Netanyahu made sure America can't broker historical peace

September 23, 2011

Abu Mazen ready for historical peace - Netanyahu made sure America can't broker it

Palestine will not arise tomorrow—but this is a historical day.

Abu Mazen offered negotiations during a settlement freeze and peace based on the 1967 borders. Netanyahu rejected this, packing his intransigence in security rhetoric.

By bending Obama to his will, Netanyahu disqualified the US as honest broker.

"Mahmud Abbas has taken the excuses out of Netanyahu’s hands. The State of Palestine, under his leadership, is fully ready to make peace with the State of Israel on the basis of the 1967 borders, to resume negotiations if no settlement facts are created on the land subject to negotiations - but the Palestinians are not ready to continue to live under occupation" said former Knesset Member Uri Avnery - Gush Shalom. "The State of Palestine will not arise tomorrow, and a long and hard road awaits all of us until this state becomes a reality and takes its rightful place as the Palestinians' national state and Israel's partner for peace. Still, today will be counted among the key historical dates in the history of our region.

Netanyahu's answering speech was nothing but a cheap compilation of propaganda, with rejection of the Palestinian offer and intransigent refusal to end the occupation packed in "security" rhetoric and clichés. The "Palestinian state" envisioned in Netanyahu’s speech would be "demilitarized" but have a heavy Israeli military presence in its territory. In practice, there is reason to doubt Netanyahu intends to let any kind of Palestinian state come into being or withdraw from any territory, and his speech in practice left nothing to negotiate about.

By a blatant interference in American internal politics, Netanyahu has bent the US to his will. He forced the President of the United States to deliver at the UN a Zionist and cynical speech, contradicting and nullifying Obama's own previous positions, and assured a US veto and outright opposition to Palestinian aspirations. But it was a pyrrhic victory for Netanyahu—he has been shown the entire world that the United States is not suitable to serve as an honest broker between Israel and the Palestinians.

Even in the arbitration of a simple business dispute, it would be inconceivable for the arbitrator to be the older brother or business partner of one of the parties to the dispute. If and when negotiations resume between Israel and the Palestinians, it will be necessary to find a mediator or mediators more appropriate and fair—which confirms the Palestinians in their decision to move the focus of diplomatic activity from the White House to the UN Headquarters.

ENDS

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