The American left, of which the news media is a wholly-owned subsidiary, is having a nationwide hissy fit over the decision of Israeli voters to re-elect Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister. This was not what Barack Obama wished! He wanted a left-wing prime minister who would roll over for his plan to give Iran what it wants in nuclear negotiations. (I’m not so sure Labor Party leader Isaac Herzog would have been quite so pliant, but that’s what Obama was hoping.)
So the media are now trying to discredit Netanyahu by claiming he a) took an irresponsibly “hard-line” stance just days before the election in opposition to a Palestinian state; and b) promptly “flip-flopped” and claimed he has no problem with a Palestinian state once he had been safely re-elected.
Both ends of their story are nonsense. Netanyahu has held the same position on this issue all along, which is that a two-state solution is the more desirable outcome once circumstances change and it doesn’t pose a threat to Israel’s security. In other words, if the Palestinians want their own state, they need to stop threatening Israel.
That scenario is not where we are now. When I was a presidential candidate in 2011, I visited Israel and saw first-hand how strategically important this is. The Palestinians want the West Bank, which is right in between Jordan and the heart of Israel. Control of the West Bank would make it much easier for the Palestinians to fire rockets into the most populated areas of Israel, which is why it’s such a strategic no-brainer for the Israelis to maintain control of it.
Netanyahu has learned the lessons of history well. In 2000, when it appeared a land-for-peace deal was close, Yasser Arafat walked away from the table and declared a new intifada against the Israelis. It was bloody and violent, and there was no reason whatsoever for it. The Israelis were willing to deal, but the Palestinians weren’t interested in peace.
The Palestinians are also aligned with the terrorist group Hamas, which is committed to Israel’s destruction both in word and in deed. That is why Netanyahu correctly recognizes that Israel does not have a viable partner for peace right now.
By declaring that he is not prepared to accept a Palestinian state today, Netanyahu simply recognizes current reality. Israel would be foolish to accede to a two-state solution until the Palestinians change and change dramatically. You can argue that this is not going to happen, and maybe you’re right. But that’s on the Palestinians. Israel is under no obligation to commit suicide just so everyone can celebrate that they got a deal done.
In the meantime, our petulant president is trying to punish Netanyahu and the Israeli people by declaring his intention to “re-assess” the U.S. stance toward Israel. What does that mean, exactly? Obama is already putting Israel’s security in jeopardy by pursuing this horrendous nuclear deal with Iran. What is he going to do now? Stop vetoing idiotic anti-Israel resolutions at the UN? End U.S. aid to the Israelis? Maybe he will. Nothing would surprise me anymore from this guy.
But if Obama uses Netanyahu’s position on the Palestinian state to justify any change in policy toward Israel, that is really a crock. Netanyahu has been consistent throughout, and consistently right. Don’t believe the media and the Democrats when they try to tell you otherwise.
