Israel Matzav

Does Obama think Bibi is that dumb?

The Obama administration has expressed disappointment that a stream of envoys to Prime Minister Netanyahu has not pried out of him his vision of final borders with the 'Palestinians.'

One Israeli official said that while Netanyahu is not opposed to discussing borders, he is unwilling to do so in a vacuum “without first having a clear understanding of security issues, and the character of a future Palestinian state.”

Before discussing a map of a future state of Palestine, the official said, Netanyahu wants to “first discuss the security map.”

Netanyahu has said that in any future agreement Israel would have to retain a security presence on the Jordan River, and – according to a recent Newsweek story – has told the Palestinians he also wants Israeli troops stationed along territory on the Palestinian side of the security barrier to protect the country’s “narrow waistline.”

The official said it is impossible to discuss the contours of a border without first knowing whether a future Palestinian state “will be demilitarized, and how that will be achieved.”

It is also necessary first to see whether this state will recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state and whether it will consider that an agreement with Israel will put an end to the conflict, “with no more demands,” the official said.

The prime minister’s position is that borders cannot be discussed isolated from other issues.

Do they really think he's dumb enough to start giving out Israel's final red line positions without knowing the other side's positions? With whom do they think they are dealing? Ehud Olmert?

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Ehud K. Olmert, Obama administration's fecklessness

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:14 AM