September 1, 2009
Israel Office
SHATIL
Weekly Message
I just returned from several weeks in Israel. The visit was mostly personal, including a family wedding, but it was impossible for me not to draw certain impressions about the current political mood in the country.
Unlike recent years, this summer was relatively quiet – no disengagement from Gaza, no war with Lebanon and no shooting of Qassem rockets into Southern Israel. The Iranian threat, which preoccupies the political and security elite, did not seem to affect the vacation plans or upbeat attitude of most Israelis.
Of course, the US-Israel relationship is also the subject of much discussion. The leaked memorandum of Boston Consul General Nadav Tamir drew attention to the growing disenchantment of American Jews with certain Israeli policies. Meanwhile, public opinion surveys highlight the negative attitudes toward President Obama among a majority of Israelis. But even with the nettlesome settlement issue yet unresolved, neither the Obama Administration nor Prime Minister Netanyahu are interested in provoking a consequential breach in the strong friendship that exists between the two countries.
Despite the considerable efforts of Special Envoy Mitchell and his team, the prospects for progress in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians appear bleak. Netanyahu and Abbas may meet before the end of the month, but neither leader is politically capable of offering concessions on the core issues; Netanyahu’s coalition is heavily tilted toward those unwilling to contemplate any further withdrawal from the West Bank, and the Fatah/Hamas and West Bank/Gaza divides complicate Abbas’ efforts to project a coherent Palestinian negotiating position. |
