Netanyahu's precarious position

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no choice: he is no longer in a position to take even the least important political stand.

For a few months, the West has expressed surprise at his conduct. One day he shakes the hand of (Palestinian leader Yasser) Arafat and concludes a peace agreement. Then, a week later, he blocks the process.

In the United States and Europe, one thing is being said of late: that (Netanyahu) either no longer knows what he wants, or that he's lying to everybody.

The Israeli prime minister has his back to the wall. He has had to accept the resignation of his foreign minister and finance minister. Each departure reduced his majority.

He was elected by a coalition of the Israeli right after saying he knew how to restore security to the streets of Israel. For voters, he was the man to restore peace. This policy was doomed from the start.

It deliberately ignored the tricky existence of Palestinian authority. It neglected world opinion, and ignored the fact that the United States was determined to help Arafat. This was triple neglect.

-- Le Figaro, Paris