There were two bits of news out of the Middle East in the last few days that have been totally ignored by the American media.
First, the leader of the Israeli Labor Party, Isaac Herzog said that for now the two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict is not feasible. Herzog also outlined his party's plan for dealing with the conflict. The plan consists of more separation between Israel and the Palestinian areas. Herzog made clear that the Israeli areas would include the so-called "settlements" by Israel in Jerusalem and the West Bank. This is big news. The Labor Party is the main opposition party in Israel. It is the largest left-wing party, and it has been a strong supporter in recent years of the tow-state solution. The late Israeli prime minister Rabin who signed the Oslo Accords was a member of Labor. Other Labor Party prime ministers had offered the Palestinian Authority roughly 99% of what they were demanding, only to see the Palestinian leaders refuse the offer. Those offers would have created a Palestinian state immediately. It is a big switch for the leader of Labor to now say that the two-state solution is no longer feasible. It is also big news for the leader of Labor to make clear that all of the Israeli settlements would be separated from the Palestinians. In certain ways, this proposal is very much like the policy being followed by the current prime minister, Netanyahu.
It seems that an Israeli consensus is forming, and it is behind a policy which is completely different from the one that president Obama and the USA have been pushing. It's no surprise that Obama's views are of little weight in Israel. Obama may be able to tell Americans with a straight face that terrorism is not that important, but the Israelis know better. They face a constant threat of attack and will not let down their guard.
The second news item is a shift in the international outlook of Sudan. For a long time, the Sudan was a stop on the smuggling route that took Iranian weapons to various terror groups in the Middle East. Iranian ships would sail to Sudanese ports on the Red Sea to deliver weapons. The weapons were then smuggled overland to the various terrorists. In the last year, however, the Sudanese first close some of the Iranian "cultural" outposts in their country. When the Houthi rebels in Yemen made their move, Sudan supported the Sunni government rather than the Iranian backed Shiite Houthis. Then, after the Saudi embassy in Teheran was burned by one of those "spontaneous" government sponsored crowds, Sudan joined the Saudis in cutting diplomatic ties with Iran. There has even been talk in Khartoum of Sudan opening diplomatic relations with Israel.
This is important news. Sudan is not a major power in the region, but it is strategically located. It has also, in the past, been a supporter of terrorism. Now, it is moving to oppose Iran and its support for the terrorists seems to have ended. This seems to be a major success for Saudi Arabia in rallying the other Sunni states to oppose Iran. It is funny that just as the USA under Obama moves towards better relations with Obama's supposed friends in Iran, the Sudanese are going in the other direction.
First, the leader of the Israeli Labor Party, Isaac Herzog said that for now the two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict is not feasible. Herzog also outlined his party's plan for dealing with the conflict. The plan consists of more separation between Israel and the Palestinian areas. Herzog made clear that the Israeli areas would include the so-called "settlements" by Israel in Jerusalem and the West Bank. This is big news. The Labor Party is the main opposition party in Israel. It is the largest left-wing party, and it has been a strong supporter in recent years of the tow-state solution. The late Israeli prime minister Rabin who signed the Oslo Accords was a member of Labor. Other Labor Party prime ministers had offered the Palestinian Authority roughly 99% of what they were demanding, only to see the Palestinian leaders refuse the offer. Those offers would have created a Palestinian state immediately. It is a big switch for the leader of Labor to now say that the two-state solution is no longer feasible. It is also big news for the leader of Labor to make clear that all of the Israeli settlements would be separated from the Palestinians. In certain ways, this proposal is very much like the policy being followed by the current prime minister, Netanyahu.
It seems that an Israeli consensus is forming, and it is behind a policy which is completely different from the one that president Obama and the USA have been pushing. It's no surprise that Obama's views are of little weight in Israel. Obama may be able to tell Americans with a straight face that terrorism is not that important, but the Israelis know better. They face a constant threat of attack and will not let down their guard.
The second news item is a shift in the international outlook of Sudan. For a long time, the Sudan was a stop on the smuggling route that took Iranian weapons to various terror groups in the Middle East. Iranian ships would sail to Sudanese ports on the Red Sea to deliver weapons. The weapons were then smuggled overland to the various terrorists. In the last year, however, the Sudanese first close some of the Iranian "cultural" outposts in their country. When the Houthi rebels in Yemen made their move, Sudan supported the Sunni government rather than the Iranian backed Shiite Houthis. Then, after the Saudi embassy in Teheran was burned by one of those "spontaneous" government sponsored crowds, Sudan joined the Saudis in cutting diplomatic ties with Iran. There has even been talk in Khartoum of Sudan opening diplomatic relations with Israel.
This is important news. Sudan is not a major power in the region, but it is strategically located. It has also, in the past, been a supporter of terrorism. Now, it is moving to oppose Iran and its support for the terrorists seems to have ended. This seems to be a major success for Saudi Arabia in rallying the other Sunni states to oppose Iran. It is funny that just as the USA under Obama moves towards better relations with Obama's supposed friends in Iran, the Sudanese are going in the other direction.
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