On the nose, yet again. Thanks, as ever, for your clear-headed and incisive commentary. You are one of the few people I can read on this situation without wanting to scream.
Netanyahu started in an incredibly strong position, partly because Biden continued Trump's policy of trying to cut a deal with MBS and others to marginalize the Palestinians, and then reinforced by the brutality of the Hamas attacks.
It's taken unquestionable evidence that Netanyahu is every bit as bad as Hamas to get to the point where the Administration is ready to dump him. The next step is make it clear to Israelis in general that if they don't dump Netanyahi, the US will dump them.
<blockquote>The [senior Biden administration] official also said Palestinians had been participating.
”They want to be a part of this process, and we would not do it without them,” the official said. “That is a major change from their policy, which has been they will never engage in any process that has to do with an Arab state normalizing relations with Israel absent a Palestinian state.”
The official didn’t specify which Palestinians, but the reference was likely to people affiliated with the Palestinian Authority.</blockquote>
Great. The words vs. deeds point could not be more important, and — thank God — post SOTU it seems to be finally catching on, as Americans awaken from their trance and remember what it’s like to actually have an Executive Branch rather than a parasitic appendage working like the mafia.
It’s especially important since (as you’ve said over and over) Trump spent four years trying to “rule” (not govern) by decree, using his tweets as papal bulls.
On the nose, yet again. Thanks, as ever, for your clear-headed and incisive commentary. You are one of the few people I can read on this situation without wanting to scream.
Thanks, Paul, really appreciated.
Netanyahu started in an incredibly strong position, partly because Biden continued Trump's policy of trying to cut a deal with MBS and others to marginalize the Palestinians, and then reinforced by the brutality of the Hamas attacks.
It's taken unquestionable evidence that Netanyahu is every bit as bad as Hamas to get to the point where the Administration is ready to dump him. The next step is make it clear to Israelis in general that if they don't dump Netanyahi, the US will dump them.
Though it wasn't exactly the same as Trump's policy. PLO representatives were actively participating in the Saudi-Israel talks this time, though not in public. It was first reported, as it happens, on October 8 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/08/6-things-national-security-israel-hamas-conflict-00120544:
<blockquote>The [senior Biden administration] official also said Palestinians had been participating.
”They want to be a part of this process, and we would not do it without them,” the official said. “That is a major change from their policy, which has been they will never engage in any process that has to do with an Arab state normalizing relations with Israel absent a Palestinian state.”
The official didn’t specify which Palestinians, but the reference was likely to people affiliated with the Palestinian Authority.</blockquote>
And there's evidence going back to late September that looks more significant now than it did then, e.g.https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-palestinians-israel-ambassador-normalization-talks-ramallah-792c0e4bcb344d26e002289610e67da2
Great. The words vs. deeds point could not be more important, and — thank God — post SOTU it seems to be finally catching on, as Americans awaken from their trance and remember what it’s like to actually have an Executive Branch rather than a parasitic appendage working like the mafia.
It’s especially important since (as you’ve said over and over) Trump spent four years trying to “rule” (not govern) by decree, using his tweets as papal bulls.
Thanks. The world needs a joke about "papal bullshit" doesn't it? But I haven't got one, at least not yet.
Bingo
Thanks, Roy