Netanyahu has failed to extend the settlement freeze, revealing Israel is more interested in seizing more Palestinian land, than creating a viable peace deal. How can negotiations continue about a lasting peace deal, while simulateously Israel continues to illegally occupy more and more Palestinian land. The talks are effectively dead in the water, which is precisely what many on the Israeli side, including the settlers hoped to achieve all along.
Obama's position in the 'peace talks' charade is revealed in a letter he sent to Netanyahu, the letter discloses the power relations which exist, that make a total mockery of the US claims to be a honest broker for peace, with Israel strongly supporting the Israeli position of continued illegal settlements and the continuation of the occupation.
In the letter Obama offered Bibi, in exchange for a two-month continuation of the settlement freeze, the following:
'the US promised to veto any UN Security Council proposal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over the next year, and committed to not seek any further extensions of the freeze. The future of the settlements would be addressed only in a final agreement'.
'The White House would also allow Israel to keep a military presence in the West Bank’s Jordan Valley, even after the creation of a Palestinian state; continue controlling the borders of the Palestinian territories to prevent smuggling; provide Israel with enhanced weapons systems, security guarantees and increase its billions of dollars in annual aid; and create a regional security pact against Iran'.
Clearly Obama is not an honest broker for peace, but unconditionally supports the Israelis and merely seeks to keep the charade of peace talks going on long enough to personally reach the US Congressional elections in November.
'The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported last Friday that senior White House officials were no longer “buying the excuse of politicial difficulties” for Netanyahu in holding his rightwing governing coalition together. If he cannot keep his partners on board over a short freeze on illegal settlement building, what meaningful permanent concessions can he make in the talks?'
Netanyahu rejected the US plans even though the actually proposal would have meant Israel making absolutely no concessions, other than agreeing to attend 2 more months of meaningless meetings in which they would as usual refuse to end the illegal occupation of Palestinian land, and then blame Abbas (as usual) for the failures to reach a deal.
'The disclosures were made by an informed source: David Makovsky, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a close associate of Dennis Ross, Obama’s chief adviser on the Middle East, who is said to have initiated the offer. The letter’s contents have also been partly confirmed by Jewish US senators who attended a briefing last week from Ross'.