This well written book takes us through the history and current status of this intractable conflict and is recommended for anyone who wants a balanced assessment of what has occurred to get us where we are today and also the author’s opinion as to what can be expected in the future to resolve the conflict.
The “four final status issues” are currently: The debate over Jerusalem as the capital city for both Israelis and Palestinians; the future status of Palestinian refugees; the final borders of a separate Palestinian State; and Security arrangements between Israel and the Palestinian State. Although Waxman indicates that both sides have softened their positions on these four areas and that mutual compromises are in reach, one major sticking point remains and that is the 500,000 Israelis now living in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. There seems to be only two opposing options on this problem. The Israelis say they have no plans on leaving and have even changed the original border to envelop many of these settlements within Israeli territory. At the same time the Palestinians say there will be no resolution of the conflict until all settlements are removed from their land which has been “stolen” from them since the 1967 war. Israel continues to expand the settlements and all signs point to it eventually annexing them which cannot but exacerbate the distrust and resentment between the two parties.
On the closing pages ( 307, 309 & 328) of “Teeth, Lies & Consequences”, our co-protagonist Frankie Mendelssohn comments on the Palestinians not being given their “fair share” of the land, of how the settlements are built on free land with cheap Palestinian labor and how there is a 3rd option to be explored in resolving this issue. This will be the subject of my next post.