(Globe and Mail - Canada) Aluf Benn - The announcement of the resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks has been greeted by an indifferent Israeli public. "Nothing will come out of it," has been the common reaction. I beg to differ. Changes in the political environment give peace a better chance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, herded by their U.S. custodian, President Barack Obama, can reach a deal on the establishment of a Palestinian state within the next year. It requires patience and creativity, but it's possible. The international media portray Mr. Netanyahu's government as "hard line," but examining its actions shows a different picture. The current Israeli government is the most dovish since Yitzhak Rabin's assassination 15 years ago. Mr. Netanyahu has been reluctant to use military force, and has slowed settlement growth. Security and economic co-operation with Mr. Abbas's Palestinian Authority is as strong as ever, while Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is making progress in his bottom-up state-building progress.
2010-08-30 07:58:06Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive