If it’s true, as is suggested in our JTA story this week, that Fatah is the only game in town when it comes to Israel’s Palestinian partner, then this is one lousy game.
Having concluded its first general assembly in 20 years, the party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas came away spewing fiery rhetoric and making preposterous demands.
No peace talks until Israel hands back all of Jerusalem? What are they smoking?
Some portions of their platform give lip service to peace and nonviolence. But electing a slate of young hardliners and hinting at a new intifada will do nothing to bring the two sides closer to an agreement.
From whence comes Fatah’s aggressive stance? Some attribute it to the Obama administration’s strategy of increasing pressure on Israel while seemingly giving the Palestinians a pass.
Given the complexities of Middle East politics, that explanation is a bit facile. However, there is some truth to it.
Counting on the historically strong bond between Israel and the United States, the Obama team believes added pressure will not strain that bond. Clearly they think this tack might be a game changer, since eight years of Bush-era kid gloves brought no peace to the region.
However, pressure for Israeli concessions can go only so far, especially with no concomitant pressure on the Arab side.
In fact, the Palestinians and neighboring Arab countries have hardened their stances. Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait rejected steps to normalize relations with Israel. Fatah wants all of Jerusalem. Hezbollah has rearmed with impunity and Hamas reiterated that it won’t give up captured Israeli solider Gilad Shalit until all of its prisoners, including arch-terrorists, are released.
Add it up and it’s no wonder Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says he cannot envision progress on peace talks for a few years.
Depressing as this may be, it’s instructive to recall the words of President Barack Obama, stated by many presidents over the years: Peace will come if and only if the parties themselves make it happen.
For all of America’s vaunted influence, Israelis and Palestinians must take the lead. Israel will not likely cave on core issues, no matter how much pressure Obama applies. Neither will the Palestinians.
We still think the Obama administration has a viable Middle East strategy and a desire to strike a deal. But we would like to see the United States exert more pressure on the Arabs, if only because they seem to take the status quo as license to foot-drag.