Benjamin Netanyahu’s sudden abandonment of Isaac Herzog of Labor in favor of Avigdor Lieberman seems to have come out of left field (“Will Lieberman Shed His Hardline Skin?” May 27).
On the surface it seems like an ill-advised political move because it breached a trust between Bibi and Herzog and may have thwarted a peace initiative to be mediated by Egypt. We do not, however, know all of the details nor possess sufficient evidence to prove Netanyahu’s surprise move was solely politically motivated, rather than by the subsequent development of facts which made his relationship with Herzog untenable.
In any case, it is wrong to blame this new coalition for a lack of peace with the Palestinians or for the failure to rehabilitate relations with President Obama. The Palestinians have repeatedly demonstrated that they are unwilling to negotiate with Israel on final borders, because the EU and President Obama have already predetermined the result.
It is also incorrect to say that the Democratic Party is shifting away from Israel. A recent Gallup poll shows that 70 percent of Americans view Israel favorably, and 62 percent favor Israel over the Palestinians, while only 17 percent favor the Palestinians over Israel. That means most Democrats, and even a large proportion of liberals, favor Israel over the Palestinians.
Manhattan
