Not all people all the time

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is playing semantics, or seems to be thinking that he can fool all the people all the time.

His latest declaration that he is committed to the two-state solution is exactly contrary to his statement on the eve of the Israeli elections, when he said, pandering to the extreme right Israeli constituency but undoubtedly also believing what he said, that as long as he is at the helm, there will never be a Palestinian state.

A week ago, with the international community expected to increase pressure on Israel to come up with some initiative to resuscitate the moribund talks with the Palestinians, in the hope that it will be pushed forward, the Israeli prime minister started changing tune, not dramatically, to shock his home audience, and not really concessionary, because he really has no intention to do anything about peace with the Palestinians, but a change nonetheless.

He said Thursday that any agreement would necessitate a long-term Israeli presence throughout the West Bank.

Doesn’t it sound like occupation in other words?

He went on to say something even more bizarre at a press briefing with diplomatic reporters.

The question, he said, is not where the borders will be, but rather “what will be on the other side of that border”.

Difficult to fathom.

Of course it matters where borders are. If it didn’t, Israel wouldn’t clutch the West Bank, not letting go an inch.

And once the borders are drawn, why would a country care what lies on the other side as long as it does not affect it?

But then, Netanyahu makes assumptions, trying to convey Israel’s good intentions towards the Palestinians, but also the concerns such neighbours would raise for peaceful Israel.

“Who will be in charge of the security in areas where Israel leaves? Who will deal with the tunnels? Who will prevent the smuggling of weapons? Who will prevent the manufacturing of weapons?”

All legitimate questions, no doubt, if they concerned the situation in the same country. But Netanyahu forgets that once Israel leaves and there is a state called Palestine, his country has no more reason to worry about its neighbour.

Unless, of course, it intends to keep the flames of conflict fanned and/or the occupation in place on and off.

What is Netanyahu trying to do?

Hoping to pull the wool over the West’s eyes, seeking sympathy for Israel’s plight when sympathy seems to run low?

“We are for a two-state solution. We need to ensure Israel’s security, that’s obvious. But there is no peace and security without justice for the Palestinians, but let’s be frank: Justice hasn’t been given to the Palestinians,” said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also Thursday.

Fabius told a French radio station that he intended to travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories in an attempt to revive the peace process.

Six other European foreign ministers also said they would be visiting in June, so Netanyahu is probably preparing the ground for these visits.

Confusing signals are coming from the Israeli establishment, making one wonder whether they are real positions or a circus for the world while Israel works to complete its colonial pursuit.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said recently that “the Jews must acknowledge that Arabs are part and parcel of this land”.

Wise words that should be seriously considered and become part of an Israeli strategy that states clearly its intentions, instead of playing games with the Arab side and keeping the Palestinians, and the rest of the world, guessing all the time.