Late reports today out of Israel quote Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman as saying that Israel was "closer than ever" to an agreement with the "Palestinian" Arabs.
It appears that this would be contingent on Arab states agreeing to full relations with Israel.
Arutz Sheva: 'We're closer than ever to a peace agreement'
Times of Israel: Liberman: We are 'closer than ever' to deal with Palestinians
As enticing as this may appear, and it's been a dream of Israelis for decades, the key to Israel's survival lies with its ability to defend itself. Painful compromises, land for peace, two-state solution - we've been down these roads before - and they all entail carving another Arab entity out of Judea and Samaria, Israel's heartland, leaving Israel in a precarious, indefensible situation.
An agreement with the "Arab world" would demand no less than an Israeli withdrawal from much of Judea and Samaria and some kind of division of Jerusalem.
On one hand, Prime Minister Netanyahu consistently promotes his image as a champion of Jewish life in Judea and Samaria, and the unity of Jerusalem. On the other, he has shown his willingness to cede land in order to reach an agreement. In fact, there are reports this week that he was willing to negotiate an agreement based on the indefensible pre-June 1967 lines.
So which way is it? Israel keeping Judea and Samaria, or surrendering it to another failed, terrorist Arab entity?
Israel has dodged the bullet of dangerous agreements requiring withdrawing from Judea and Samaria, and dividing Jerusalem, several times, thanks to the inability of the Arabs to agree to the permanence of a Jewish nation in the heart of the Middle East. Can Israel afford to make another dangerous offer on the assumption that the Arab answer again will be "no?"
We think not. Instead, now is the time to try something different: Jewish sovereignty throughout Judea and Samaria. Can Bibi do it?
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