PM Netanyahu expected to reject Pres. Obama letter with fatal flaw (offer
worse than current policy)

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 30 September 2010

Maariv correspondent Eli Brodenstein reported in the 29 September edition
that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to reject President
Obamas offer for a variety of measures in return for a 60 day extension of
the settlement construction freeze.

The article provides some details of the letter, which was written in
consultation with representatives of Netanyahu.

A key element of the letter is that the American government commits to foil
all Arab initiatives for the coming year to raise the matter of a
Palestinian state before the UN Security Council.

Most media coverage of the article was based on the headlines of the article
(the headlines did not indicate that this commitment was limited to a year)
and thus missed this critical flaw.

Until now, official American policy, as expressed both by President Obama
and Secretary of State Clinton, is that a Palestinian state could only be
achieved via direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Rather than bolster this commitment, the Obama letter, if put into effect,
would constitute a very significant deterioration in the American position.

Simply put, under the Obama proposal, Israel would be "rewarded" for
extending the freeze by 60 days by having an American gun put to the Jewish
State's forehead with the warning: "make a deal with the Palestinians
within a year or the Palestinians will unilaterally be rewarded with a
sovereign Palestinians state".

The introduction of this American threat would irreparably doom the
prospects of Israel actually reaching an agreement with the Palestinians
during the course of the negotiations since the Palestinians would know that
they bring to the UNSC whatever Israeli concession were put on the table
during the course of the year when they go to the USNC for an imposed
solution.

The article also indicates that the letter included American offers of
military gizmos and that the matter of the settlements would not be raised
at other forums during the course of the year of negotiations between Israel
and the Palestinians

Brodenstein adds that Mr. Obama also threatens that if his offer is not
accepted that the U.S. will make what he terms a major gesture to the
Palestinians damaging Israel: formally taking the stand that the final
borders should be based on the '67 lines with adjustments.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il