NYT is disgusting as ever. The principals that they enumerate to achieve have no foundation in law or morality and should be totally rejected by Israel. They totally blame Israel for the breakdown and misrepresent the facts to support their view. Ted Belman
The pointless arguing over who brought Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to the brink of collapse is in full swing. The United States is still working to salvage the negotiations, but there is scant sign of serious purpose. It is time for the administration to lay down the principles it believes must undergird a two-state solution, should Israelis and Palestinians ever decide to make peace. Then President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry should move on and devote their attention to other major international challenges like Ukraine.
Among those principles should be: a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza with borders based on the 1967 lines; mutually agreed upon land swaps that allow Israel to retain some settlements while compensating the Palestinians with land that is comparable in quantity and quality; and agreement that Jerusalem will be the capital of the two states.
Perhaps the Obama administration’s effort to broker a deal was doomed from the start. In 2009, the administration focused on getting Israel to halt settlement building and ran into the obstinacy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and resistance from the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to entering peace talks. Since then, members of Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition government have tried to sabotage the talks. As Tzipi Livni, Israel’s chief negotiator, told the website Ynet, “There are people in the government who don’t want peace.” She cited Naftali Bennett, the leader of the pro-settler party Jewish Home, and Uri Ariel, the housing minister.
Mr. Obama made the right decision to give it a second try last summer, with Mr. Kerry bringing energy and determination to the negotiations. But, after nine months, it is apparent that the two sides are still unwilling to move on the core issues of the borders of a Palestinian state, the future of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees and guarantees for Israel’s security. The process broke down last month when Israel failed to release a group of Palestinian prisoners as promised and then announced 700 new housing units for Jewish settlement in a part of Jerusalem that Palestinians claim as the capital of a future state. According to Mr. Kerry that was the “poof” moment when it all fell apart, and the Palestinians responded by applying to join 15 international conventions and treaties. That move won’t get them a state, but it is legal and they did not seek to join the International Criminal Court, a big fear of Israel’s.
It is a lot easier to undermine friends than enemies!
That is insane, if Obama thinks the Israel will ever agree to a divided Jerusalem, let alone the rest of this.
@ bernard ross:
I agree with you. We were subscribed to the NYT during many years. About 8 years ago we got tired of their lies, the manipulative nature of its articles and the worst is finding an article that is the opinion of the journalist in the front page. No doubt an article of that nature belongs on the editorial page.
I kept buying for awhile the Tuesday paper where the science section appears. WE went on vacation and realized we did not need it anymore.
Yes, they are loosing readership and their circulation is going down and continues to go down. They keep giving all sorts of enticements to make you subscribe again. Telephone calls and
everything except correct the editorials and the lefties they hire. They are loosing money and I do not remember who but, somebody came to the rescue. I do not read that garbage. It is not a prestigious newspaper but a lefty newspaper with all sort of distortions. Last time I was so incensed I told the caller that the NYT was not good even as hygienic paper.
What kind of peace? Even if the two Honorable indviduals agree to the so called peace process, is there any one from the Palestinian Arab side – who legally represent all of them to such an agreement? None at this moment! To me, the so called peace process is just a farce! Even if the required peace that mutually benefit both Israeli’s and Arabs may not be achievable for now, a new well balanced and practical strategy should be sought by anyone who would like to be an impartial mediator/negotiator.
every day i get emails from the NYT begging for subscriptions.. I never read them anymore, I dont believe I can trust the accuracy of a rag with such a political agenda. Perhaps their circulation is going down in relation to their BS. the internet is better.