With ‘Annapolis,’ a Warning to Israel

An insider summed it up "Boy I'd love to be a flie on the wall when the President meets Netanyahu, Arad and the bunch ..." In the NYTimes, here

"...But privately, several administration officials and Middle East experts said that Mr. Obama is girding for a protracted showdown with the new Israeli government over the pursuit of Palestinian statehood.

Taken by themselves, Mr. Lieberman’s comments are not that significant, many foreignpolicy experts said, because most Israeli foreign ministers are not that relevant to the peace process; that portfolio is usually held by the prime minister......

The bigger issue for the Obama administration is whether Mr. Lieberman is channeling Mr. Netanyahu, the man who is likely to control the peace process file. Mr. Netanyahu is viewed as a hawk, but one who is capable of being dragged to the peace table, .....

By forcefully rebutting Mr. Lieberman’s repudiation of Annapolis, and in such a public fashion, Mr. Obama is issuing a warning to Mr. Netanyahu that the United States will push for a two-state solution, and will expect him to publicly articulate his own support for such an initiative, many experts said...."