Since the birth of the peace process, popular wisdom has held that an Israeli leader cannot be expected to expend much domestic political capital during talks, because political capital must be saved to "sell" any agreement at the end of talks. In principle, there is some logic in this argument. In practice, that logic is now hitting a brick wall. If recent events indicate the patterns of action to come, talks will be in danger of falling apart long before an agreement is in reach.
When Israel's Maariv daily wrote about housing construction in East Jerusalem this summer, it offered exact numbers - down to the individual house.
By Rob Eshman
Last Monday night after dinner, after the dishes were cleared, I sat in my dining room with Mark Rosenblum and
asked him the question I'd long been meaning to ask: Why don't you just give up?
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are preparing to resume their peace talks Wednesday in Jerusalem.
Complex issues lie before them, according to Lara Friedman Director of Policy and Government Relations for
Americans for Peace Now. She spoke with VOA's Susan Yackee on August 14, 2013.
Cynicism about new Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts comes in a variety of flavors.
Anyone familiar with the history of Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking can be forgiven for viewing new Israeli-Palestinian negotiations with a certain degree of skepticism, in large part fueled by concern that settlements will, once again, be used to undermine the chances for achieving peace.
In October 2011 the Israeli government, with a huge majority including most of the Likud's ministers, voted in favor of releasing more than 1027 Palestinian prisoners, 280 of them having been convicted for murder and assisting in the murder of Israeli citizens, in return for the release of the kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. The released prisoners were received as kings, and the Hamas movement used the opportunity to the utmost in order to show how violent resistance is the best way to make Israel bow down.
Iran's election of Hassan Rouhani, a former nuclear negotiator who promised greater nuclear transparency and to pursue "peace and reconciliation" with the outside world, presents the best opportunity for serious progress on diplomatic negotiations with Iran in over eight years.
The EU decision is limited to the settlements, but if construction in the occupied territories continues, a
boycott of Israel at large is only a matter of time
By Yariv Oppenheimer
Secretary of State John Kerry Announces the Resumption of Israeli-Palestinian Peace Negotiations.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are set to resume peace talks after years of a diplomatic lull.