Mondoweiss founder and senior editor Phil Weiss speaks to Khaled Elgindy about the first meeting between President Joe Biden and newly installed Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Earlier this year Bennett joined centrist politician Yair Lapid to build an unusual coalition of rightwing, centrist, and liberal political parties to topple Benjamin Netanyahu. This government marks the first time Palestinian political parties inside Israel are included in a governing coalition. Bennett is a far-right political figure opposed to Palestinian statehood and ending settlement expansion, and he’s focused on Iran as the greatest threat to Israeli security.
Khaled Elgindy (Twitter) is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute where he directs the Program on Palestine and Israeli-Palestinian Affairs. Prior to that he was a fellow in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. Elgindy was an adviser to the Palestinian leadership on permanent status negotiations with Israel from 2004 to 2009, and was a key participant in the Annapolis negotiations of 2007 and 2008. He is the author of the book, Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump.
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For what it’s worth ….. I was out today distributing election literature in Toronto, wearing my Free Palestine t-shirt. I had several people comment favourably on it, and no one saying anything hostile. This is new.
There has been much debate among Palestinians and negotiation with Israel. But what you ignore is that all this sorry history has shown that Israel has never been interested in an equitable solution; its goal is a maximum of Palestinian land with a minimum of Palestinian people. The problem is not finding a plan, but compelling Israel to accept a solution that will offer justice to Palestinians
American politicians do not believe stepping onto a pro Palestinian position is safe politically. While resenting the ring in their nose, at least they are safe.This will continue until a political plan is tabled that reasonable people believe has a chance. Its unlikely to come from Israel. Why would it? Palestinians are not discussing one.
The late Jack Layton, NDP leader, wouldn’t touch Palestine. It was an electoral third rail. That may no longer be true.
The Bennett government is hardly the first government in which a Palestinian Arab has participated.