Danny Danon declared that Netanyahu is not serious when he speaks of the two-state solution, meaning the prime minister is not rejecting his own principles and rightist promises. Netanyahu lost the elections, and barely managed to remain in power thanks to a losers’ alliance with Lieberman, who also feared a downfall.
Let us examine Netanyahu’s options. If he tries to please his new followers from the Left and enter into negotiations on a two-state solution, Habayit Hayehudi will leave the government. If he tries to replace Bennett’s party with Shas, Yesh Atid will quit. If Labor’s Yachimovich is asked to join the coalition, she will demand such a price that will split Likud and leave Netanyahu without a home. Unlike Sharon, the current PM will not be adopted by the Left.
There are only 20 Likud MKs because the Left did not vote for Netanyahu, despite the Bar-Ilan speech, while the Right ran away because of it. Netanyahu is heading a Tzipi Livni coalition that includes Tzipi Hotovely, Yaakov Peri and Orit Strock. How does he do it? By not rocking the boat. As long the “peace process” remains dormant, the fragile coalition remains in tact – albeit without any political, social or economic purpose (apart, perhaps, from the Iranian issue, although this appears to be the prime minister’s private project).
The coalition stands on two feet: The 31 Likud-Beiteinu MKs, who are connected to the coalition only by their desire to remain in power, and the 31 MKs from Yesh Atid and Habayit Hayehudi, who are joined together by the “equal share of the burden” ideal, or, in other words, the desire to keep the haredim away from positions of power. This alliance will hold as long as the diplomatic issue remains stalled. So what reason does Netanyahu have to take the “Palestinian bear” out of the woods?
Where can the peace talks take us when the Arab world is becoming more and more extreme and is soaked in blood? Can Abbas, who is far from being Sadat (who didn’t survive), really follow the peace path at such a time? Would he give up one stone in the Western Wall?
The peace camp takes comfort in the fact that “only” 150,000 settlers would have to be uprooted. Another 250,000 would remain in the “settlement blocs.” As part of the land swaps with the Palestinians, Israel would have to give up large parts of the Negev, the Lachish region and the Beit She’an Valley. Netanyahu has yet to confront the “settlers” from those areas. When he tries, he may miss the settlers from the West Bank.
And why should Netanyahu risk his premiership? In order to sit with Jibril Rajoub, who said he would have dropped an atomic bomb on us if he could? With Abbas, whose media outlets continue to deliver the message that Jaffa, Haifa and Beersheba are Palestinian cities conquered in 1948 and who names every square and school after terrorists who killed Jews?
Netanyahu swore he wouldn’t trust any agreement but would count only on the IDF forces that would be deployed in “Palestinian” territory. Does he really believe he will find an Arab partner who will agree to such an arrangement? When the entire concept of a Palestinian state seems so unrealistic, it is no wonder that Danon tried to assure us that our prime minister has not gone mad.
@ yamit82:
Do most Israelis believe him? Or do they still think he’s playing games?
Norway opposes sanctions against Israel,
Huh??
Former PM says: Netanyahu is sincere about a two-state solution —
and strong enough to reach a peace agreement despite internal opposition, according to Kjell Magne Bondevik
Well that explains it?
They believe BB?
So do I!!
We keep on going over the same old territory, the same silly waste of time, the fabulous two state solution. Let us be straight, the Palestinians want only to win and the only “settlement” they will accept is a complete Israeli surrender to all of their demands, which also include the total destruction of the Jewish State of Israel, and the genocide of all the Jews. There is not the slightest chance of a two state solution, but so what if Netanyahu still talks about it, he knows, I know, you know, and the Palestinians also know that the possibility of the two state solution is far less than zero.
@ Canadian Otter:
http://archive.org/details/oldtimeradio
http://archive.org/browse.php?field=subject&mediatype=audio&collection=oldtimeradio
@ Canadian Otter:
http://www.otrnow.com/tunein/otrnow.asx
http://oldtimeradiopage.blogspot.co.il/
Whistleblower’s bombshell – Unrelated but worth reading – How Bank of America ordered staff to lie, fleeze customers, and reward foreclosures – http://www.salon.com/2013/06/18/bank_of_america_whistleblowers_bombshell_we_were_told_to_lie/
None of this should come as a surprise, but it’s good when it is confirmed by an insider.
NOT SO! Read this indictment of the way the Israeli government and citizens are abandoning their land and their heritage. Giulio Meotti must have struggled to measure his words on his latest column. I’m sure his first draft was scorching, and justifiably so. “Israel is selling out the land” – http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/13456 ~~~
The land is all that really matters today. Some point to other considerations. But Jewish sovereignty over the land is the starting point for making things right in the future. Renouncing to land and sovereignty, even a part of it, is the tipping point after which everything else will unravel.~~~ The first Israeli who ever proposed renouncing to Judea and Samaria should have been charged with treason. Other populations revolt over issues much smaller than this. Is people telling themselves that “Bibi doesn’t mean it” another way of rationalizing their acquiescense?
yamit82 Said:
Nitzan Alon is a Ehud Barak appointment. He is a leftist as is most of the senior officers on the IDF General Staff. They’re all idiots and should keep their snouts out of politics!
West Bank commander warns of unrest if no peace talks
(Jew Hater) Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon says recent US efforts to kick-start peace process in region have had a calming effect
Netanyahu may believe in negotiations but even he knows they will never take place because the Arabs have no interest in peace with Israel. The last Israeli election was not about the Arabs – most Jewish Israelis have no interest in the subject. In regards to the sacred cow of the so-called TSS its only being touted for the sake of diplomatic appearances. But its devoid of content and real life. The old truism holds true: you can make peace with enemies who want to make peace with you. Peace is impossible with those who want to see you dead. Its the reality Israel faces and the gap with the Arabs will never be bridged because Islam will never swallow a sovereign Jewish State existing in its midst.
All the talk of restarting peace talks will not in the slightest alter this immutable fact of Middle East life.