Middle East

Domestic concerns in Israel

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Linda Gradstein reports that Israelis are not focused on the peace process right now, but rather preoccupied by more domestic concerns such as political corruption and a series of unsolved murders.

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MARCO WERMAN: Israeli and Palestinian officials today held their highest level talks since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office. President Obama is expected to announce a new peace initiative later this month leading to Palestinian state within two years. But the Israeli public seems distracted at the moment and not expecting a breakthrough any time soon. Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem.

LINDA GRADSTEIN: The meeting between Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom and Palestinian Economy Minister Bassem Khoury was the first high level talks between the two sides in six months. They dealt with economic not political issues. But Israeli officials said they showed that dialogue is possible. At the same time a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israeli-Palestinian negotiations will not resume without a complete freeze on the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. President Obama is making this same demand, increasing tensions between the US and Israel. He has repeatedly said that continued expansion of settlements is unacceptable.

[SOUNDS FROM CAFÉ]

In a Jerusalem café most of the patrons like high school teacher Yehuda Azuelos say President Obama has no right to force Israel to do things that are against its own interest.

YEHUDA AZUELOS: I’m very concerned that he can press Israel to do things that are not in the benefit of Israel. He can’t force them to do things that are against the existence of Israel. I’m talking about the existence. I’m not talking about something that will be uncomfortable. I’m talking about the existence.

GRADSTEIN: Israel withdrew from Gaza four years ago he says and the result was that Hamas fired thousands of rockets and mortars on southern Israel. If there is pressure on Israel to withdraw from the West Bank as well he says, Hamas could cut Israel in half and hit targets like Israel’s international airport. Azuelos says President Obama may be well intentioned but he doesn’t really understand the Middle East.

AZUELOS: Go back to pattern, the Americans were thinking of being fair, and there are laws and things. You’re in the Middle East honey there is no law. I’m strong today, I’ll kill you. You’re strong I’ll bow to you. That’s it.

GRADSTEIN: Israeli analyst Uri Dromi, a former director of the Government Press Office under Yitzhak Rabin, says Israelis don’t believe that President Obama will have anything new to offer.

URI DROMI: There is a paradox here. Israelis in poll after poll showing they’re consent or even wish to have two-state solution. On the other hand if you tell them in order to reach a two-state solution you have to freeze the settlement and I think even to dismantle some settlements then they will say yes but don’t push me to do it. I’ll do it in my own terms, in my own time, etcetera.

GRADSTEIN: But some Israeli analysts, like Yaron Ezrachi of the Hebrew University, say that could change.

YARON EZRACHI: I think the Israeli-Palestinian issue will also come to a head when the pressure coming from the Whitehouse will begin to be much more palpable and the Israelis will begin to recognize that something serious is waiting around the corner. Then the question will be whether it another Intifada or another promising peace initiative.

GRADSTEIN: But at least for now Israelis are more consumed by domestic issues. This week former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was indicted in three separate corruption cases. The allegations forced him to resign as prime minister in 2006. Former Israeli President Moshe Katzav, who was also forced to step down, this week went on trial for rape. There have also been 14 murders in Israel in the past month which have received widespread media attention. Analyst Uri Dromi says Israelis are worried about what feels like growing violence.

DROMI: Israeli society has become violent during the years. No question about it. It has to do with the erosion of solidarity and cohesion. I remember as a kid, I mean once a year I heard about a murder and it really was shocking. Today every day, every week. Yes unfortunately we have become a violent society.

GRADSTEIN: Perhaps like anywhere murders here are page-one news. And at least for now they’re getting far more attention than any peace plan Barack Obama may be cooking up. For The World I’m Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem.

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