intolerable, so too is a future without hope for the Palestinians.” He called for the openings of Gaza’s border crossings with an “appropriate monitoring regime” as part of a lasting ceasefire.

The president also said that the Arab peace initiative – which calls for peace with Israel if it withdraws to pre-1967 borders – “contains constructive elements that could help advance these efforts” and called on Arab states to “act on the initiative’s promise” by supporting the Palestinian Authority government, taking steps toward normalizing relations with Israel and standing up to “extremism that threatens us all.”

Israel welcomed Mitchell’s appointment. Its U.S. ambassador, Sallai Meridor, congratulated Mitchell in a statement and said Israel holds him “in high regard and looks forward to working with him on taking the next steps towards realizing a future of peace and security for Israel and her neighbours.”