While US President Barack Obama described the meeting on July 6 between himself and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "excellent", the Palestinians remain wary that any positive outcome will come as a result. Many have dubbed the reunion the "makeup meeting" after months of tension between Israel and the US. This time, however, Obama was sure to shower praises on the Israeli leader, calling the bond between the two countries as "unbreakable."
Obama also said Israel's decision to allow more goods into Gaza was '"real progress" and hoped there would be further confidence building measures that would pave the way for direct negotiations. However, the President ensured Netanyahu that the US would "never ask Israel to do anything that undermines its security."
In return, Netanyahu said he was ready for direct negotiations with the Palestinians, evading offering any direct response to questions on whether Israel would extend the 10-month moratorium on West Bank settlement construction, due to expire in September.
On July 8, the Israeli premier told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York that if direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians began, it would be possible to reach a peace deal within a year. While Netanyahu paid lip-service to "two states for two peoples," he followed it up with the condition of Israel's security being guaranteed, and the creation of a "demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the State of Israel."
Netanyahu was sure to throw the diplomatic ball into the Palestinian leadership's court by offering to start direct negotiations, something the Palestinians say can only happen if settlement expansion is stopped completely both in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
"I use this forum today to say, President Abbas, meet me, and let's talk peace. And I say let's start it right now, today, tomorrow, in Jerusalem, in Ramallah or anywhere else. Let's get on with the business of talking peace and concluding the peace agreement," he said. Unfortunately, Netanyahu never mentioned anything about a freeze of settlements or a sovereign Palestinian state.
On July 9, three days after the Washington meeting, Obama phoned President Mahmoud Abbas to brief him. During the phone call, Barack reportedly reiterated his administration's support for Abbas' leadership and its commitment to peace. Abbas, while also expressing his own commitment to peace, framed it within the framework of a 'serious process that would end the occupation" and result in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Earlier in the week, on July 4 and apparently in preparation for the Obama-Netanyhau meeting, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad met for the first time in months. While the meeting was closed, the two were said to discuss issues such as the lifting of the Gaza siege, Israeli measures in Jerusalem and the Israeli army incursions into the West Bank. Palestinian opposition groups such as Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine criticized Fayyad for meeting with Barak, saying this was a validation of the occupation's measures and a kowtowing to Israeli and US pressures.
Palestinians are mostly concerned with the continued settlement construction in east Jerusalem and even in the West Bank despite Israel's so-called freeze. While Netanyahu remains non-committal to whether his government would extend the freeze or not, settler groups in the West Bank are revving up for a major construction boom the second the moratorium ends. According to a report published in the Israeli daily Haaretz on July 5, regional councils for West Bank settlements have plans to build at least 2,700 housing units come September 27, the date the 10 month freeze expires.
Furthermore, according to the Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem, the aforementioned settlers and their organizations control 42 percent of West Bank territory even though technically speaking, the built up area of settlements only accounts for one percent, due to what Israel claims is "state owned land" which is largely privately owned Palestinian land.
What is equally as disturbing is a report released on July 6 in an article in the New York Times which revealed that some $200 million in tax free funding from American donors has made its way to West Bank settlers and illegal settlements thanks to tax breaks. According to the report, at least 40 American groups raised the abovementioned amount in tax-deductible gifts for Jewish settlers over the past 10 years.
Finally, Israel has apparently come to an agreement with Greek
authorities not to allow a Libyan ship to set sail for Gaza today.
Israel had previously launched intensive efforts in the UN urging the
international community not to allow the humanitarian ship to try and
break the siege of Gaza. On July 10, Israel's foreign ministry announced
the ship would most likely not set sail at all and if it did, it would
change its course to dock in Al Arish, Egypt.