Ari Shavit frustrated: Netanyahu did not include text from trial balloon in address to Congress

Dr. Aaron Lerner
IMRA
26 May '11




[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: Someone provided Ari Shavit with a 30 word text "trial balloon" that was ostensibly going to be included in PM Netanyahu's address to the US Congress. It remains unclear just how committed Mr. Netanyahu was to including the 30 words. After all, it would not be the first time that staffers and others lobbying for a prime minister to follow their recommendations leaked their ideas to a reporter in the hopes that the trial balloon takes on a life of itself. Then again, there is also the possibility that Mr. Netanyahu himself was toying with the 30 word text and shared the information with Shavit.


What happened?


Let's not forget that before PM Netanyahu arrived in the U.S. the Israeli media was gleefully marching Netanyahu down the gangplank, predicting that he was going to be devoured by President Obama.


It is conceivable that, out of sheer desperation, Mr. Netanyahu prepared a 30 word text to use as a last measure to avoid - or at least postpone - disaster.


But that's not how things played out.


American leadership and many in the American media were troubled by President Obama's remarks before Netanyahu's arrival.


And then a big surprise: it was thought that the concept that Israel was not required by 242 to provide a Palestinian state with a land mass equal in size to the West Bank and Gaza Strip was too complicated to explicitly argue. But it turned out that the opposite was the case. American leaders and the media not only followed the argument - many embraced it.


In fact, a whole series of serious points were relayed, absorbed and accepted.


So by the time Prime Minister Netanyahu made his way to Congress to deliver his address the situation had radically changed.


Instead of having to cower and offer a 30 word text to the "concessions Moleh", Mr. Netanyahu could hold his head high and present Israel's case.


And so he did.


And a frustrated Ari Shavit along with most of the rest of the Israeli media joined in trying to explain to the Israeli public that it was a disaster.


A view that the Israeli public - despite the media offensive - utterly rejected.]

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Netanyahu's peace stance is running Israel into a wall
Barak and Meridor must make it clear to the prime minister this week that if an Israeli initiative doesn't materialize pronto, they will quit. Who knows? Perhaps, faced with a real threat, he will finally emerge from his shell.

By Ari Shavit
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/netanyahu-s-peace-stance-is-running-israel-into-a-wall-1.364109 Published 02:51 26.05.11Latest update 02:51 26.05.11

When Benjamin Netanyahu became prime minister, he had to formulate a peace strategy. He had to decide whether he aspired to reach an interim agreement or a final-status one with the Palestinians. He opted to go for a final-status agreement.



But throughout the time when it would have been possible to establish a Palestinian state while evacuating only illegal outposts and isolated settlements, Netanyahu did not act. He promised the Americans and Europeans that a peace agreement with the Palestinians was within reach. He promised well-meaning Israelis that he would follow in Yitzhak Rabin's footsteps. If only Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would climb down from his tree, he whispered. If you just give me a chance, I'll surprise the world with a peace initiative the likes of which have never been seen before.


This week, Netanyahu got his chance. Granted, Abbas has not climbed down from his tree, nor will he: The Palestinians are not on our side. In addition, U.S. President Barack Obama treated Netanyahu rudely and pettily.

But in the end, Obama's speech to AIPAC largely corrected the flaws in his earlier speech at the State Department. He made it clear that there would be no withdrawal to the 1967 lines before the problem of the refugees was solved. He committed himself to Israel being a Jewish state, to Palestine being demilitarized and to territorial exchanges that would take the existence of the settlement blocs into account.

Thus the combined outcome of Obama's speeches was very good for Israel. What was called for in response was an Israeli move that would help the president defend the Jewish state against a hostile world. What was needed was an Israeli contribution to the American effort to prevent an imminent diplomatic collapse and leave open the possibility of peace in the future. Netanyahu had to make an Israeli gesture, to demonstrate Israeli generosity. He had to offer an Israeli peace plan.

But Netanyahu didn't do it. There was no gesture, no generosity, no peace plan. After four months of anticipation, the king's speech was nothing more than one long, fluent stutter.

A week ago, I wrote that Netanyahu's speech would stand or fall on 30 words. He didn't have to open the gates of heaven; he merely had to indirectly adopt a sensible, comprehensive and creative diplomatic formula.

But even this, Netanyahu wasn't capable of giving. Even a mere 30 words frightened him. Time after time, the prime minister brought the senators and congressmen to their feet, but he himself fell down. Netanyahu missed the last chance that history will give him.

In another few months, reality will come knocking. Israel will find itself in nonsplendid isolation at the United Nations. Israel will be ostracized from the family of nations.

At the same time, a new Palestinian uprising will begin. The liberated masses of the Arab world will support it. There will be no quiet on the security front. There will be no economic growth. There will be a collapse.

Will Netanyahu be the direct cause of this collapse? No. But Netanyahu will be the man who didn't do everything in his power to prevent it. And therefore, Netanyahu will be seen as the one responsible for it. In this terrible sense as well, he will become Golda Meir.

Now, the ball has been passed to Ehud Barak and Dan Meridor. Netanyahu has been misleading these two dovish ministers. And he has caused them to mislead Americans, Europeans and Israelis. If the defense minister and the deputy prime minister continue serving in this failed government, they will be the 2011 versions of Moshe Dayan and Yisrael Galili in Golda's government. For they saw, they understood, they issued warnings, they knew - but they didn't make any waves.

Barak and Meridor must make it clear to the prime minister this week that if an Israeli initiative doesn't materialize pronto, they will quit. They must put a pistol to his temple. Who knows? Perhaps the sight of that pistol will do to Netanyahu what the sight of Obama and Congress didn't do. Perhaps, faced with a real threat, he will finally emerge from his shell.

But if he doesn't, then Barak and Meridor belong in the opposition. They must support opposition leader Tzipi Livni in trying to bring down this terrible government. For there can be no confidence in a Netanyahu government that is running Israel into a wall.

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