Amitai Etzioni is a heavyweight scholar, not a clueless journalist nor a lowly blogger. So when he comes out with a contrarian thesis, you don't want merely to brush it aside.
His thesis today is that Netanyahu has outfoxed Obama. Obama needed a wedge issue to twist Israel's arm on, so as to gain legitimacy in the Arab world. Netanyahu obliged, by moving the post years backward; now, when he caves in for Obama's credibility, he'll merely be giving what has long ago been given, and not something new.
What can I say? I hope he's right.
His article then goes on to elaborate some other important facts about the goals of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Nothing us news junkies don't know, but he's right that most people generally aren't very well informed.
Now the only question is whether Bibi will fold in that widely anticipated speech.
ReplyDeleteMy two shekels say yes, but...