Netanyahu's Border Negotiation Gambit

Right now, the biggest moving issue in the Arab-Israeli conflict is the push by the Palestinian Authority to be recognized as a state by the United Nations. President Obama, of course, has refused to use this as leverage on the settlement issue, and promised to use all the U.S.'s diplomatic clout to try and prevent it. In the context of these developments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered this:

"Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu wants to negotiate borders with the Palestinian Authority (PA), according to local media reports, in an attempt to head off a Palestinian bid for statehood at the United Nations next month.

"The exact details of Netanyahu's proposal are unclear. Israel's Army Radio and Channel 2 television both reported on Tuesday that Netanyahu was willing to hold talks based on the pre-war 1967 borders...

"AFP quoted an unnamed Israeli official who said the borders would be the basis for talks.

"But a separate report from the Reuters news agency, quoting another unnamed official, said the proposal would not mention 1967 borders, though it could include borders 'that would be difficult for Israel to accept'.

"The reports say Netanyahu would agree to the talks if the PA drops its UN bid.

"They also say that Netanyahu will demand the PA recognise Israel as a 'Jewish state,' something it has publicly refused to do - though Al Jazeera's publication of The Palestine Papers revealed that Palestinian officials accepted that demand in private."

Frankly, I don't trust Netanyahu. Anyone can agree to negotiate, as long as they don't actually agree on anything. I also wonder if Netanyahu is making a gesture toward the Israeli center in the event that ongoing economic protests there lead to elections.

(Crossposted to American Footprints)