Don't just stand there, do something

Israpundit ^ | July 31/09 | Ted Belman

[tedbel]

Mitchell, Gates, Ross and a whole US team are in discussions for the sought-after freeze among other things.

One Israeli diplomat commented on Israel's position,

"The Americans now understand that if they get anything from us on the settlement issue, it will only be in the broader context of some kind of Arab return,"

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared to confirm this in a policy speech two days after Obama's White House meeting with the Jewish representatives.

"Progress toward peace cannot be the responsibility of the United States - or Israel - alone," Clinton told the Council on Foreign Relations. "Arab states have a responsibility to support the Palestinian Authority with words and deeds, to take steps to improve relations with Israel and to prepare their publics to embrace peace and accept Israel's place in the region."

The Arabs are being asked to allow overflights by Israeli planes and to open trade missions and the like. I personally don't like where this is going.

Sharon chose to withdraw from Gaza unilaterally but did negotiate with the Bush administrations for two commitments namely that settlement blocks would remain part of Israel and that Arab refugees would not be returned to Israel. Obama shredded these understandings.

Since the bane of Israel's existence is the constant pressure by the US on Israel to make concessions, at a minimum, Israel should require the US to commit in writing in the form of a treaty to what settlements will remain in Israel. Only then, and providing that the US allows Israel's retention of all the settlement blocks including Maaleh Adumin and Ariel, should Israel agree to a freeze in the rest. Thus there would be no reason to freeze settlements in the parts being retained.

[G8 Diplomat]