Barack Obama and Tony Blair both want Israel to accept the Saudi peace plan put forward by Saudi Arabia in 2002. This offered to recognise Israel in return for handing over Judea and Samaria, the Golan Heights and much of Jerusalem and accepting as immigrants millions of foreign Arabs who claim to be descendants of those who fled the Israeli state during the 1948 War of Independence. For Israel to accept this plan would be to commit national suicide.Israel now has a new coalition government with Benjamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister. The new Foreign Minister is Avigdor Lieberman, of the right wing Yisrael Beiteinu party. Lieberman has been called all sorts because of his right wing views, but seems able at least to speak good sense.
In his maiden speech, he pointed out that there was already an agreement on the table, a binding resolution known as the Road Map, which sets out the steps to peace.
Israel will adhere to every step, he said, so must the Palestinians. We will adhere to it to the letter, exactly as written. Clauses one, two, three, four - dismantling terrorist organisations, establishing an effective government, making a profound constitutional change in the Palestinian Authority. We will proceed exactly according to the clauses. We are also obligated to implement what is required of us in each clause, but so is the other side.
The Palestinians, of course, have not kept to the agreement. The Palestinians don't want to keep to agreements. They want more and more peace plans, in the hope of squeezing more concessions from the Israelis each time.
Many Israelis are weary of fighting for their existence. Many Israelis have come to think that if they give enough away, their enemies might - just might - leave them alone. They are mistaken.
Yet Palestinians are not the greatest of Prime Minister Netanyahu's worries at this time. Top of his list of concerns is Iran.
Israel has warned that it will attack Iranian nuclear sites if Iran, which has threatened to wipe Israel off the map, does not end its nuclear weapons programme. Israel has also let it be known that it is putting the finishing touches to its plans for a rapid strike. This week Iranian President Ahmadinejad let loose with a hate-filled tirade against Israel at a UN conference on racism.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psa 122:6)!
