Sustaining Israel: Revived talks and less provocation are necessary
With attention in the Middle East focused now on the Islamic State and its opponents, the Israelis are behaving as if they can disregard world opinion, particularly by refraining from talks with the Palestinians.
The seven-week mini-war between Israel and Gaza this summer, killing more than 2,100 Palestinians and more than 70 Israelis, included damaging Israeli air attacks on Gaza and hundreds of rockets fired on Israelis. An Oct. 12 meeting in Cairo produced pledges of $5.4 billion, including $212 million by the United States, for reconstruction in Gaza.
Meanwhile, acting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who was in New York during the United Nations General Assembly, has been seeking to have a deadline put on the Israelis to end their illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.
The Palestinians have also made diplomatic progress, based on sympathy for their losses in Gaza, the absence of talks and Israeli steps to add more land, including in East Jerusalem, to what is supposed to be negotiated between them. Sweden was the first major Western European power to decide to extend diplomatic recognition to Palestine, joining 134 of 193 U.N. members. The British parliament, in a symbolic nonbinding vote, also voted to recognize Palestine as a state.
Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, continues to try to block an international agreement on nuclear capacity and economic sanctions between Iran and the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany.
Israel may feel it can get away with these actions, including not resuming talks, while it retains military protection from the United States. Yet, in terms of Israel's sustainability, which Americans as well as Israelis seek, piling more baggage on the cart does not make sense. The more problems that will need to be negotiated in future talks, the more difficult those talks will be. If that is Israel's intention, it is not acting in good faith with the United States.
Peace, and long-term acceptance and security for Israel, will come no other way.
This article was published and distributed by MCT Information Services.