Peace-Process Payments

Rick Richman
Commentary/Contentions
01 March '11

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/03/01/peace-process-payments/

Benjamin Netanyahu told Likud members yesterday that the “American veto in the Security Council was only achieved with great effort,” and he rejected any new settlement-construction plans. Last week, he issued a statement endorsing “the Palestinians’ legitimate aspiration for statehood,” which the Jerusalem Post characterized as the “initial repayment to the US” for the veto. Yesterday’s statement, combined with the forcible demolition of a settlement outpost and announcement of more demolitions to come, appear to be further installment payments.

The U.S. has thus — in exchange for a veto with a statement rejecting “in the strongest terms” the “legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity,” which allegedly “corroded hopes for peace for more than four decades” (although not multiple offers of a contiguous state on substantially all the West Bank and Gaza) — obtained (1) a new construction freeze to replace the expired moratorium; (2) the dismantlement of settlement outposts without reciprocal Palestinian steps; and (3) a public endorsement of the “legitimate aspiration” of the statehood the Palestinians refuse to negotiate.

The Palestinians will presumably pay a significant price for their (1) repeated refusal to come to the negotiating table in response to U.S. requests; (2) rejection of a direct presidential request to withdraw their polarizing UN resolution; and (3) public criticism of the U.S. and its president in the harshest possible terms. But perhaps not — since they have yet to pay any price for their hope-corroding response to the removal of every settler and soldier from Gaza.

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