Despite Obama's demand, Netanyahu's coalition guidelines make no commitment to Palestinian state

[geek tragedy]

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.656255

Although there is no apparent change in the wording of the diplomatic clause as they have appeared in Netanyahu's past government lines, there is a difference: Israel's international standing and the fact that since its last election period, the U.S. and the European Union states have demanded that Netanyahu prove – both in policy and in action – that his government is committed to the two-state solution.

U.S. President Barack Obama reiterated these remarks in an interview with the London-based Arab daily A-Sharq al-Awsat on Wednesday morning.

"We look to the new Israeli government and the Palestinians to demonstrate - through policies and actions - a genuine commitment to a two-state solution. Only then can trust be rebuilt and a cycle of escalation avoided," Obama said.

...


Shortly after, Obama then told reporters that there is "real policy difference" between himself and Netanyahu when it comes to the need to establish a Palestinian state. This dispute, Obama added, will have ramifications for U.S. policy regarding the Middle East peace process.

Last month, U.S. Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman warned that if the new Israeli government does not demonstrate its commitment to the two-state solution, the U.S. will have a difficult time continuing to assist its efforts to halt international initiatives on the Palestinian issue at the United Nations.

"We will be watching very closely to see what happens on this [Palestinian] issue after the new government is formed," Sherman said. "If the new Israeli government is seen to be stepping back from its commitment to a two-state solution that will make our job in the international arena much tougher... it will be harder for us to prevent internationalizing the conflict."

900 new permits in East Jerusalem and the amnesty for outlaw settler outposts are a pretty good indication that Israel is committed to the one-state solution.

[Gothmog]

1. There will be no two state solution while Bibi is in office

[Scootaloo]

5. There will be no two-state olution

That plan gave its final gasp about a decade ago - it was already bedridden by '96, though.

[guillaumeb]

2. Netanyahu knows the difference between rhetoric and reality.

US Presidents have been unwavering in their support for Israel. Israeli Prime Ministers know this. All the rhetoric on both sides is nothing more than a diplomatic dance for public consumption. No matter what the Israelis do, any US President will always find a way to avoid actually taking action on behalf of the Palestinians. President Obama is no exception to this.

And US Presidents also know that the US supports Israel because of politics and power strategy. Any happy talk about the US supporting "the only democracy in the Middle East" is also for public consumption. Israel is a big customer of US war material, as is Saudi Arabia and Egypt. THAT, along with oil in the case of Saudi Arabia, is why the US is friendly with those countries.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

3. Perhaps the US will abstain from any new UN resolution(s),

but even if there is a resolution passed against Israel I would put good money down that they will just ignore it and claim that they are being victimized.

[Israeli]

4. European leaders: Find ways to hold Israel accountable for occupation

Former European officials urge a new two-state approach that includes more pressure and fewer Americans. But can the EU ever bring enough pressure to change Netanyahu’s calculus?

The Oslo peace framework is obsolete, Netanyahu is disingenuous about a two-state solution, European funding for the Palestinian Authority only perpetuates the occupation, and the United States has never been an objective peace broker — that is what a group of 19 former prime ministers, foreign ministers and senior EU figures wrote in a letter to the European Union’s top leadership this week. (Read the full letter below.)

The former statesmen and diplomats are calling on the EU to ratchet up its stalling sanctions regime against Israeli settlement activity, to back Palestinian steps in the UN Security Council and other international bodies, and to demand greater adherence to human rights standards by both sides.

“Standards of living and human rights in both [Palestinian] territories have sunk shockingly low. It is no longer possible for the EU to allow these conditions to continue without grave risk to its international reputation and to its long-term interest in the stability of its neighbourhood,” the EEPG letter declared. “The EU needs to decide on its priorities.”

Continued @
http://972mag.com/european-leaders-find-ways-to-hold-israel-accountable-for-occupation/106702/

[Jefferson23]

6. Don't hold your breath. n/t

[Israeli]

8. Pessimism abounds Jefferson...

...but hope in humanity I'm not going to hold my breath on ....


"" To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.""
Nelson Mandela


Making It Explicit in Israel
By ANAT BILETZKI MAY 11, 2015

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/11/making-it-explicit-in-israel/?_r=0

The story of Israel is a sad story; and that story has now become sadly explicit. Still, we might look to Brandom for a sliver of hope: he suggests that “having made [it] explicit, now you’re in a position to be critical about it.” Making the norms that rule in Israel explicit might, beyond shocking the conscience of mankind, open up a conversation that has been sorely lacking in the United States. For Brandom, the implications are philosophical, but no less political for that: “f you can bring it out into the open as something we can discuss and give and ask for reasons for, then these implicit inferences that are curled up in our concepts don’t have power over us anymore. They’ve come into the light of day where we have the power of reasoning about them.”

Perhaps such reasoning, now in explicit political contexts, might even lead to the power of changing them.

[Jefferson23]

10. It was wrong for me to say that to you. I hear that same response or similar regarding

Bernie Sanders and my support for him...I am sorry for that, sincerely.

[King_David]

7. You know putting my name in your sig line like you have done is very immature

You have the right to not answer me and I also encourage you to ignore me...

But putting my name in your sig line is immature , childish and downright creepy.

[Ken Burch]

11. How many times are you going to keep posting this?

You're really blowing the matter out of proportion.

if her sig line is that big of a deal to you, just alert on it already.