[Ha'aretz] It has been ten years since things were so peaceful on Israel's security front: quiet in the north, quiet in the south, no terror attacks. However, the present quiet is conditional; at any moment, violence could erupt again. The present quiet reinforces Israelis' indifference toward any kind of peace process. Netanyahu's reference to a "two-state solution" and Obama's pressure tactics to freeze West Bank settlements arouse little public interest. Israelis want peace and quiet. And that's what they have - and without negotiations or peace accords. The scars of past hopes blown to smithereens, following the Oslo accords and Gaza disengagement, are still fresh; Israelis do not find peace talks tempting. The Israeli-Palestinian situation is beginning to resemble the Israeli-Syrian situation: The status quo is convenient and cheap for everyone, and it seems a shame to undermine it with another diplomatic adventure whose prospects are slim and whose dangers are formidable.
2009-08-07 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive