Imagine John Kerry as Jan and Israel as Marcia Brady. Then my “Israel, Israel, Israel!” post title makes a little more sense. And I explain this to you because John Kerry will soon be stamping his foot and heading off to the bathroom in high dudgeon.
Exhibit A: Blackmail. Kerry threatens to cut all aid to the PA if they don’t sign an agreement, say the Palestinians. I kind of believe that. But even if they’re lying, it doesn’t matter, because they’re making up reasons why they won’t sign the deal.
Exhibit B: NFW are we signing an agreement. Well, they refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. They refuse to budge on the “right of return”, which would flood Israel with millions of second-, third-, and fourth-generation Palestinians. He has the backing of the Arab League for his refusal. And now he’s got Abdullah of Jordan to agree to present a united front, which puzzles me no end because of the Jordan Valley issue–ah, I have it. Abdullah gets street cred by standing with Abbas against Israel retaining the Jordan Valley, thus ensuring the failure of the peace agreement–which keeps the IDF in the Jordan Valley, something Abdullah wants. Crafty! And so, another barrier against signing an agreement arises.
Exhibit C: Israel knows this is flatly useless.
“The negotiations are currently being carried out without papers or documents passing between the sides. This is because the Arabs are refusing to present written documents. The Americans are coming with prepared proposals, they read them and do not leave documents with either side. It is all done verbally. The Netanyahu government is cooperating with Kerry’s initiative with the clear knowledge that the Arab side will not accept the agreement and ultimately [Israel] will not be required to make concessions or evacuate settlements.”
Makes sense to me. Bibi didn’t get to be the PM of Israel by being stupid. All he has to do is sit tight, stick to the major issues, say he’ll sign if the Palestinians agree to them, and watch it fail.
If it’s true that Kerry thinks an agreement is his ticket to the White House, as the article quoted above says, he has no idea of what the American people truly care about. You know what we want? Jobs at a decent wage, affordable insurance, and enough money to go on vacation and have some nice things. Most Americans don’t give a crap about the Middle East as long as they’re not driving planes into the World Trade Center. But Kerry couldn’t possibly know this, because he is an elitist. And a politician. But I repeat myself.
This agreement will not happen. So, Johnny boy, get used to disappointment.