By Ted Belman
Israel should not concern itself with being blamed for doing what she has the right to do.
Israel agreed to enter negotiations without pre-conditions. She has no obligation to accept the Arab terms even if endorsed by the US.
There is no obligation on any party to the negotiations to reach an agreement. Each party has free will and free choice.
The only obligation each has is to negotiate in good faith but that doesn’t override their right to reject what they don’t like.
Israel has no obligation to offer concessions to get the PA to negotiate. It was a mistake for Israel to offer any concessions either in the form of a construction freeze, de facto or otherwise, or in the form of releasing prisoners. Israel did so either because the US was demanding such concessions or because Israel thought that getting a PA commitment to refrain from going to the UN during negotiations was worth it.
Nor did Israel have the obligation to release the last 26 murders either because she never agreed to include Arab Israeli murderers, which was being demanded, or because the PA was not negotiating in good faith.
Secretary Kerry is now demanding that Israel offer concessions to get the PA to extend talks to the end of the year. The cost to Israel is that she has to agree to a settlement freeze in part and to the release of hundreds more criminals. The benefits to Israel include the PA commitment to not go to the UN during the extended period and perhaps an American sweetener.
Israel will have to decide if it is worth it.
The mistake made was to accept any pre-conditions in going forward with the so called peace process. At this stage, as the PA has applied to be accepted to various UN organizations with a final goal of recognition by UNSC as a state after sometimes in the future, Israel should do what is appropriate to thrive in the face of adversities. For how long Israel could accept endless demands for a “peace process” that leads to no where?