On Wednesday, I cited a report in the Washington Post that the Israeli government has decided not to proceed with serious peace talks with Palestinians until it sees progress in U.S. efforts to stop Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. Today, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Israel does not regard stopping Iran as a precondition for efforts to make progress with the Palestinians, but that no agreement is possible until Iran is addressed. As a practical matter, I see little if any inconsistency between the Post’s report and Lieberman’s statement.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Clinton has weighed in. She warned Israel that it risks losing Arab support for combating threats from Iran if it rejects peace negotiations with the Palestinians.
The day Israel needs Arab support to combat the threat posed by Iran is the day Israel should close up shop and hand the keys over to the Palestinians.
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