Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon explained at length on the Oct. 20 edition of the US Public Broadcasting Service's "Charlie Rose" show why Israel does not have a Palestinian partner for a two-state solution. He suggested that the Palestinians set aside their aspirations for a state (“they have political independence”) and make do with autonomy, without annexed East Jerusalem and without Area C, which covers 60% of the West Bank.
The interviewer sought to understand how the position of the senior Israeli minister can be reconciled with statements emanating from Jerusalem about “new opportunities” that have opened up for Israel in the Middle East following Operation Protective Edge and the fight against the Islamic State (IS). How does distancing oneself from ending the conflict with the Arabs and Palestinians fit in with drawing closer to the Arab world in the Middle East? Ya’alon referred Rose to the speech delivered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding diplomatic horizons, added something of his own regarding Israel’s desire for “partnership with the Arab world” and ended with, “We know how to take advantage of opportunities and to cooperate with those who are interested in doing so.”