If Abbas Won't Come To Netanyahu, Netanyahu Will Come To Al Arabiyah

Israel has gone into tailspin in its likely futile efforts to stop the Palestinians from tabling their request for recognition. Mr. Netanyahu’s Al Arabiya interview constitutes a missed opportunity to put forward a bold proposal that would give Palestine Authority president Mahmoud Abbas reason to return to the negotiating table instead of going to the General Assembly. There was nothing in his remarks that would give Mr. Abbas pause.
Al Arabiya, Netanyahu cautiously supports Syrian revolt but leaves Palestinians empty handed, July 20, 2011

It may be questionable as to its impact, but Netanyahu has been interviewed by Ar Arabiya.

According to Ofir Gendelman, Israel's first official Arabic-language spokesperson, Netanyahu's first interview with an Arab newspaper is in response to the Arab diplomatic initiative to gain recognition of statehood from the UN in September.


The English version of Al-Arabiya (the Arabic version of Netanyahu's interview is here) summarizes the interview, concentrating mostly on want was discussed about Syria and about the peace process.

There was nothing really new, but the point was basically to address the Arab audience directly. On Syria, Netanyahu neither endorsed the protests, nor did he call for Assad to step down.

The article saves Netanyahu's comments on the Palestinian Arabs for last--and the interviewer is clearly disappointed, hoping for some kind of concession to get Abbas back to the negotiating table:

On peace with the Palestinians, Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks were boilerplate repetitions of his position that Israel was willing to negotiate peace with anyone willing to recognize it as well as the rights of the people. Mr. Netanyahu’s phrasing referred to his demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel not just as a state but as a Jewish state but did not express that explicitly as he has done in the past.

He reiterated his refusal to negotiate with Hamas because of its refusal to acknowledge Israel, but said that everything could be negotiated. Mr. Netanyahu however staked his claim to East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war, by saying talks with the Palestinians could be held in his home or in Ramallah.

Perhaps the most interesting thing in Mr. Netanyahu’s discussion of the Palestinian problem was not what he said but what he didn’t say. Mr. Netanyahu said nothing about Palestinian plans to gain recognition in September by the United Nations General Assembly of their statehood based on the borders prior to the 1967 war in which beyond Jerusalem, Israel also conquered the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

...Mr. Netanyahu’s Al Arabiya interview constitutes a missed opportunity to put forward a bold proposal that would give Palestine Authority president Mahmoud Abbas reason to return to the negotiating table instead of going to the General Assembly. There was nothing in his remarks that would give Mr. Abbas pause.

The conclusion is kind of odd, considering not only that Israel is expected to make it worth Abbas's while to negotiate, but that Bibi is expected to make a "bold proposal"--an interesting comment considering that Abbas has been anything but bold, constantly relying on the Arab world in order to know what to do next.

The Google translation of the interview is not of good quality, so it is not clear if the interviewer makes the point in Arabic, but it seems that he sees no real purpose to Netanyahu speaking directly the the Arab world without some sort of concession.

Fortunately, Bibi did not give one.

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