Israel Analysis: Netanyahu Puts His Plan To His Party

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talked to lawmakers of his Likud Party on Sunday. He summarised the "incentives" he expects from Washington: no future freeze after the 90-day moratorium on settlement expansion in the West Bank, a guarantee that any unilateral proposal against Israel's national security will be vetoed, and, more importantly, no pressure on Israel to reach a deal on any core subject during the next three months. Netanyahu said:

There is absolutely no agreement that within 90 days we would reach an agreement on the issue of borders. No request of the sort has been made and neither any commitment. We will not hold separate conversations regarding the borders, but will rather discuss all the significant issues. We plan to begin serious debate on all matters.

He added: "We still have not received from the Americans a written summary of the principle understandings. I am committed to reaching the decision that best serves the State of Israel and its national interests, primarily security."

Advocating that the issue of Jerusalem be left to the very last stage of negotiations due to its "sensitivity", Netanyahu is demanding a guarantee that every issue will be discussed within a broad proposal, with no specific issue being singled out within three months.

So, if there is no particular focus on borders and no dialogue on Jerusalem, what is to be discussed in the 90 days? Refugees, some of whom either return to Israel or stay in a Palestine where there is no consensus on where borders start and end? Or will talks be restricted to a topic like water, as Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his assistant Danny Ayalon desire? 

The Palestinians watch, wait, and try to draw their own lines. Ramallah declared this weekend that there would be no return to peace talks with Israel unless there is a settlements freeze on including East Jerusalem.