(Israel Hayom) Zalman Shoval - The Trump administration does not believe that supporting Israel's fundamental demands on security and recognition of Israel as the Jewish state and the Jewish people's fundamental rights to their historical homeland disqualifies the U.S. from the role of impartial mediator. In his near-hysterical speeches in Ramallah and Cairo, PA President Mahmoud Abbas arrogantly and unrealistically rejected any American role in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His words practically amounted to spitting in the face of the country that financially enables the existence of the Palestinian Authority he heads. Abbas also issued a radical and ignorant falsification of world and Jewish history that served to prevent any possible compromise. Unlike the former Soviet leaders who knowingly rewrote history for their own political gain, Abbas and his associates genuinely believe this falsified version of history. That is why the Palestinians will continue to torpedo any diplomatic initiative that requires any type of practical or ideological concession. It is difficult to see how the obstacle of Palestinian obstinacy can be overcome. The writer is a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S.
2018-01-30 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive