By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:
US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Israel. He met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and then went to Ramallah, seat of the Palestinian Authority, and met with President Mahmoud Abbas.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague is doing the same loop.
Netanyahu has said all the right things - the critique he is getting is for saying and not doing.
Here lies the problem. Netanyahu does not want the peace process to move ahead but he must pay lip service to the peace process for the sake of the United States and for his own electorate. The vast majority of Israelis, like the United States, favor a two-state solution.
Up until now Netanyahu has bet on the fact that the Palestinians would not be able to come to the table and, if they did sit down at the table, they would not be able to deliver. It never hurt Netanyahu to say all the right things.
Now the question is this: how effective will Kerry be to in aiding the Palestinians to deliver on issues related to security, police protection, justice and education.
Kerry's success will result in calling Netanyahu's bluff and forcing his reluctant hand.
Up until now Netanyahu has done all that can be expected. The only way the Israeli can do anything more is if the Palestinians are brought back to the negotiation table.
Micah@MicahHalpern.com
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