By Stan Goodenough
Jan 18, 2007
Despite the by-now irrefutable evidence that the land-for-peace formula cannot and will not end the conflict with the “Palestinians,” Israel’s leadership continues to come up with new versions of old ideas in their effort to kick the stalled diplomatic process back to life.
Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh believes it is possible to secure a peace agreement within 24 months.
Addressing an academic conference Thursday, he said “two years are enough to conclude a detailed agreement” with the Arabs.
Sneh was building on a “new road map” he had co-signed with Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who unveiled it a few days before.
The Peretz plan sees final status negotiations getting underway in as little as six months. Sneh said the talks between the two sides could be “direct.” He believes that a majority in the Israeli government would support such an initiative.
Unsurprisingly, Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres, architect of the Oslo “Peace” agreement, poured scorn on the idea.
Nonetheless, with the Israeli public increasingly dismayed about the direction their country is taking, ideas like Sneh’s and Peretz’s could get traction.