On Wednesday we posted a piece about President Trump, the “art” of a Middle East peace deal, and the illogic and disastrous idea of establishing an Arab state within the boundaries of the Land of Israel. The piece contained links to two very significant polls taken recently of Israeli attitudes toward giving up land in Judea and Samaria, and the establishment of an Arab state there.
Today, Caroline Glick writes about these polls and how attitudes toward ceding land have shifted over the past few years.
Glick states that Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama failed to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians not because they were bad negotiators. They failed because there is no deal to be had. This, Glick concludes, is the reality that informs the Israeli public; the conclusion that a significant majority of Israelis have now reached.
As for Donald Trump, as savvy a negotiator as he may be, he is up against a significant majority of Israelis who simply believe that a deal is just not possible.
The statistics within the polls are informative, and reflect clear, level-headed reality-based thinking by the Israeli populace, who over the years have had enough of “concessions for peace” that have brought nothing but increased terror and a weakening of personal and state security.
Glick writes, “Ultimately, the Israeli public has abandoned its support for the two-state paradigm because it believes that Israel’s past moves to implement it have weakened the country and that any attempt in the future to implement it will imperil the country.”
Column One: Israel’s Silenced Majority
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday an agreement to establish a new community near Shiloh, to house the families recently expelled from Amona. However, there are still conflicting reports as to whether restrictions will be placed on building in the more remote communities beyond the “settlement blocs.” There is also speculation that Trump wants to convene a “peace conference”, attended by Israel and several of the so-called “moderate” Arab states.
If this conference is held, there will be immense pressure on Netanyahu to once again commit Israel to make “concessions for peace.” However, he must understand that this time, the Israeli public has spoken. Reality has stared them in the face too many times to fall for a peace proposal consisting not only of smoke and mirrors of an illusory peace process, but of the reality of the terror and destruction that may accompany a phony peace process.