Netanyahu firm on settlements, tensions between US and Israel still high
In fact, “We must not let illogical or unreasonable demands trap us. This would draw out the diplomatic negotiations,” the prime minister said about the new Palestinian requirement for indirect talks. And almost to prove his point, his government just approved the construction of 20 more homes in East Jerusalem.
Even so, the Americans are still fuming. Reporters and even photographers were not allowed to see the prime minister meet the president and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and begin their talks.
The meeting was highly unusual also because the initial talk was suspended to allow Netanyahu to consult with his staff before it resumed, in what the Jerusalem Post called “an unusual pair of low-profile meetings at the White House.”
Furthermore, nothing has transpired from the talks; no press release was issued, except for a brief statement from the Prime Minister's Office saying that the meeting was "conducted in a good atmosphere”,
Citing a US source, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper said that Obama and Clinton have decided to "test" Netanyahu and see whether he will carry out his promised gestures of good will towards the Palestinians.
An Israeli source told the paper that Secretary Clinton and the president are dissatisfied with a letter given to them by Netanyahu, in which he detailed steps he is willing to take to restore American confidence in his government.
“The two-week-old dispute between Israel and the United States over housing construction in East Jerusalem has exposed the limits of American power to pressure Israeli leaders to make decisions they consider politically untenable,” the Washington Post wrote in an editorial. However, the “blowup also shows that the relationship between the two allies is changing, in ways that are unsettling for Israel's supporters.”
Many observers initially thought that Netanyahu’s visit was meant to focus on the Iranian threat, sidetracking the Palestinian issue, including a possible military option. However, the Americans are not keen on that right now. The idea of a military operation against Iran’s nuclear facilities has few takers in Washington at a time when the United States is vulnerable to possible retaliations against its interests and facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.
All this suggests Netanyahu might have put his settlement activities, at least in Jerusalem, on the table in exchange for holding back his bombers.
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