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Netanyahu needs to learn from “The Godfather”

What are the Israelis or the Americans willing to do to stop the Palestinians from seeking a unilateral declaration of statehood? That’s the question faced by both governments as rumors swirl that if the Palestinian Authority doesn’t get its way — a new moratorium on building in the West Bank — that the already broken peace talks will (what?) break down some more and the PA will turn to the United Nations to get their state.

Hillary Clinton obviously doesn’t like the idea of a uniateral declaration because look at all the hard work the Obama administration has put in to these useless talks. Her official response to the question was as follows: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict could not be solved through unilateral moves, she said. “There is no substitute for face-to-face discussion and, ultimately, for an agreement that leads to a just and lasting peace,” Clinton said.

Oooooo. You think Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is rethinking the unilateral route? I doubt it. And as
John Bolton warned earlier this week, President Obama could just abstain from a UN Security Council vote and the Palestinian State would be a fait accompli.

So if the Americans won’t do much to dissuade the PA you might think the Israelis wold go to the mattresses, but you’d be mistaken.

Here’s one Israeli government source trying to do his best Godfather impression: “Israel is against unilateral steps. Israel believes that all problems should be solved around the negotiating table, but if the Palestinians choose unilateral steps, they can expect Israel to respond in kind.”

To be effective, this sort of gamesmanship has to pack a little more punch. What’s wrong with saying something like “Israel would consider all options in response to such a move” or “a move to unilateral statehood by the Palestinian Authority could result in a much smaller state than they would ultimately like.” The possibilities are fun to contemplate. Unfortunately, Israel has yet to play offense in any meaningful way so instead we get diplo-speak that amounts to “pretty please don’t declare a state.”

Pitiful. Someone really ought to send Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu a DVD of “The GOdfather.” He could learn a lot.