Why is he even bothering? asked the Arab News (Saudi Arabia) in an editorial. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is trying to rekindle “the fading embers of a Palestinian settlement” by reviving the Arab League’s peace initiative. That plan envisions a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel that would require the Palestinians to accept other land in exchange for the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. But right before Kerry arrived in the region last week, the Israelis once again delivered a diplomatic snub to Washington, demonstrating that “they have no intention of displaying any flexibility.” The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that it would give “retrospective permission” to four illegal West Bank settlements that even Israeli authorities had previously refused to allow—and would even expand them. Palestinians are justifiably angry “that once again their leadership has been persuaded to be patient and open-handed, only to have the Israelis spit in its face.” And of course, they also spit in Washington’s face.
It’s the Palestinians who won’t bend, said Eitan Gilboa in Yedioth Ahronoth (Israel). Kerry said he wanted to bring both sides to the table without preconditions, and Israel has agreed, with President Shimon Peres reiterating Israel’s support for a two-state solution. But Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas insists that Israel first halt all settlement construction in the West Bank, and Kerry couldn’t make him change his mind. That’s further evidence that the Obama administration, which has done nothing about Russian interference in the Syrian war, is perceived as weak in the region. Now Kerry “threatens to present an American peace plan if the two sides do not renew their negotiations.” Good luck to him. Every U.S. plan to date has failed.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
2024: the year of romantasiesIn the Spotlight A generation of readers that grew up on YA fantasy series are getting their kicks from the spicy subgenre
-
US won its war on 'murder hornets,' officials saySpeed Read The announcement comes five years after the hornets were first spotted in the US
-
California declares bird flu emergencySpeed Read The emergency came hours after the nation's first person with severe bird flu infection was hospitalized
-
No equipment for Afghanistanfeature The U.S. has reportedly decided to hand over to Pakistan some $7 billion worth of American military hardware currently in Afghanistan.
-
How they see us: Crudely insulting our allies
feature Well, at least we know now what the Americans really think of us.
-
Spied-upon Germans are not mollified
feature In the wake of revelations last year about the NSA's spying activities, relations between Germany and the U.S. have been at an all-time low.
-
Is a deal with the U.S. in Iran’s interest?
feature The “unprecedented enthusiasm” of Western diplomats after the talks in Geneva suggests they received unexpected concessions from the Iranians.
-
How they see us: Sowing chaos in Libya
feature The kidnapping of Abu Anas al-Libi is an outrage committed against Libyan sovereignty—and it will have repercussions.
-
Europe is complicit in spying
feature It’s not just the Americans who have developed a gigantic spying apparatus.
-
Protecting Snowden
feature American whistle-blower Edward Snowden has proved a master spy with his “meticulously timed operation.”
-
Listening in on Europeans
feature Europeans are apoplectic over the U.S. National Security Agency's massive PRISM surveillance program.