(Ha'aretz) Moshe Arens - Of course the U.S., the world's leading democracy, cannot be a neutral mediator between democratic Israel and the Palestinians, with both the Palestinian Authority led by Abbas and Hamas being the very antithesis of democratic rule and the values of modern democracies. It cannot and should not be neutral in a conflict between its ally Israel and those who are in conflict with Israel. Actually, there is no need for a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians. There is no substitute for direct negotiations. Yet the Palestinians are not interested in direct negotiations that could lead to an end to the conflict. The writer served as Israel's Minister of Defense three times and once as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
2017-12-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive