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The Palestinians: Why Negotiate? The U.S. Will Extract Concessions for You
(Hudson Institute New York) Mark Silverberg - Israel's official position for the last forty years has been that east Jerusalem's status will not be negotiable in any future agreement with the Palestinians. This policy did not prevent the conclusion of peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, nor did it preclude the Palestinians from negotiating with Israel for more than fifteen years after the Oslo Accords of 1993. Now, suddenly, it has become a major issue with this administration, and an impediment to world peace. Apparently, a zoning dispute in Israel's capital city is more important than addressing the nuclear threat posed by Iran. Seeing a potential break between Washington and Jerusalem, Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, Hamas and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas have done everything possible to undermine the U.S.-Israeli relationship even more. Palestinian incitement and violence against Israel and Jews have increased as we have seen in renewed missile attacks from Gaza and Arab riots across Israel and the West Bank. When the U.S. distances itself from Israel, it does not win influence with the Arab world. It only justifies the Arab world backing away from any peace settlement. The Obama Administration has jeopardized not Israel's stature but its own regional interests and its international credibility.