Israeli Prime Minister Sends Wrong Message

by John M. Curtis
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Copyright December 12, 2010
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              Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threw gasoline on Mideast peace talks insisting on keeping Jerusalem and East Jerusalem as Israel’s exclusive capitol.  Netanyahu knows, among the many deal-breaking demands, that Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as its capital for a future state.  Status of East Jerusalem, annexed by Israel after the 1967 Six-day War, has always been a deal-breaker for Palestinians, seeking to establish East Jerusalem with its holy golden-domed Al-Aqsa mosque as its crown jewel.  Netanyahu’s recent remarks do nothing to advance the U.S.-brokered peace process that has broken down recently over Israel’s refusal to reinstate a new construction freeze in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.  Both areas are likely homes to future Palestinian state.  Showing tone deafness to the peace process, Netanyahu proves he needs some urgent diplomatic skills.

            Whatever BiBi’s private thoughts, he must think twice before venting his true feelings in public, especially about East Jerusalem.  Conservative members with his Cabinet, including his pro-settler Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, don’t want to cede any territory to Palestinians, insisting the Jerusalem and East Jerusalem remain exclusive Israeli territory.  Former Israeli Prime Minister and current Defense Minister Ehud Barak, part of Israel’s left-leaning Labor Party, wants Palestinians to have East Jerusalem as their eventual capital.  Palestinians have always insisted on Israel returning to the pre-1967 borders in exchange for any peace treaty.  Of all the past sticking points, East Jerusalem and refugees’ right of return have kept Palestinians reluctant to make peace.  Regardless of any eventual settlement, Netanyahu should keep his thoughts about East Jerusalem to himself.

            President Barack Obama and his Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton face some tough choices about how to resuscitate peace talks.  It they put too much pressure on Israel, they’ll lose the backing of the American Israeli Public Affairs Council, the nation’s leading Jewish lobbying group.  Just recently, Obama and Clinton dropped the demand on Israel to stop construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.  “Mr. Netanyahu is distancing himself from Barak, he is distancing himself form the international consensus, he’s distancing himself from international resolutions and distancing himself from international law,” said Palestinian spokesman Hussam Zomlot, urging the U.S. to take a more active role establishing acceptable conditions, for Israelis and Palestinians, to move peace forward.  Netanyahu’s recent remarks throw ice water on the peace process.

            Whether or not Netanyahu wants to discuss or negotiate peace on the public stage, he should refrain from incendiary rhetoric.  A two-state solution will involve sacrifices on both sides, especially Palestinians giving up on refugees’ right of return.  Whatever the eventual settlement, Palestinians won’t be returning to Israel to demand past real estate.  “And most importantly, he distancing himself from any possible negotiated two-state solution,” said Zomlot, urging Netanyahu to stop political posturing and return to the peace table.  Netanyahu has resisted for some time allowing Palestinians to negotiate a final settlement before accepting the fact that Israelis, not Palestinians, control the peace process.  Senior Israel officials resent Palestinian President Mahoud Abbas calling the shots for a future Palestinian state.  They want Palestinians to go to the peace table without preconditions.

            Obama walks a tightrope trying to impose conditions on either side for a peace deal.  “It may be unavoidable, actually, for the United States acting as a broker as some point to come up with bridging proposals so we make this happen,” said Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.  Like all past sticking points, East Jerusalem is only one of the issues that derailed past peace talks.  Netanyahu surely knows that more symbolic issues like the status of East Jerusalem kills a peace deal faster that deciding what to do with millions of Palestinian refugees.  Speaking out on East Jerusalem throws cold water on the peace process, hurting changes for an eventual deal.  Both Netanyahu and Abbas need to be careful avoiding the incendiary rhetoric.  Both leaders need to refrain from kind of counterproductive accusations that leads to violence and turns back the clock on a future Palestinian state.

            Netanyahu’s tough talk on East Jerusalem does nothing to advance the peace process.  East Jerusalem has become the likely capital of a future Palestinian state.  Final discussions about borders and the right of return of Palestinian refugees continue to bog down the peace process.  With Israel’s enemies looking for talks to fail, the U.S., Israel and Palestinians must keep their eyes clearly focused on a two-state solution.  Neither side can get everything. Negotiating on the right issues, like allowing Palestinians to negotiate for East Jerusalem, goes a long way in gaining concessions on other stubborn issues.  Calling on Israelis and Palestinians to discuss a settlement “without deal and with real specificity,” Clinton wants both sides to sacrifice.  They know both sides must make painful concessions.  They also know that compromise can get Israelis peace and Palestinians their own state.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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