Coming to ‘listen’ on the Palestinian issue

On the Palestinian front, he sounds pessimistic in the short-term. Says Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad have done “excellent work” maintaining security in the West Bank. “But you have Hamas in Gaza” that hasn’t met the Quartet preconditions.

He intends to hear Israeli and Palestinian leaders’ “strategy” and believes it is in both sides’ interests to make progress.

Israel has “an interest in being able to speak to the Arab street,” he says, where most people want peace and prosperity, he believes.

“I will say to both Bibi and Abu Mazen” that each side must recognize the other’s legitimacy. Bibi “should have an interest in strengthening the moderate leadership….”

On settlements, the key question, he says, is “is this making it harder or easier for Palestinian moderates to sit down” at the table?

A settlement freeze, Levy asks? “I think we’re past the point” of preconditions and sequences.

Palestinians need to feel they’ve got “a land of their own” and Israel needs to know that doesn’t come at the price of Israeli security.

How to get into those conversations, he muses? That’s what “I’ll explore.”