Israel's peace stance

For those unsure of the best way to completely derail an already stalled peace process, ask Benjamin Netanyahu.

Despite repeated requests by key players in the peace process, the Israeli Prime Minister seems intent on following through with the very policies that got him elected but are virtually guaranteed to undermine every gain achieved in the Madrid accords.

He has yet to redeploy Israeli troops stationed in Hebron, find time to meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, agree to sit down for the continuation of the stalled final status negotiations, or for that matter, make one single concession on any of the disputed issues.

But, just in case there is any room for doubt about his intentions, he has lifted the freeze on the expansion of existing Jewish settlements. Could this step be construed as anything less than a blatant attempt to reverse a policy that had, for four years, thwarted Israel's expansionist aspirations?

Netanyahu, however, would have the world believe that he is committed to peace. To drive this point home, he extended to Syria a token of his good will, urging President Hafez Assad to resume talks on "all outstanding matters". The preconditions for these talks, he stated, was a "Lebanon-first" option.

Even more perplexing is the fact that while he is determined to ensure Israel's security, believing that should that be realized peace will naturally follow, Netanyahu has laid one of the strongest foundations for escalating tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

Does he really believe that if settlements are expanded, the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza will welcome them with open arms?

Tensions are high, the stage is set for conflict and all Netanyahu has succeeded in doing is lighting the fuse.

For its part, the Arab world has given Netanyahu ample time to prove that he is truly committed to peace. And yet, he has taken no steps, save for some meaningless soundbites, to prove wrong the morose prediction that peace will fall victim to the rapacious whims of a Jewish extremist minority.

-- al-Ahram Weekly, Cairo