Jim Lobe: Rightward Shift in Israeli Polls Creates New Headaches

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U.S.: Rightward Shift in Israeli Polls Creates New Headaches
By Jim Lobe*

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (IPS) - The strong showing by right-wing parties in Israel's elections is likely to create new obstacles to U.S. President Barack Obama's hopes for achieving a swift and substantial progress, if not a breakthrough, in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, according to most experts here.


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Some analysts, however, believe the dynamics could indeed change, particularly if Netanyahu forms a solidly right-wing government, and Obama is willing to take him on, much as former President George H.W. Bush took on former Likud Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir.

"It will be easier for President Obama to deal with Netanyahu than with the almost equally hawkish Livni because... her seeming moderation is a nice cover," wrote the IPF's M.J. Goldberg. "A Netanyahu government would have no such cover, (and) any acts of sabotage to the peace process or new misery inflicted on the Palestinians would likely be strongly opposed by the United States. Israel's most slavish 'friends' in Congress - almost all Democrats - would find it hard, although far from impossible, to choose Netanyahu (who is very close to Republicans) over Obama."

"I think the best path towards peace would be for Netanyahu to form a right-wing government because it will make clear that the Israelis and Palestinians can't make peace by themselves," said Steve Clemons, head of the American Strategy programme at the New America Foundation.

"A right-wing government in Israel will show that the only way to purge what has become an increasingly destructive geo-strategic ulcer is for the United States, Europe, the U.N., Russia, and key Arab stakeholders to coalesce around a two-state solution whose outlines are already well known, and impose it."

"The U.S. and the much of the rest of the world simply can't afford the recklessness, immaturity and sheer stupidity of leadership on all sides of the conflict to continue," he added.

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