Netanyahu's 'catastrophic success'

The George W. Bush administration had a phrase for it: "Catastrophic success." As part of the planning process before the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, a comprehensive list of potentially disastrous unintended consequences of a successful military campaign was drawn up. Though initially there was considerable relief when none of the developments on the list came to pass, it eventually became apparent that the list - which failed to anticipate a string of supremely unwise post-invasion decisions - was far too short. Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, may soon be wishing he had drawn up such a list - and paid attention to it - many years ago. For the consequences of his own - and his party's - catastrophic success are becoming manifest. I have thought previously that Netanyahu, whatever he may be saying to the contrary, is really not interested in direct negotiations with the Palestinians - that his avowed interest in a viable settlement is a sham. I now think that judgment may be partially incorrect. The Israeli prime minister is surely not interested in actually implementing any agreement which would be marginally acceptable to the Palestinians. But there is something from these talks that he appears desperately to want, and to have wanted for some time: A formal Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.