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Why the U.S.-Israel Settlement Deal Fell Apart

(Foreign Policy) Josh Rogin - Over the last month, the Israelis had intense discussions with U.S. officials about the specifics of the offer to extend the settlement moratorium, but the negotiations never came to fruition. For example, regarding the 20 F-35 fighter jets the Obama administration was offering as a sweetener, the Israelis wanted to know how the U.S. could promise the fighters without Congressional approval. Who would pay for the planes? When would they be delivered? Could the Obama administration even promise F-35 planes, considering they don't yet exist and are years behind schedule? More broadly, the U.S. never agreed to Netanyahu's demand that this would be the very last time the Israelis would be asked to extend the settlement moratorium. Moreover, administration officials could not assure Israel that the 90 days would yield progress toward a peace deal. The Palestinians would just wait out the three months, the Israelis predicted. "We felt uncomfortable with the premise of it," one Israeli official said. "It would not necessarily guarantee that after three months time we would make any headway with the Palestinians, so in three months we would be in the same situation we are today."
2010-12-13 08:15:32
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