Israel Matzav: Obama wants to impose 'peace'

Obama wants to impose 'peace'

The token has finally dropped at Haaretz. Ari Shavit has figured out what allowing the core issues to be raised at 'proximity talks' means.

U.S. President Barack Obama's demands during his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Tuesday point to an intention to impose a permanent settlement on Israel and the Palestinians in less than two years, political sources in Jerusalem say.

Israeli officials view the demands that Obama made at the White House as the tip of the iceberg under which lies a dramatic change in U.S. policy toward Israel.

Of 10 demands posed by Obama, four deal with Jerusalem: opening a Palestinian commercial interests office in East Jerusalem, an end to the razing of structures in Palestinian neighborhoods in the capital, stopping construction in Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, and not building the neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo.

But another key demand - to discuss the dispute's core issues during the indirect talks that are planned - is perceived in Jerusalem as problematic because it implies that direct negotiations would be bypassed. This would set up a framework through which the Americans would be able to impose a final settlement.

It gets worse too. Obama is trying to isolate Israel completely, urging other allies to put pressure on us.

America's word - as expressed by Bush and Clinton - is worthless. The United States is just like any other banana republic in which a new government taking power means all previous commitments are thrown off. We will never trust the United States again.

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Israel Matzav: Obama wants to impose 'peace'