[Ha'aretz] Aluf Benn - Israel waged a successful diplomatic campaign to postpone discussion by the UN Human Rights Council of the Goldstone report on the Gaza operation. Netanyahu persuaded the U.S. administration that discussion of the report would thwart the possibility of renewed final status talks, and the Americans pressured Abbas to retreat from appealing to the UN. The PA searched for a way to respond and reacted to American-Israeli pressure by putting Jerusalem at the top of their agenda. Tensions surrounding the Temple Mount have increased, and Prime Minister Fayyad led appeals to foreign governments to "restrain" Israel. In trying to formulate a structure for renewing diplomatic talks, Netanyahu has demanded that the Palestinians commit themselves not to act against Israel in international forums and courts; if they have complaints, they should present them in direct talks. This is hard for the Palestinians to swallow: Their clear advantage in international organizations and world public opinion serves to counterbalance Israel's military superiority and its control on the ground.
2009-10-09 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive