Yes his bankruptcy lawyer and now his envoy to Jerusalem is harming the peace process, with the quick developments of the situation in the Middle East, and more so the Palestinian issue versus the Israeli aggression and deliberate theft of lands and wealth, the failure of PM Netanyahu to form a government and hide his corruption scandals, The American side is working quietly to help him and itself electorally by implementing their agenda of annexations and reallocation of the Palestinian populations.
The deal of the century as the American administration calls it, which is already refused by many concerned parties, including the Palestinians themselves, is considered dead before birth. Haaretz the leading English Israeli newspaper published an editorial commenting on an interview in the NY Times by Mr. Friedman, the Trump appointed American Ambassador to Israel, and known fund raiser for the Israeli settlers of the West bank. The article goes like this ;
"The remarks by U.S. Ambassador David Friedman last week implying that the U.S. is giving Israel's government the go ahead to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank, are tantamount to spitting in the face of Palestinians. And they augur ill for anyone who seeks a just solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict based on the division of the land and the recognition of both people's right to self determination.
For two years Friedman has been helping draft the "Deal of the century" along with the son in law and senior adviser to president Trump Jared Kushner, and Trump's special representative for international negotiations, Jason Greenblatt. Friedman said in an interview with the NY Times; "Under certain circumstances, I think Israel has the right to retain some, but unlikely all, of the West Bank." He did not specify what those circumstances might be. He also declined to say how the U.S. would respond if PM Netanyahu moved to annex West Bank lands unilaterally , "we really don't have a view until we understand how much, on what terms, why does it make sense," Friedman said.
These statements, which are identified with the position of Israel's annexationists right, destroy Friedman's legitimacy as an honest broker and retroactively justify the Palestinian's apprehension about Trump's peace plan. After such remarks, it's hard to be surprised by the Palestinian suspicions, which are expressed in part by their stated intention to boycott the Bahrain preliminary conference, where the U.S. is expected to disclose the plans economic section.
In the interview Friedman even accused the Obama administration for allowing passage in 2016 of UN security counsel resolution 2334, which states that Israeli settlements violate international law, of giving credence to Palestinian arguments "That the entire West Bank and East Jerusalem belong to them." Certainly Israel's entitled to retain some portion of the West Bank Friedman said.
Friedman is wrong and deceptive, Israel has no such right in international law, because this is occupied territory that cannot be annexed, that was also the position of all U.S. administrations up to now. The retreat from this position is also the reason that five Democratic Senators introduced last week a resolution supporting a two state solution, and opposing the annexation of any part of the West Bank.
The Democrats know what Israel's peace camp knows ; Only a two state solution can guarantee the rights of both peoples. And the unilateral annexation of territories runs contrary to Israel's interests. If the U.S. is sincere about wanting to hold a peace conference with Palestinian participation and to act as an honest broker between the two parties, its representatives must be neutral. Friedman represents the interests of the settlers right, and he does not meet these conditions.
The above article is Haaretz' lead editorial, as published in Hebrew and English newspapers in Israel, I wish some of our Western and American media would be as candid and truthful about the whole issue.
My usual many thanks to all .
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