November 6, 2009

By Ted Belman

Bibi is basking in a warm embrace. But is that a good thing for Israel?

Since taking office on the strength of a right wing victory and his right wing rhetoric, he has governed from the centre. First he wooed Kadima and then Labour to join him. He also recruited Soli Meridor from the left to join Likud. Bibi was concerned to counter the influence and pressure from the right.

He has managed to win praise for the new national consensus he has built, for stabilizing his government through passing the two year budget legislation, for withstanding Obama’s pressure for a freeze and for maintaining good US/Israeli relations.

He has also kept his right wing ministers in line including Begin , Yaalon, Edelstein,Landau, Hershkowitz etc.

He announced that he is completing the 3000 units in Judea and Samaria, that he is willing to freeze settlements in Judea and Samaria but not in Jerusalem including East Jerusalem. He has also sworn that Jerusalem will remain the undivided capital of a Jewish Israel.

Hillary Clinton went so far as to praise him for his “unprecedented” offer to freeze settlements although she retracted it somewhat the next day.

But I write this article, not to praise him but to warn against him.

I decided to look below the praise and the spin and to see what he has actually done since taking office.

Although he has postured as rejecting a freeze other than a limited temporary one, he has in fact, instituted a full freeze from the day he took office. Even now that the PA has turned down his offer of a partial freeze, Bibi has still not allowed the de facto freeze to be lifted.

We are therefore left in the dark as to what understandings if any he has reached with Obama on the matter of the freeze.

In his Bar Ilan speech given at the BESA Institute he accepted for the first time on behalf of a right wing government, the two state solution. In time honoured fashion, his listed his conditions for such a state to come into being namely that Palestine recognize Israel as a Jewish state, that Palestine be demilitarized, that Jerusalem be the sole exclusive capital of Israel and that refugees be resettled outside Israel. Some say that He was in fact offering nothing as such a state would never be agreed to. Others say that the conditions will soon be forgotten leaving us with only the acceptance of a two state solution.

Who remembers the fourteen reservations to the acceptance of the Roadmap? Whenever Israel is conceding something we are assured that we can always reverse it or that it is subject to redlines. When Begin gave up the Sinai at Camp David, one of the reservations he made was that the Palestinians would be limited to autonomy, only. Sharon said that if we are fired upon from Gaza after we disengaged, Israel will retaliate immediately with artillery. Of late Bibi told us that Hamas could now hit Tel Aviv with rockets and warned if they ever do, we will retaliate massively. What’s he waiting for? Why not remove the threat now rather than warn about it.

Since taking office he has removed over one hundred roadblocks in Judea and Samaria allowing the Palestinian economy to experience dramatic growth. Where’s the reciprocity? Where’s the demand that until the Palestinians end incitement, there will be no change in the restrictions. The same goes for Gaza. Until Shalit is released and smuggling of arms stops, there will be no passage of goods.

As their economy strengthens the Palestinians are less likely to emigrate. Is that good for Israel. Why not build the economy of Jordan instead on the East Bank on condition that a certain percentage of the jobs created there would go to Palestinians. That would encourage them to leave permanently.

When Bibi spoke to the General Assembly of the UN, he once again emphasized Israel’s commitment to the two state solution.

He is begging Abbas to return to negotiations. Why? Does he expect Abbas to capitulate or does he have Israel’s capitulation in mind. Why are negotiations so important to him?

The same goes for negotiations with Syria. Why is Bibi calling for them. What can come out of them but Israel’s capitulations.

Then just last week Bibi got Meridor to delay the referendum bill which, if passed, would have given the people a veto over giving away the Golan or East Jerusalem. Maybe Bibi doesn’t believe in power to the people.

I am beginning to wonder if we were better off with a left wing government. Olmert didn’t stop construction or lift roadblocks. Then we could always count on a right wing opposition. Today the the right is in power and governing left and there is no right wing opposition to keep them in check. First Begin gave up the Sinai, then Bibi gave up Hebron, then Sharon gave up Gaza. All were right wing Prime Ministers.

Who knows what Bibi is planning to give up?