Netanyahu offers nothing

Sydney Kaye’s latest letter (Palestinians offer nothing, July 6) is one of many of his diatribes over the years, ostensibly in support of Israel, which cannot continue to go unanswered.

First, a distinction should be drawn between Israel the country and the present Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The latter, who incidentally is facing allegations of corruption, has taken his administration in an unabashed right-wing direction and in so doing is entirely responsible for wrecking the erstwhile peace process with the Palestinians, or at least preventing the resumption thereof.

The Israeli government has done this by continuing to flout international law by permitting and encouraging the construction of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian West Bank and East Jerusalem, territory that has never formed part of the state of Israel. Former US president Barack Obama tried to get them to stop, and even their newfound friend, Donald Trump, asked them to cease. All to no avail, such is the arrogance of the Israeli regime.

Netanyahu panders to right-wing Israeli politicians who do not accept a two-state solution and who, contrary to past agreements, believe that all the territory between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean should be permanently under Israeli control, if not actually part of Israel itself. If they had their way there would be no Palestinian state at all.

Besides providing no hope or future for the Palestinians, Israelis must ask themselves what future their government’s policies provide for them. The conclusion they must eventually come to is that by denying Palestinians a right to their own state the Netanyahu administration doesn’t provide any peaceful and secure future for Israel either. Clearly it is Netanyahu who, foremost, offers nothing.

Julian Denny

Benmore