Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not serious about arriving at peace with the Palestinians. He is only marking time or, better yet, wasting precious time for all sides involved.
Tzipi Livni, former Israeli foreign minister and leader of Kadima, the main opposition party in Israel, knows Netanyahu only too well, having engaged in lengthy negotiations with him to form a national coalition government after the Israeli elections in which her party emerged the winner.
What she had to say about Netanyahu was not exactly complimentary, and clearly dashes all hope that he will respond positively to US President Barack Obama’s initiative for peace between Israel and the Arab countries.
In a recent Israeli television interview, Livni said that Netanyahu is "neither ready nor interested in making tough decisions".
She also said that the Israeli prime minister is "merely trying to survive" and that his "stalling might be good for him but not good for Israel!"
Even more slighting, Livni said she did not join Netanyahu’s administration because it is a "government of nothingness!"
Of course the Arab side, most of the world, for that matter, knows the current Israeli leadership’s true colours. The Arabs were, however, hoping that the outside world, especially Obama, who came to the helm of his country with promises of changes, would take action, trying to effect some sort of positive change by applying pressure and trying to make Netanyahu see reason.
Nothing happened, though, and this Israeli government snubs all and sundry, refusing to even start peace talks, with impunity.
Since the whole world is incapable of acting to bring about peace in this troubled region, one is left to believe that only the Israeli voters can achieve change, hopefully the soonest.
After all, they must be at least tired of the situation as well.
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