David Adesnik at OxBlog critiques NY Times and WashPost coverage of yesterday’s Bush statement:
No question about it, this morning’s Bush-Sharon press-conference is the top story of the day. But why, exactly? If you get your news from the WaPo or NYT, the answer to that question is far from self-evident.
Adesnik nicely boils down the day’s events, with perspective beyond the media coverage:
By staking out a clear position in advance of final-status talks, Bush is essentially saying that important aspects of Israel’s demands are simply non-negotiable. If the Palestinians negotiators accept those demands, they will now come across as giving in to American pressure rather than compromising in the name of peace. Thus, if you think that only a negotiated accord can end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, then Bush and Sharon really have thrown a wrench in the works. Clearly, that is the premise on which the NYT and WaPo correspondents are operating.
But there is another premise out there which also deserves a fair hearing: that a negotiated settlement is no longer possible and that Israel simply has to find the best way to let go of the occupied territories. That is why Sharon wants to pull out of Gaza. That is why he is building a massive wall to separate Israel from the West Bank. While one can argue that good fences don’t make good neighbors, a strong majority of Israeli voters have taken Sharon’s side on this one.
The whole thing is worth a read.
