Settlement freeze: Netanyahu's dilemma

The ritual of peace talks in the Middle East has begun for the current prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, once again.

The peace process is always a major issue candidates must contend with for each election in Israel. And for each term as prime minister, the leader of Israel must at least seem to attempt their pledged platform for a final resolution to the crisis in the Middle East.

But for half a century, this ritual has been a dismal failure. There have been no significant accomplishments.

For Netanyahu’s coalition government, made up of moderate conservatives and very conservative orthodox groups, the coalition’s opinion on the Palestine question is hard-line. Outlined in a speech made in June 2009, Netanyahu might have endorsed the two-state solution, but he also said Jerusalem will not be partitioned, settlements would continue to exist and even grow at a natural rate, a created Palestine would not have any right to military or control of airspace or borders and Palestinians would not have the right to return to Israel.  

The reason for the position goes back to the foundation of the coalition. With Netanyahu’s party not receiving a majority of votes in this past election, he was forced to find votes anywhere he could. Thus, he turned to the far-right conservative groups such as the United Torah Judaism Party and the Jewish Home Party. Most of those groups believe the Palestinian-held lands should be incorporated into Israel. Palestinians should not have the right of return to Israel and Jerusalem should be made capital of the Jewish homeland .

This has forced Netanyahu to balance these extreme opinions with not only his own moderate party, but also with the other negotiating force in the peace process — the Palestinians.

To think that he can appease all of these parties involved is outlandish.

Here’s why the current peace talks will not succeed: Netanyahu will not be able to create common ground between the demands of the Palestinians and the extreme elements of his party. Sure, he has admitted a two-state solution is the likely outcome of negotiations, but he will not give any more ground to the Palestinian cause. Without any more compromise, the Palestinians will not accept peace negotiations. Simply put, the peace talks will fail in part because of Netanyahu’s government.


E-mail: mdshowal@indiana.edu