In 2009 Barack Obama, in an effort to reignite the peace process, demanded a freeze on Israeli "settlements." In so doing, the inexperienced new leader guaranteed that there would be no progress in peace talks for the next eight years, since Palestinian Arabs, who had previously negotiated with Israelis amidst "settlement" construction, could not possibly be less righteous than the Americans about their territorial claims.
Given the devastation Israel has experienced by giving land to people who cling to their murderous impulses, the Jewish people owe something of a thank-you to President Obama for his singular ability to deliver the opposite of what he intended. (By the same token, virtually every other Middle Eastern people owe their middle finger to the outgoing president for all the “peace” his policies have bequeathed from Aleppo to Aden, Tripoli to Tehran.)
The peace process was always very unhealthy for Israel. It’s hard to extract concessions from PLO terrorists (whose rivals will assassinate them the day after they concede anything)...
Unable to contain their anti-Israel animus, Obama and his secretary of state John Kerry have now left Israel with an unintended parting gift via their recent UN escapades, for which Israel must again express its gratitude (read on for my suggested gift). Just as making Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria the key issue in 2009 made peace talks a non-starter, UN resolution 2334 has shattered the so-called peace process. By labeling all the lands Israel captured in its defensive war in 1967 “occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem,” there’s really nothing to negotiate. The U.S., impatient with Arab-Israeli negotiations, has journeyed from Israel’s ally; to an “honest broker” on neither party’s side; to the Palestinians’ ally (under Obama); and now to the ultimate destination of just giving every inch of Israel’s patrimony to the PLO.
If you paid attention to that last sentence, you can see that the peace process was always very unhealthy for Israel. It’s hard to extract concessions from PLO terrorists (whose rivals will assassinate them the day after they concede anything), so all the painful moves have been the province of Israelis alone. But now that Obama and Kerry have jumped ahead and simply “solved” the Arab-Israeli conflict, Israel must act quickly to withdraw from the charade while these bumbling buffoons are still in charge.
The reason is that the official U.S. and international Mideast agenda, which the peace process represents, is inherently hostile to Israel. Using the current script, Israel can do no better than a man who is asked “When did you stop beating your wife?” The Jewish State, freeze-framed as the occupier of Palestinian Arab land, can either admit its former guilt – “I stopped beating my wife” -- or current guilt: “I didn’t stop…” (because I never did to begin with).
This is no way for Israel to engage in international relations, and all the more so when a pro-Israel president is set to take over on January 20. George W. Bush was thought to be pro-Israel too, but he only had the anti-Israel script to work with. Israel therefore needs to rip it up. Now is the time to clarify that the U.S. action in the UN has irrecoverably exhausted the peace process.
In addition to withdrawing from the cut-Israel-into-pieces-process, Israel can do one more thing to enhance the subject matter of Obama’s likely next book, to be co-written with Jimmy Carter: It should apply Israeli law to Judea and Samaria. The purpose and timing of such a move would be to start a healthy new relationship with the incoming administration. Donald Trump’s key priority is nation building at home. That’s exactly what Israel needs to prioritize. Besides this commonality, it is likely that the new administration will re-embrace the idea, abandoned by Obama, that the U.S. should oppose its enemies. Since the U.S. and Israel by and large share the same enemies, the basis will soon exist for a constructive dialogue between like-minded allies.
One final point: A positive relationship between the U.S. and Israel is not contingent on who sits in the White House. It is anchored instead on the high mutual opinion between Israelis and the American people. Obama – an enemy of Israel – was only as hostile as he could get away with based on this reality. Trump, a friend, can only be as supportive as the script permits. That’s why Israel must now act quickly to reset the stage.
Gil Weinreich is author of “Superpower,”newly released by Targum Press. The book examines Israel’s rising power, and the vital spiritual dimension underlying this shift, contrasting this experience with the hollowing-out trend, materially and morally, underway in the United States -- while making constructive suggestions for reversing this latter trend.