Brass Beitzim

I support Israel most of the time. People tell me I have a blind spot in regards to the land where my father was born and my grandfather is buried. I have lived there on two occasions. I vigorously support their right to exist. I have no problems with the partition wall being built as long as their enemies continue to turn themselves into suicide bombs.

But I have to agree with my President that the Israelis have not been playing an honest game in relation to the expansion of West Bank settlements. The Israelis agreed to curtail such activity in the 2003 settlement talks and yet have continued to build. Prime Minister Netanyahu calls for "natural" growth. That is a sophistic invention that means "whatever we want to do."

Netanyahu (a guy I have never liked, being more of a Shimon Peres fan) is now wavering on a two state solution, asking a legitimate question about the possibility of coexisting next to a Hamas led nation. Yet he is trying to reframe all discussion into a referendum on the Iranians, whose bellicose actions pose existential and terminal threats to Israel's existence.

Mideast peace is going to have to start with a deal with the Palestinians. It has worked with Egypt and Jordan. Thousands of Israeli Arabs live in peace with the jewish inhabitants. Expansionism and kowtowing to ultra religious jewish settlers in the West Bank are not in Israel's own best long term interest. The Israelis need to live up to their past promises.