Netanyahu Destroying the Two-State Solution

It is becoming increasingly difficult for anyone interested in a two-state solution to imagine that Netanyahu, or the people who’s advice he is now taking, are capable of negotiating — or even want — any sort of peace deal. Of course, many ardent Zionists I speak to are perfectly happy to see Israel unapologetically gobble up West Bank land for settlements, because they see Arab hatred of Israel as unquenchable, and view the Old Testament as the basis for allotting real estate. They want Israel to gradually expand its footprint while Palestinians continue to inhabit some perpetual state of cramped legal limbo. I don’t see this as a humane or realistic vision for the heart of the Levant, but at least those who espouse it are being honest. Netanyahu, on the other hand, acts like someone who believes in this one-state vision, but doesn’t have the courage to say so explicitly. In the aftermath of Abbas’ UN win, the gulf between talk and action is becoming even more obvious.