President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Israel next month has raised the Israel-Palestinian diplomatic process all at once to the top of the public agenda – an issue that has been dormant for four years. Former chief of staff and Kadima party chair Shaul Mofaz is gearing up to re-launch his diplomatic plan that aroused a great stir in the world three years ago.
The United States has returned the “diplomatic process” to the coalition negotiating table, after it disappeared almost completely from the public discourse. At the same time, the Americans are clearly hinting at the proper place this issue ought to receive on the priority list and, therefore, what kind of coalition should be assembled. Even [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, who distanced himself from this issue throughout the election campaign, has been talking over recent days about his willingness to renew negotiations with the Palestinians, and is using this card in his efforts to form a broad-based government.