A new INSS report evaluates the possibility of a confrontation between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during their upcoming meeting in Washington. The two statesmen will likely spar over the need for the resumption of a peace process with the Palestinians that includes granting them a sovereign state. Netanyahu will likely refuse acknowledging the need for a two-state solution due to his belief that any state would become a haven for terrorism. The INSS report traces recent overtures from U.S. officials that either slighted Israel or mandated the need for a two state solution. The two statesmen will also likely disagree on an approach to Iran, with Obama advocating patience at least until his October deadline and Netanyahu’s fear that Iran remains on the verge of obtaining nuclear weapons. While the report includes considerable conjecture, the author clearly demonstrates that the political leverage remains in Obama’s hands. Notably, the report states:
“In the area of domestic politics, President Obama has succeeded in reaching a stable and powerful status within the American political system. A considerable part of the Jewish community in the US supports him, as well as his political and economic moves. The president may thus conclude that it is time to put his fist on the table and put forward a clear American plan for an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement, even if it is not acceptable to Netanyahu’s government. If indeed the president decides to act intensively to implement the two-state vision, he can expect broad international support for these efforts. The vast majority of international actors, especially in Europe, massively support the drive to promote the two-state solution.”
