Israel’s 10-month settlement-building moratorium drew to a close this week, amid a high-stakes round of peace talks. Seen by some as a last-ditch effort at securing peace in the region, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas threatened to walk out if the construction continued. However, Prime Minister Netanyahu began damage control just minutes after the construction resumed; reaching out to Secretary Clinton as well as dignitaries from Jordan and Egypt to help keep the situation from falling apart completely.
Much of this sounds like reasons the two sides have failed to come to an agreement in the past. However, there are some encouraging signs that things could still take a turn for the better. In an interview, the leader of settlement construction said the end of the slowdown did not mean that the work would start up immediately. This buys both Netanyahu and Abbas more time to negotiate a deal on the construction issue and secure the viability of further peace talks. Although President Abbas still faces opposition to any flexibility in conditions from Hamas and other Palestinian groups, he ruled out a violent demonstration in response to the construction and still seems at least somewhat open to making a deal.
As all of this plays out in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, stakes are nearly as high for the other players involved. Unlike his predecessor, President Obama is much more aggressive about brokering a peace deal. Much of US relations with Israel, as well as the greater Middle East are and will be shaped by this issue. It also shapes our strategy with Iran, as a Palestinian state cripples President Ahmadinejad’s justification and traction in threatening Israel. Despite their long history of bilateral violence and failed attempts at peace, this is the closest both sides have come to turning a page in history. Let’s just hope it works before the construction buries any possibility of future talks.
Article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39368869/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/
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