It's official: Netanyahu is anti-Israel

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

Or so it would seem, according to so many right-wing commentators, now that Netanyahu is in line with the policy of 1967+swaps stated by Obama a few months back.

To me, it just looks like there's now a stable groundwork for some sort of talk. This isn't a sea change, it's a recognition of what has been broadly-held policy for the last twenty years or so. It's good that Obama was willing to take the first step in saying that these should be the negotiating grounds, and to put that policy in to the full view of the world. It may have been the unstated policy of prior administrations, but unstated policies are obviously a helluva lot less effective at setting expectations. The real question will be how they handle the settlements. If Israel continues building settlements outside of the 1967 borders, it will be difficult to take seriously any claims that they're negotiating in good faith over those borders.

Odds of a retraction from the right-wing pundits on this one? Or is it just that Netanyahu (who doesn't seem to have cared all that much for what America thinks of his policies) is being strong-armed into this position?

Comments

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Expecting consistency from ideologues is like trying to polish a turd: it never has or will happen.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

is being strong-armed into this position?

The question will be whether he holds to this when Obama leaves office, or if he's just saying this now to play nice.