You know what a "shelf agreement" is, right? It's an agreement that Israelis make so they can put it on the shelf. Here is another beautiful column by Gideon Levy, saying that the Palestinians have been ready for a deal for years, expansionist Israelis are dragging their feet. And when will the American Jewish community split and provide Obama with cover? Levy:
[O]ne begins to fear that another promising American
president, perhaps the most promising of all, is about to fall into the
honey trap of words and formulas. This president should be told now is
not a time for words. Their time has passed. No more peace plan and –
heavens forefend – not another outline; not negotiations, not a formula
and not a summit.
All the plans are in a drawer, waiting for their day. Now is the time for deeds.
The only recognition that is needed now is Israel's recognition of
the Palestinians as human beings. If this is obtained, all the rest
will be relatively easy. The day will come when Israelis and
Palestinians will not understand how they shed blood for so many years
and why, but this day is further off than ever.
Now the time has come for the test of actions. Instead of wasting
precious time on formulas, we need to take steps. Instead of dithering
over verbiage, we need to make changes on the ground.
Twenty evacuated settlements are worth more than a thousand peace
formulas, and 2,000 released prisoners will move the sides forward more
than 10,000 words.
