As reporter types and think tank types know, an interview can run to 20 minutes, and then depending on how your story’s shaping up, you get out of it a single sentence or two.
That always means a lot of good stuff gets left out. So it was this week when I interviewed the Washington Institute for Near east Policy’s David Makovsky on fears of a nearterm rift between the United States and Israel. I used one quote from David on that topic.
But we also chatted about the U.N. General Assembly, what Netanyahu would say, what Abbas would say, and David suggested the following:
I wish that some of the behind scenes willingness Netanyahu (has expressed) to negotiate on the basis of obama parameters, he should say publicly Friday.
Netanyahu could say life is unfair, that he has taken steps that have not been fully appreciated, (accepting) two states, the settlement freeze, lifting crossings (and then agree to the Obama parameters, to base talks on 1967 lines, with mutually agreed land swaps.) Unfortunately he is dealing with a perception in Europe and the Arab world that he uses negotiations not to reach a resolution, but to improve Israel’s standing.
Therefore he needs to consider a bold step that he is not here just to take, but to say publicly what he he has said privately, that he is willing — that would transform among the people least willing to listen. This would be something he should consider. I have reason to believe his coalition would not collapse.
Now much of the immediate coverage post speeches today focused, essentially, on how far apart the sides are, how rude they were to one another…
But listen to this bit just before the end of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech:
In the last few weeks, American officials have put forward ideas to restart peace talks. There were things in those ideas about borders that I didn’t like. There were things there about the Jewish state that I’m sure the Palestinians didn’t like.
But with all my reservations, I was willing to move forward on these American ideas.
There it is, in public: Bibi is "willing to move forward" on the Obama parameters.
I kicked myself for not using David’s insight days in advance, and made up for it by putting it in our story’s lede.
I think it’s the major news coming out of today. I may be wrong. We’ll see if anyone else agrees.
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