In Washington this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel sounded two different notes about peace
negotiations with the Palestinians, which are nearing a critical juncture. In a speech to the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobby, he enthusiastically advocated a peace agreement as a
means to improve Israel’s ties with its Arab neighbors and “catapult the region forward” on issues like health,
energy and education.
But at other moments, a more familiar skepticism was apparent. He demanded that Palestinians recognize Israel as a
Jewish state with “no excuses, no delays.” In response, a senior Palestinian official, Nabil Shaath, accused Mr. Netanyahu of putting
an end to peace talks because Palestinians have already rejected that designation. (Palestinians recognize
Israel as a state, but not as a Jewish state because they believe that that would undercut the rights of
Palestinian refugees.) And, on Monday, at the White House, Mr. Netanyahu asserted that while Israel has worked
hard to advance peace, the Palestinians have not.
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