JERUSALEM—Whenever Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the world, he does so in the name of Israeli consensus.
Netanyahu’s speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday echoed the way Israelis see the world and the way they learn their history. He did not present any new vision or any signs of change in his policy. Some analysts have dubbed his policy “consensus diplomacy,” a policy that by nature does not aspire to great change.
Change is now a buzzword in international politics. The world’s attitude towards Iran and other controversial states has softened, and the world’s patience toward the never-ending conflict between Israel and the Palestine is running out. Obama’s accession to the throne as U.S. president brought about unprecedented public criticism of Israel’s settlement policy. With the winds changing in Washington, Netanyahu’s speech was meant to be an apologia for Israel.
Just as the Palestinians made a complete freeze of the Israeli settlements in the West Bank a prerequisite for negotiations, Netanyahu made acknowledging Israel as a Jewish state his prerequisite. Going back to Biblical times, resurrecting ancient prophets, Netanyahu’s speech again emphasized the long historical ties the Jews have to the small piece of land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan river.
“Inscribed on the walls outside this building is the great Biblical vision of peace,” said Netanyahu in his speech. “‘Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. They shall learn war no more.’ These words were spoken by the Jewish prophet Isaiah 2,800 years ago as he walked in my country, in my city—in the hills of Judea and in the streets of Jerusalem.”
“We are not strangers to this land. It is our homeland. As deeply connected as we are to this land, we recognize that the Palestinians also live there and want a home of their own,” he added.
In his speech, Netanyahu also emphasized the Arab refusal of the partition plan from 1947 and the Israeli War of Independence, and described in length the Holocaust.
This is not the first time Netanyahu has summoned national myths to counter international pressure. When he presented his foreign policy in his Bar Ilan University speech more than three months ago, he recited the same historical facts (or opinions, we can let the historians decide) as in this speech. The message was the same in both: Israel is the ancient homeland of the Jewish people; only a strong Israel can prevent a second Holocaust; and Israel is a peace-loving country.
Generations of Israeli children were raised on these notions. When talking in the name of Israeli consensus, Netanyahu is describing the limits of his possible concessions. For Israeli society, any future peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians will also be a process of redefining its core values.
Netanyahu’s speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday echoed the way Israelis see the world and the way they learn their history. He did not present any new vision or any signs of change in his policy. Some analysts have dubbed his policy “consensus diplomacy,” a policy that by nature does not aspire to great change.
Change is now a buzzword in international politics. The world’s attitude towards Iran and other controversial states has softened, and the world’s patience toward the never-ending conflict between Israel and the Palestine is running out. Obama’s accession to the throne as U.S. president brought about unprecedented public criticism of Israel’s settlement policy. With the winds changing in Washington, Netanyahu’s speech was meant to be an apologia for Israel.
Just as the Palestinians made a complete freeze of the Israeli settlements in the West Bank a prerequisite for negotiations, Netanyahu made acknowledging Israel as a Jewish state his prerequisite. Going back to Biblical times, resurrecting ancient prophets, Netanyahu’s speech again emphasized the long historical ties the Jews have to the small piece of land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan river.
“Inscribed on the walls outside this building is the great Biblical vision of peace,” said Netanyahu in his speech. “‘Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. They shall learn war no more.’ These words were spoken by the Jewish prophet Isaiah 2,800 years ago as he walked in my country, in my city—in the hills of Judea and in the streets of Jerusalem.”
“We are not strangers to this land. It is our homeland. As deeply connected as we are to this land, we recognize that the Palestinians also live there and want a home of their own,” he added.
In his speech, Netanyahu also emphasized the Arab refusal of the partition plan from 1947 and the Israeli War of Independence, and described in length the Holocaust.
This is not the first time Netanyahu has summoned national myths to counter international pressure. When he presented his foreign policy in his Bar Ilan University speech more than three months ago, he recited the same historical facts (or opinions, we can let the historians decide) as in this speech. The message was the same in both: Israel is the ancient homeland of the Jewish people; only a strong Israel can prevent a second Holocaust; and Israel is a peace-loving country.
Generations of Israeli children were raised on these notions. When talking in the name of Israeli consensus, Netanyahu is describing the limits of his possible concessions. For Israeli society, any future peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians will also be a process of redefining its core values.
