Following this faulty logic, the PA has to threaten to do something and automatically everyone expects Israel to give something to stop them. Ted Belman
HAARETZ
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Meanwhile, a European diplomat who was briefed on Molho’s talks in Washington said they were fruitless. “The Americans didn’t get anything new from Molho,” the diplomat said.
This week, American diplomat David Hale will arrive in Israel to hold further meetings with both Molho and Erekat. Hale is temporarily replacing George Mitchell, the U.S. special envoy who resigned earlier this year.
An Israeli source who maintains close ties with both senior U.S. officials and people close to Netanyahu said that Washington’s frustration began with Netanyahu’s trip to Washington last month, when he publicly fought with Obama and then refused in an address to Congress to endorse the president’s outline for talks. The Americans were now speaking very harshly of Netanyahu, said the source.
“He’s asking us to protect him in September, but he isn’t giving us any tools with which to help him,” the source quoted one American official as saying. “Instead of helping us, he’s making it harder for us.”
As a result, American officials complained, Obama was unable to get Britain and France to commit to opposing a unilateral Palestinian move when he visited Europe last month.
“The Americans need Israel inside, but Netanyahu isn’t there yet,” the source said. “To date, from the American and European perspective, Israel hasn’t given anything.”
European diplomats said Netanyahu’s speech to Congress was viewed in Europe as one long “no” and had thus increased European distrust of him. “We want to hear Netanyahu say he’s willing to negotiate on the basis of Obama’s speech and that he’ll discuss borders based on the 1967 lines with land swaps,” said one diplomat.
Since the barren talks with Molho last week, the White House has been upping the pressure on Netanyahu. On Friday, Steve Simon, who heads the U.S. National Security Council’s Middle East desk, told American Jewish leaders that Netanyahu needs to reply within a month to the U.S. proposal for restarting talks. The White House knew this remark would both be conveyed to Netanyahu and leaked to the American and Israeli press, thus making its displeasure public.
But Netanyahu’s office insisted it was “unaware of any American pressure or ultimatum.”
Yesterday, Netanyahu flew to Italy, where he will meet with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi today. The latter has already announced that Italy will oppose any unilateral Palestinian move.
On Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will meet with Netanyahu to warn that while Berlin also opposes unilateral statehood, if the diplomatic impasse continues, it will sponsor a UN Security Council resolution, together with Britain and France, that calls on the council to endorse Obama’s speech as the basis for talks.
Shouldn’t Bibi announce that one issue has been decided by Israel: There will be no division of Jerusalem. He can say the issue is off the table and finalized. Then go on to the next issue. If Europe doesn’t like it, so be it. The American people like it.
I want to know what you guys think about unattractive last names. Ralph Lauren changed his last name from Lipshitz to Lauren. Does anyone think he would have become a great designer with his former last name? Then there is Anthony Wiener. I think he should have changed it by removing the i and adding another n to make it Wenner. It would have saved him so much ridicule. There’s a wealthy family in Texas named Hogg. Would you want your daughter to marry into this family, no matter how much money they have. I know of what I speak. My maiden name was Dickman which in German means thick (fat) man. Oh the razzings we Dickmans took at school…
I think you didn’t realize that Yamit was being cynical in his response to BlandOatmeal.
Once upon a time, everybody thought exactly that.
“Jews were never all that good at business” – what next, Einstein was no good at maths.
Bibi needs to remain strong, and give everybody the middle finger!
Jews were never all that good at business. It was mostly one of your antisemitic Christin ancestors mythical stereotypes, except for the hooked noses. We managed in most cases to hide our Horns though.
You may loathe Eurabia but I execrate them.
I loathe Eurabia.
I don’t trust Europe.
I have such a deal for you! You give me your country, piece by piece, and I give you…
nothing.
Such a deal! What ever happened to those hook-nosed Jews, who were supposed to be such good businessmen?
I think Israel should give the Fakestinians…
…hell on earth.