1. What David Cameron and Nick Clegg never speak about, and why their silence hinders a two-state solution……This week, a so-called “split” emerged between British Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

The split concerned their choice of language, and tone, in publicly criticising Israel.

Much more significant than their differences of tone and language, however, is what unites David Cameron and Nick Clegg – namely, a persistent silence on the ideas and attitudes of the Palestinian ‘moderate mainstream’ concerning the core issues in the conflict. 

Here there is no ‘split’ – Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg, and many other politicians, diplomats and commentators, are united and consistent in failing to speak about these core, substantive issues. This silence is actually perpetuating the impasse between the parties.

So, what do the British Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister never publicly speak about?

1. David Cameron and Nick Clegg never publicly demand that the Palestinian moderates – including Abbas, Fayyad, Erakat, Sha’ath etc – recognise Israel as a Jewish state.  This recognition is the very cornerstone of a two-state solution involving two states for two peoples.  Yet the Palestinians simply refuse to take this step.  And Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg are publicly silent on the issue.

2. David Cameron and Nick Clegg never publicly demand that the Palestinian moderates relinquish their 63-year-old demand for a ‘right of return’ into Israel. This demand is a bigger obstacle to a two-state solution than Israeli settlements. Yet they are both silent about it.

3. David Cameron and Nick Clegg never publicly demand an end to incitement against Israel in Palestinian culture, media and society.   This incitement, and the glorification of suicide bombers, is a bigger obstacle to a two-state solution than Israeli settlements.  Yet they are publicly silent about it.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg urge the Palestinians to return to talks, but they are publicly silent on the substantive steps the Palestinians will need to talk in those talks.  Why?  These are the issues which have stood in the way of a lasting peace agreement these past 18 years.

Key messages:

– Israel receives plenty of “tough love” from self-proclaimed friends outside the country who ceaselessly and publicly criticise Israel’s settlements as a block to peace

– But where is the “tough love” on the Palestinian side? Not just on the process of returning to talks, but on the substance of what they need to talk about, and on the tough compromises which the Palestinians need to make?

– You cannot proclaim that you are “in favour of a two-state solution” if you publicly lambast Israel for its settlements, while remaining publicly silent about the attitudes and ideas on the Palestinian side which hinder that solution

– By their silence, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are not promoting a two-state solution, but perpetuating the impasse, and contributing to largely one-sided international pressure on Israel

– Soundbite: It is not enough to press the Palestinians on the process of peace. Friends of the Palestinians need to start pressing them publicly on the substance of peace

We recently published a Beyond Images Briefing listing six attitudes which block a two-state solution on the Palestinian ‘moderate’ side.  For more see:

Briefing 299 – 13 September 2011

Building an independent state: six steps which the Palestinians still need to take

And see also:

Briefing 300 – 5 October 2011

Two states, but neither of them Jewish:

Palestinian moderate leader Nabil Sha’ath explains his ‘two-state solution’

Briefing 288 – 24 June 2011

Recognising Israel as a Jewish state:

Why it’s a Palestinian self-interest… by an Israeli dove

Briefing 290 – 7 July 2011

The ‘right of return’ into Israel: no compromise by the Palestinians

Briefing 292 – 22 July 2011

Palestinian incitement against Israel, and its impact on peace prospects

2. “Mr Netanyahu has caved in to Jewish settlers – it’s making peace impossible…..”

This is one of the most frequent claims made about Israel, and its current government – the idea that it has basically been taken over by the far-right.  Netanyahu. The settlers. Lieberman. All the epithets are piled together to portray a picture of right-wing short-termism, settlement obsession and chauvinism.

There’s only one problem: some facts.

Firstly, since 2009 Prime Minister Netanyahu has proclaimed quite clearly and repeatedly his commitment to a two-state solution.  He said it in his Bar-Ilan speech in June 2009. He said it at the beginning of the negotiations in Washington DC in September 2010. He said it in the US Congress in May 2011. And he said it at the United Nations in September 2011.  All of these were proclaimed before global audiences.

He has said it many more times in between, to domestic Israeli audiences in Hebrew, and to international audiences in English.

This position is anathema to many on the “far-right” in Israel. But Mr Netanyahu keeps saying it.  This is hardly the stance of someone who has “caved in” to far-right sentiment.

Equally significant, Mr Netanyahu repeatedly authorises measures to clamp down on ‘far-right’ activity in the settlements.  Recently, twelve new expulsion orders were issued against Jewish settlers, prohibiting them from residing in their West Bank settlements, for security reasons.  Yes, many say much more should be done. But the image of passivity and collusion between Mr Netanyahu and the far-right simply cannot be substantiated, and is a sweeping over-simplification.

Indeed, the Israeli ‘expulsion order’ against the named Israeli settlers prompted the following comment from right-wing Knesset Member Michael Ben-Ari:

“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government is the government that has done most to harm settlers’ rights….”

– story and quote from the Jerusalem Post, 6 January 2012.

Mr Netanyahu has “caved in” to the settlers? Hardly.

See generally:

Briefing 304 – 22 November 2011

Surprising quotes from surprising sources

Briefing 298 – 9 September 2011

‘Israel’s settlements block peace….’

Briefing 274 – 17 December 2010

Jewish settlements: complex realities behind the headlines

3. Accusations against Israel regarding water – a new tool to respond

Few accusations are doing more harm to Israel’s international standing than accusations about water.

“Israel steals Palestinian water….”
“Israel has far more water than the Palestinians, and monopolises it….”

“Israel pollutes Palestinian water sources…”

And more. What could be more inhumane than this?

Once again, there is only one problem with the accusations.  Some facts.

Israel advocates have for the most part done a terrible job rebutting these accusations in the past, or at least putting the situation into context.  One reason is that the accusations are extremely emotive, but the rebuttals and the context are inevitably technical.  Therefore it was always going to be difficult to frame responses.

However, some fresh light and fresh insight has been shed on the issue with the publication of a major new report called ‘The Israeli-Palestinian Water Conflict’ by Professor Haim Gvirtzmann.

The report is written from an Israeli perspective, and has been published by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies.  It is dry, technical, and overly academic.

Nonetheless it provides a lot of clear and well-sourced information on the water issue, and can at least provide background information and key messages when constructing a response to the damaging accusations Israel faces.  Here are some of Gvirtzmann’s carefully substantiated conclusions:

– Israel has not only fulfilled all of its obligations to the Palestinians arising under written agreements between them, but Israel has actually met all water commitments which would be required in a permanent status agreement in the future

– There is almost no difference today in the per capita consumption of natural water between Israelis and Palestinians

– While Israel has ensured that nearly all Palestinian villages and towns are connected to running water, the Palestinians have violated their part of the agreement by refusing to build sewage treatment plants (despite available international financing)

– Israel believes that the water issue could be transformed from a source of controversy and tension into a source of understanding and cooperation. Practical measures can be put in place which can efficiently and quickly solve the current and future water shortages on both sides

We will be covering this topic in a future Beyond Images Briefing, soon.  In the meantime, for more on the report please go to

http://www.besacenter.org– and see ‘The Israeli-Palestinian Water Conflict: An Israeli Perspective’ by Haim Gvirtzmann (BESA Policy Studies Papers No 94, January 2012)