Mideast Chess

Fischer - Spassky, Game 6 - Reykjavic, 1972

Benjamin Netanyahu's recent announcement of plans to build 1100 new homes in the Har Homa settlement beyond the green line of East Jerusalem shows how disingenuous he really is about securing a two state solution with the Palestinians.

I do not blame the Palestinians for their end around and recent declaration at the United Nations. If I was in their shoes I would probably do the same thing. Netanyahu, a master of sophistry and end game strategy knows that he has the upper hand and that he can talk forever and never have to cede anything to the people of the West Bank and Gaza. He is not an honest broker or partner.

This so called position of strength is of course, totally illusory. Israel's actions only cement their position as a world pariah, further antagonize the Palestinians and their neighbors and makes the region more dangerous in the long term. It is in Israel's best interests to get out of their current role as occupier and jailer and fashion a contiguous state with which the Palestinian people can live in with pride and self respect. The status quo is simply unsustainable.

I heard Netanyahu try to downplay the building the other day..."they build their houses, we build our houses..." The reality is that building a settlement in the middle of a large arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem is both foolish and needlessly provocative.

And if Netanyahu has his way there will be nothing left for the Palestinians at all. The Israeli government needs to put themselves in their foe's position and craft a solution that serves the interests of all the parties in the region. These little games of the Likud and their far right religious allies only make the already remote prospects for future peace even less attainable.