Israel Matzav: Assume Obama will have a two-term Presidency

Assume Obama will have a two-term Presidency

Dr. Aaron Lerner says that Israel's policy makers must assume that President Obama will have a two-term Presidency. He then goes on to argue that we cannot think we will hold Obama off for that long a time by making a few concessions on Jerusalem. Lerner argues that we should not concede anything at all in Jerusalem - it's all just a steep, slippery slope.

Assuming a two term Obama presidency radically changes the ramifications and consequences of the concessions Israel makes today.

Let's not kid ourselves.

This is a man who genuinely believes that Israel should pull out of the Golan in return for a piece of paper; that turning Jerusalem into a patchwork quilt of sovereignties is workable; that Israel's national heritage claims to sites beyond the Green Line are either irrelevant or should be addressed at the most by paperwork ostensibly assuring some kind of access to those locations and that Israel's security needs can be met by a combination of pieces of paper and gizmos.

And he is surrounded by people who share this view - both inside and outside his administration.

Conceding on Jerusalem construction today will only encourage heightened pressure to implement policies that are in line with President Obama's beliefs.

Pressure that a confused Israeli public will find ever more difficult to support withstanding after a freeze in Jerusalem was justified.

There is a difference between Jerusalem and many of the other issues.

Construction in Jerusalem is an easy consensus issue that most Israelis understand.

Should Mr. Netanyahu opt to concede on Jerusalem construction, he will find himself facing American demands for other policy concessions with the Israeli public split as concession supporters argue that the hard earned benefits of the Jerusalem construction freeze concession will be lost if Israel refuses to make the next concession.

The slippery slope is indeed both steep and slippery.

Indeed.

Israel Matzav: Assume Obama will have a two-term Presidency