Weekly Commentary: Critical sober words from President Obamas – not to be
ignored

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 21 March 2013

" But the truth of the matter is, trying to bring this to some sort of clear
settlement, a solution … for Palestinians to feel a sense that they too are
masters of their own fate; for Israel to feel that the possibilities of
rockets raining down on their families has diminished."
President Barack Obama at joint press conference with Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem March 20,
2013

This remark may very well be the most important thing that President Obama
has made relating to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the last five
years.

And it should be emphasized that when the President of the United States of
America says something at a formal press conference that his words are
carefully crafted and chosen, well in advance.

What we have here is a clear message from President Obama: a "settlement"
of the Palestinian Israeli conflict, in the assessment of Mr. Obama and his
team, will not bring about an end to Palestinian rocket attacks. It will
only "diminish" the odds that the attacks will take place.

This position has profound ramifications with regard not just for the
security requirements for a "settlement" but also the geographical contours
of a "settlement."

Consider Jerusalem.

The "Clinton parameters", with a patchwork quilt of Arab and Jewish
neighborhoods in Jerusalem under a variety of sovereignties, is profoundly
absurd and irrelevant given Mr. Obama's sober warning that a "settlement"
will not be "rocket attack free".

President Obama is to be applauded for apparently breaking away from the
policy advocates who insist on assessing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
impaired by the filter of rose colored glasses.

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