Netanyahu rejected a regional peace initiative this time last year

[geek tragedy]

Remember when it was the Palestinians who supposedly never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity?

http://theweek.com/speedreads/681229/netanyahu-rejected-regional-peace-initiative-time-last-year

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly met with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in 2016 to consider a regional peace initiative negotiated by then-Secretary of State John Kerry, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Sunday. The covert talks took place in Jordan last February, and terms of the agreement Netanyahu would ultimately reject included renewed peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leadership as well as Arab nations' recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.

Netanyahu confirmed Sunday that the meeting took place and said in a gathering of Likud ministers that it occurred at his initiation. He did not accept the conditions Kerry proposed because he did not believe he could win approval from his coalition government.

History will "definitely judge the magnitude of the opportunity as well as the magnitude of the missed opportunity," tweeted Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog in response to the news on Sunday.

Bibi gave the part in bold up so he could keep Herzog out of his coalition.

[karynnj]

1. This shows how dishonest Netanyahu was for years

This outline meets everything he ever asked for and from a later Haaretz article with Herzog's comments that confirmed the Haaretz story it is clear that Netanyahu NEVER would have found a 2 state agreement he would have accepted.

One odd thing in later coverage is that Netanyahu confirmed the secret conference happened, but claimed he initiated it. Herzog said it was Kerry. Not to mention it defies logic to claim he initiated a conference to speak of a proposal that he was not in favor or was not familiar with enough to know if he would accept it. It is strange he felt compelled to say he initiated it.

It also puts in perspective Kerry's choice to make that plan public last December. It might also explain why Netanyahu went into temper tantrum mode with the abstention and the Kerry speech. Interesting that Herzog said the rejection was because of the RW and settlements.

It might also explain why Egypt was the original sponsor of the resolution. It also may be why Netanyahu claimed he had proof the US was "behind" the resolution - stated as if that was a betrayal. In fact, Netanyahu likely rejected the last chance to have a 2 state solution. Israel will be a defacto apartheid state or not a Jewish state. I wish I were confident that it would be the latter.

This makes it easier to understand the Arab support in Paris. It also explains some of the international praise for Kerry, unlike the US flack. What seems clear is Kerry was a dedicated, honest broker, who worked hard for peace. Netanyahu looks like a small partisan unwilling to take any risk for peace.

I would also note the chutzpah of Netanyahu NOW claiming Israel has more Arab support since Trump!! The man was no conscience!

[geek tragedy]

2. The very most generous spin I can put on this is that

he felt he couldn't sell any Obama-sponsored deal to the Israeli right but could sell it with Trump as President.

But that presumes that the Israeli right would ever accept a Palestinian state, and that he needed them to sign on.

Reality seems much closer that he didn't want to lose his job as PM because it would blow up his coalition.

[karynnj]

3. Completely agree with you

I think his number one goal is to stay in power. In addition, as his father's son, I doubt he ever REALLY could agree with a two state solution. I suspect his public statementry that he was for it was political and included so many bars to jump, he thought he would never be called to make the decision to work on it.

I don't think that the Trump administration will have more leverage. The RW Israeli will drop hI'm like a hot potato if he shifted to a position that would support something like that deal.

Netanyahu's relationship with Kerry is strange. It is beyond strange that his account is that he, not Kerry initiated the conference. This is jarring because if it was his, he would have entered with a plan his government was on board with and it would have been the agenda, not Kerry's.

[geek tragedy]

4. He seems to be peddling the idea that the Arab world will

embrace Israel while being content to see the Palestinians living under apartheid. While some cynicism towards Arab governments' concern for "our Palestinian brothers" is warranted, this is breathtakingly delusional.

And, Bibi seems to have admitted that the problem is the Israelis, not the Palestinians or other Arabs.