(Pajamas Media) Benjamin Kerstein - The Middle East peace process appears to have reached an impasse, which was more or less expected. Neither Israel nor the Palestinians were particularly interested in negotiations in the first place. Politically, economically, and psychologically, the time could not be less ripe for serious talks dealing with the most sensitive final status issues. Obama has demanded next to nothing of the Palestinians, and he seems unlikely to do so in the future. As such, his next step will likely be to further pressure Israel for concessions. Netanyahu, however, has conceded all that he can without toppling his own government, and since pressure from Obama serves only to strengthen the prime minister's support among the Israeli public, he has no motivation of any kind to acquiesce to it.
2010-10-21 09:14:42Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive