‘Overwhelming frustration’

The US administration’s “overwhelming frustration” with Israel’s policies and action, its refusal to accept the two-state solution to its conflict with the Palestinians and its continued illegal settlement expansion on Palestinian land must have reached some peak, judging from Vice President Joe Biden’s speech at the left-leaning J Street in Washington a few days ago.

“The present course Israel’s on is not one that’s likely to secure its existence as a Jewish, democratic state — and we have to make sure that happens,” said Biden.

The Israeli policies and actions, especially its systematic expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, is moving Israel towards the “one-state reality”, said Biden.

That makes the US administration feel that it has “an overwhelming obligation, notwithstanding our sometimes overwhelming frustration with the Israeli government, to push them as hard as we can towards what they know in their gut is the ultimate solution, a two-state solution which at the same time be an absolute guarantor of their security”.

It is baffling that Israel fails to see this logic. Its extreme right government refuses obstinately to budge on the peace process, continues its systematic expansion of settlements, in utter disregard of international law, and persists in oppressing the Palestinians, oblivious to what its acts do to a population frustrated to the point of eruption.

Listening to Biden’s wise words, one wonders whether the US administration could have finally decided to tighten the screws on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now that Obama’s term in office is about to end.

Of course, Netanyahu knows that Obama is effectively a lame-duck president and that there are limits to what he can do to force Israel to change direction.

Still, the US president might decide that it is still not too late to apply real pressure on Israel in order to force it to change its tune on the Palestinian crisis and give real and lasting peace a chance.

Netanyahu’s policies, said Biden, are moving Israel towards a dangerous “ones-state reality” and in the wrong direction.

Israel must surely be aware of what that reality means, especially for its cherished goal of acquiring a Jewish character.

It must also be aware of the Palestinians’ frustration, which can easily push them to opt for violence as a way out of their misery.

Biden spoke his mind about Israel. Will Obama come out as well and issue his own warnings to intransigent Israel?