August 1st, 2008 by Sarah

Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced that he will resign after a new party leader is choosen in September. Daniel Levy at TPM Café outlines what his resignation means to Israeli politics–both inside his party and in general, the Palestinian situation, the Syrian talks, and Iran.

Because Levy does not believe a peace agreement with Syria is feasible, nor prudent, at this time, he recommends that the U.S. start creating a Plan B. “That would mainly consist of two things: (1) is there a way to preserve some of the progress made in negotiations?; (2) how to prevent a further deterioration of the situation on the ground—settlements, closures, security.”

In regard to an Israeli attack on Iran, Levy argues that “if Israel does attack, and I think it is unlikely, it will not be because of political caprice dictated by an outgoing politician as part of some legacy. Israel’s security establishment does not work like that.” Instead, Levy suggests that “the louder the Israeli rhetoric, the more this is about leverage rather than imminent action.

Posted in Iran, Israel, Syria, US foreign policy |