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In Middle East, Public Diplomacy Is the Wrong Approach
(U.S. News) Mortimer B. Zuckerman - Who would have thought that a decision by a community planning board could ignite a firestorm between Israel and the U.S.? There is a serious problem in the harshness of the American response. How is Israel to interpret the fact that the U.S. spoke more harshly to a longtime ally than it did to the government of Iran when that oppressive regime reacted to a democratic uprising? Nor does it help that Israel was being held to account while the Palestinians escaped any rebuke for incitement to terrorism. Nothing positive comes out of public negotiations or public controversy. If issues are to be resolved, it will happen only through private channels and private dialogue. Above all, it is unwise to elevate Jerusalem as an issue because the question is so emotional for both parties. The status of Jerusalem should be raised only at the very end of a negotiation.