This commentary was published in The Jordan Times on 04/01/2011
The American administration seems to have got cold feet about the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Since the advent of the Obama administration, there has been a lot of talk and much hope, but the American administration has yet to deliver on its promises.
If anything, its failure to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to freeze settlement building has exposed the impotence of American diplomacy vis-à-vis Israel.
It really is pathetic for the American administration to say that it has been deceived by Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak. It is as if during Bill Clinton’s final year in office the administration had not been led directly down the same road, by the same man, during the Camp David summit!
For more than a year and a half, the Israeli defence minister has misled the Americans using his persuasive powers and his ability to get Netanyahu to move on with the peace process. It has been reported that Barak, in his capacity as defence minister, has reached a clear understanding with the American administration about a three-month extension of the settlement freeze. He pledged to the Americans that at the end of the day, Netanyahu will endorse the deal. However, Barak failed to deliver the goods. Netanyahu did not budge from his well-known position regarding the settlement freeze. In other words, Barak proved to be the wrong horse on which to bet.
The American administration opened its doors wide for Barak to come and go as he wishes, but he failed them. A few weeks ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with him only 15 minutes, a clear signal that he no longer enjoys the trust of the US administration. The general feeling, at least at the State Department, seems to be that Barak was a disaster, and this evokes a sense of déjà vu, remembering his failure to bring about peace when he was prime minister of Israel in 2000.
The most important questions is whether the American administration learnt the lesson. It is one thing to know that Barak has deceived the administration and quite another for the American officials fail to act informed. The lesson is clear: it is impossible to work with the current Israeli coalition, and it is obvious that the coalition is a key obstacle on the path to peace.
The Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, was faster to get it. Although he prefers to see a kind of strong American intervention in the stalled peace process, he no longer bet on the Americans. He realised that talking to the Israelis or waiting patiently for the American to move is just a waste of time. It is for this reason that the Palestinians are turning now to the United Nations Security Council, hoping that a new resolution on settlements will be endorsed.
Does the American administration have an option? Yes and no.
If it continues with the current approach, it will be deceived over and over again. If it works to change the governing coalition in Tel Aviv, this might create needed momentum. As long as the American administration refuses to internalise this lesson and act accordingly, the hope for peace is really dim.
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