But the fact is, before they get any of the above, they need a partner willing to endure yet another set of talks through powerful outside negotiators, which end up inevitably in an explosive breakdown as the Arabs drop everything and go back home. That scene has always taken place following Israeli-Palestinian negotiations ever since the signing of the Oslo accords, even when the Arabs have received 99% of their demands. They’ll still walk over that remaining one percent.
In light of a changing world, changing White House and changing Middle East, Netanyahu can only gain from taking his time, letting the remnants of the Obama State Dept. lick their wounds and entertain delusions of peace talks as time is running out on its reign. The fact that the same Obama Administration is eager to lock Israel in on a 10-year military assistance budget, which it does not condition on any Israeli political gestures in favor of the PA, suggests that the adults in the Obama camp have already moved from denial, bargaining and depression to acceptance, and are looking to score where they still can with the Netanyahu government.