Saturday July 3, 2010

I've Been Thinking:

On Tuesday July 6, US President Barak Obama will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The meeting will take place in Washington, DC.

Yesterday the White House announced that they are pleased with the progress of the indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians. I'm glad that the United States is pleased because that is not at all the impression I have received from either the Israelis or the Palestinians - who have both expressed frustration with the other and with the United States.

Netanyahu is coming into this meeting with plans. But not plans about the Palestinians. Netanyahu has a plan for Iran and a plan for Syria.

The Israeli PM wants to confirm US commitments to confront Iran. On Iran, he wants to make certain that the US does not drop the ball and permit Iran to advance any further in their quest for nuclear technology.

Netanyahu also wants to see if there is any chance of movement on the Syrian side. He is convinced that the Palestinians cannot deliver on any deal and so the Syrian angle is an important distraction from the Palestinians.

It remains to be seen how the United States will react to Israel's plans.

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