Carte Blanche for Netanyahu

Nothing can be gained by trying to coax the Israeli government

Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and his friends in Hamas can laugh up their sleeves as the dispute over East Jerusalem grows ever larger between Islam’s archenemies. Israel (the Little Satan) keeps the United States (the Great Satan) in perpetual check. Benjamin Netanyahu continues to show Barack Obama just who has the most say in the Middle East. It makes no difference what demands are made by the White House or the United Nations, by the European Union, by Russia or the Arab League. The Israeli Prime Minister continues happily expanding Jewish settlements on disputed East Jerusalem territory. Every new Jewish house built in the Palestinian quarter of the city makes any possibility of peace or a two-state solution that much more difficult.

Nothing is gained by trying to coax the Israeli government into restarting peace negotiations. Netanyahu is confident about his position. When it comes down to crucial issues in world politics, the United States and Israel are still joined at the hip. Who needs to worry about the Palestinians as long as Iran threatens the world with nuclear attack? The White House itself smoothed the way for the Israeli leader when it voluntarily conflated the two issues. Precisely the opposite should have happened: yes to Israeli security and cover for their Iran concerns, but a simultaneous and unambiguous no to Israeli settlement policy, if need be backed up by diplomatic force.

The fragility of the Middle East peace was shown by the recent Hebron riots on the Temple Mount. Without active peace negotiations, moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas can start counting the days until he is out of office. His opponents in the inter-Palestinian squabble are already waiting in the wings.