Netanyahu is trying to navigate in a mine-field.
Reader comment on item: Assessing Binyamin Netanyahu's Speech at Bar-Ilan University

Submitted by Isaac Haskiya (Denmark), Jun 17, 2009 at 08:32

By accepting the existence of a Palestinian state in its minimal form he has avoided the first mine and that is President Obama. This is the first serve of the game: it says "let´s give the Palestinians an offer they probably will refuse while the US are kept happy with it". There might be another purpose: "the Palestinians might accept and start to negotiate".

There is a third purpose: "the Israelis might gather around a majority concensus of about 60-70% which would be one of the highest in the history of this divided Jewish Nation of ours". Supposing there will be an eventual peace agreement on this proposal there will still be the problem of those Palestinians who already live in Israel, a state whose existence they do not approve of in their hearts. Israel wants peace and there is no doubt about it. Doubts will still remain both on Arab and International recognition, even after a peace agreement. Pipes, and others, have given up on the two-state solution. They are right.

In the light of what has occurred during the last hundred years any Palestinian state, if ever it can exist, will not become a permanent promise of peace. The risks for Israel, whatever the political bandages can provide, will still remain. Let us see if Netanyahu´s concession is the first and the last one. Let us still prepare plans for other solutions. They might come very handy very soon! If day-draming were allowed the best thing would be a full divorce and a "séparation des corps" with the best intention of living each man in his own house. That is asking too much perhaps?

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