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Israel's Borders and National Security
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said May 30 that Israel could
not prevent the United Nations from recognizing a Palestinian state, in
the sense of adopting a resolution on the subject. Two weeks ago, U.S.
President Barack Obama, in a speech, called on Israel to return to some
variation of its pre-1967 borders. The practical significance of these
and other diplomatic evolutions in relation to Israel is questionable.
Historically, U.N. declarations have had variable meanings, depending on
the willingness of great powers to enforce them. Obama’s speech on
Israel, and his subsequent statements, created enough ambiguity to make
exactly what he was saying unclear. Nevertheless, it is clear that the
diplomatic atmosphere on Israel is shifting.
There are many questions concerning this shift, ranging from the
competing moral and historical claims of the Israelis and Palestinians
to the internal politics of each side to whether the Palestinians would
be satisfied with a return to the pre-1967 borders. All of these must be
addressed, but this analysis is confined to a single issue: whether a
return to the 1967 borders would increase the danger to Israel’s
national security. Later analyses will focus on Palestinian national
security issues and those of others. Read more »
