(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - For some time, the assessment in Israel has been that Abbas has given up on believing that by talking to Israel he will get it to make the concessions that meet his minimal goals. So his tactic is getting the world to foist a solution on Israel. But this approach is not grounded in reality. The recognition of "Palestine" by the Swedish government and the British parliament is not going to force Israel to withdraw from the West Bank if it feels that to do so would endanger its security. Even taking Israel to the International Criminal Court will not force the country to do that which it feels will place it at risk. And with the Middle East crumbling before their eyes, and the precedent of the Gaza withdrawal still in the nation's collective memory, a not-insignificant part of the nation believes that such a withdrawal would indeed put their security at risk. Abbas' recent speeches - including his "Israel is committing genocide" speech at the UN last month, and his call on Palestinians to prevent Jews from desecrating the Temple Mount - have led to an updated assessment. If in the past the idea was that a Palestinian state with Israel would also mean peace, now the assessments in Jerusalem are that Abbas wants a state, but is not interested in peace.
2014-10-28 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive