Obama Wants "Final Status" Mideast Negotiations Now

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) seems not to have watched President Obama's televised statement following his meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.  AIPAC issued a statement citing "dramatic steps" the Netanyahu government has taken "to improve the everyday lives of Palestinian civilians...." 

It concludes that "Israel is taking meaningful steps and tangible risks for peace" and urges "the Arab states and the Palestinians to match Israel's commitment to peace with actions of their own."

AIPAC cites the Arab states before the Palestinians because its focus these days is not on any sort of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement but on benefits that can be secured from the Saudis (and other oil-rich Arab states) in advance of any concessions by Israel.

The statement overlooks the fact that President Obama gave no evidence whatsoever that he shares the AIPAC take.  In fact, he said that Israelis and Palestinians "cannot continue the same patterns of taking tentative steps forward and then stepping back." 

Writing in Ha'aretz, correspondent Aluf Benn says, "In his statement, Obama explained that the Americans are not interested in suggestions raised by Israel - interim agreements which mainly benefit Netanyahu. He also made clear that he does not accept Abbas' refusal to enter into talks until Israel halts settlement construction."

The President has simply had it and is ready to skip intermediate steps and get down to business. "Permanent status negotiations must begin and begin soon." 

This is good news, and should not be obfuscated by those determined to preserve the status quo.

The President's call for "final status" negotiations now means that he understands the dangers of getting bogged down in definitions of settlements, natural growth, and what constitutes incitement.

No, President Obama wants to move on to final status issues.

Those issues are Israel borders, the status of Jerusalem, security guarantees for both sides, the refugee question and the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.

In Aluf Benn's words: Obama "read his statement as a command directed at the two sides," a command to get the final negotiations moving.  The sooner the better.