(Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University) Oded Eran - In his announcement on Dec. 6, President Trump stated explicitly that the American position on the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty had not changed. If the leaders of U.S. allies Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia analyze his words carefully, they will understand they contain nothing that contradicts the Arab peace initiative. In the wake of the announcement, Palestinian negotiators have rejected the U.S. as an honest broker. But that does not change the reality that the American administration is the only international element that has any degree of influence on Israel's positions in negotiations with its neighbors. The writer, a senior researcher at INSS, is a former deputy chief of mission at the Israel Embassy in Washington (1986-1990) and head of Israel's negotiating team with the Palestinians (1999-2000).
2017-12-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive