In an effort to restart stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week struck a deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a 90-day freeze on Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank. The deal, which still needs Israeli Cabinet approval, would provide Israel with $3 billion in U.S. fighter jets and a U.S. commitment to oppose any international recognition of a unilateral declaration of Palestinian sovereignty. The agreement amounts to a bet that peace negotiations, including land swaps that might render some settlement issues moot, will make enough progress in 90 days to keep the Palestinians from abandoning talks. President Obama called the deal “promising,” and specifically praised Netanyahu. “It’s not easy for him to do, but I think it’s a signal that he is serious,” Obama said.
“The Obama administration deserves credit” for not giving up on the peace process, said The New York Times in an editorial. While both Palestinians and Israelis have bogged down talks, Netanyahu in particular seems more interested in “mugging for his hard-line coalition” than in making hard choices for peace. This “generous” deal puts the onus on Netanyahu to get back to the bargaining table.
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