The man who killed the 'peace process'
The 'peace process' may be dead, says Maariv columnist Ben Dror Yemini, and if it is, it wasn't killed by Binyamin Netanyahu, Avigdor Lieberman, Mahmoud Abbas or even Khaled Meshaal. It was killed by the guy pictured at the top of this post. Olmert reached the red line of the Israeli side’s capabilities with what he was offering during the Annapolis process. He even crossed that line when he agreed to a symbolic right of return. Supporters of the Geneva Accords – Yossi Beilin, the Israeli Left, and certainly Tzipi Livni – never called for that kind of concession. In fact, this is also true of the moderate Palestinians, who supported the Accords, and agreed to Jewish sovereignty in the Jewish neighborhoods of greater Jerusalem.
Until Obama came along, that is. To clarify, the president does not stand with the peace camp on the Israeli and Palestinian sides. Quite the opposite. In light of his recent behavior, it seems he stands with the side of the Palestinian refuseniks. There is a role to be played in pressuring Israel. Pressure is, after all, part of the game. But this time, we’re not just talking about pressure, we’re talking about bolstering Palestinian intransigence.
The big question now is: Will Obama admit his mistake, or will he insist on a demand that will strengthen the refusenik wing on the Palestinian side?
If the Obama administration wants to move forward on an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, it should go with the first option.
Israel Matzav: The man who killed the 'peace process'
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment