The UN speeches – and their fallout
Posted by middleeast on October 1st, 2011
Such an earth-shaking, openhearted gesture would have stunned the Palestinian public, the PA, the anti-Israel extremists, the wider Arab and Muslim “streets,” Western intellectuals and governments, and the entire world.
Why not do it? It’s not too late for Netanyahu to announce that Abbas’s speech changed his mind. Israel’s Foreign Ministry could even work with Palestinian diplomats to lobby wavering nations to vote yes.
If tangible peace and security, a turn-around for Israel’s isolation and a two-state solution are so much in Israel’s interest, why not? Consider how much this Sadat-like tsunami would reverberate, and how this 180- degree turnaround would jumpstart high-morale and high-momentum peace talks.
How could it hurt Israel even a single iota? I’d like someone to show, on a pro-and-con chart with a column for each, a single item to place in the “con” column, and then compare it with the full “pro” column.
It’s a no-brainer and has been since the beginning. What is stunning is Israel’s lack of imagination and emotional paralysis.
If Netanyahu really wanted forward movement and had a single Sadat-like bone in his body, he could transform everything completely in a single moment.
JAMES ADLER