During an interview with Bloomberg View columnist Jeffrey Goldberg, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu hinted that Israel may be looking at taking unilateral steps to address the stalemate that exists between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority).

After PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) announced he struck a deal with Hamas, Israel refuses to negotiate with the PA leader, citing he opted to cut a deal with Hamas instead of Israel. Mr. Netanyahu has not hinted that growing support at home for unilateral Israeli moves may lead to such a policy decision. It would appear that Israel has failed to learn the lessons of the 2005 expulsion from Gaza.

Senior PA official Dr. Hanan Ashrawi warned Israel that unilateral action would “backfire”.

“We want a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state,” Netanyahu said. “Many Israelis are asking themselves if there are certain unilateral steps that could theoretically make sense.”

Gilead Sher, a former Israeli negotiator whose “Blue White Future” organization advocates a limited pull-out from the Yehuda and Shomron if negotiations stalemate, said there’s increasing support for the concept.

“I think it’s important that this option has been brought up by the prime minister as a viable subject for discussion,” Sher said in a telephone interview by Bloomberg from Tel Aviv. “It’s a positive sign.”

Lending support to the prime minister’s statement was Minister of the Economy (Bayit Yehudi) Naftali Bennett, who used his Facebook page to express support for the idea of taking steps unilaterally in Yehuda and Shomron.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)