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In a vice and hard decisions [of his own making] loom for PM

Israeli PM Netanyahu has been able to have things pretty much his own way the last years. The Americans were compliant and Jordan, Egypt and Syria were "safe" in that they created no "issues" for Israel. As for the Palestinians, they could be kept under control given the might of the Israeli's as occupiers of Gaza and the West Bank.

But times have changed - rapidly! - and the PM has now created a vice for himself and his country.

"Hamstrung politically, diplomatically and militarily, Netanyahu has come under growing domestic criticism. The complacency which he has demonstrated with his policy of clinging to a "no war, no peace" status quo risks exacerbating regional instability even more, warned Yossi Sarid, a renowned Israeli opinion-maker.

In a Ha'aretz article entitled "When Israel's politicians sit idle, terrorists step forward", Sarid wrote sarcastically: "Hamas cannot believe the good fortune of Israel doing its bidding by weakening Israel's partners.

"The status quo is always followed by the status quo ante. The wheel of fortune always comes back to where it started; what was is what will be," he added gloomily.

"Say farewell to peace," lamented columnist Ari Shavit, also in Ha'aretz. "The status quo has become a firetrap, and all the familiar ways of escaping it have been blocked."

In mid-term, Netanyahu faces his greatest test, say political pundits. He has promised a "bold initiative by May".

But most expect yet another "familiar way of escaping" the status quo – reportedly, an interim agreement with the PA over only fifty per cent of the West Bank. That would not satisfy the US, let alone the Palestinians.

On Tuesday, answering to criticism of the opposition that the standstill in peace talks creates propitious conditions for renewed hostilities, Netanyahu retorted in the Israeli Knesset parliament that the "Palestinians are not ready for peace".

For statehood, though, the Palestinians are ready. After he was updated on the Gaza situation by Netanyahu, the US defence secretary was updated by prime minister Salaam Fayyad on the PA plan for Palestinian statehood in September.

The only political 'ace' left with Netanyahu's fast depleting play of cards is that the Hamas rockets will convince the international community that were Israel to withdraw from the West Bank, the area would quickly turn into more launching pads against Israel.

This argument, Netanyahu still seems to hopes, might put the brakes on the drive for international recognition of a Palestinian state.

An independent Palestine that would still be under Israeli occupation would trap Israel in between a status quo and a power vacuum of its own making."

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