Close to midnight on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a strong statement about the damage caused by the announcement of Israeli construction plans in Judea and Samaria, including the E1 area near Jerusalem. The responses of the U.S. and Europe to the announcement of those plans clearly showed that they felt Israel was carrying out a policy of provocation. No one in the U.S. or Europe thought that the announcement of the plans merely indicated anarchy in the Housing and Construction Ministry. Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel was left with no choice. During the day, he was forced to downplay the significance of the plans, saying they did not mean any issuing of tenders or actual construction was taking place. No concrete, cement, limestone or iron was going to be put in the ground. Rather, the plans represented something long-term, many years down the road. Ariel moved between smiles and despondency. But when it become clear that the U.S., U.K., France and Germany were refusing to buy the claims that the plans were not something that they should be worried about, the need arose for Netanyahu to take the initiative and rebuke Ariel, and that's what happened. Israel is in an unprecedented situation. Ever since then-Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion withstood international pressure at the Lausanne Conference of 1949 (world powers wanted Israel to give up the Negev Desert and allow the return of Palestinian refugees), Israel has always avoided getting involved in two diplomatic fronts simultaneously. But now, Israel has voluntarily got itself involved in two fronts -- Iran and construction in E1 -- and this has been damaging. Right now, Netanyahu is engaged in the diplomatic battle of his life. He has to politely respond to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's incomprehensible argument that the time to oppose a deal with Iran is after it has been signed and he must also deal with Avigdor Lieberman's smug return to the Foreign Ministry. Instead of supporting the prime minister, Lieberman on Wednesday ignored Netanyahu and talked for the first time in his life about the need for cooperation with the U.S. This is not the moment for the issue of the construction of thousands of new housing units in Judea and Samaria (not just in the sensitive E1 area) to burst onto to the scene. It can be believed that Ariel did not intend to influence Israel's policy path during this tough time with the U.S. and it is also possible to accept his claim that the announcement was simply about plans, nothing more. But where was his judgment- What now? The announcement of construction plans played into the hands of Israel's enemies and rivals. America and Europe, already angry at Israel for making it more difficult to reach an interim deal with Iran, pounced on the mistake, even though it did not represent massive new construction but was rather a paper tiger in all regards. Government ministers have autonomous control over their ministries, but they cannot contradict moves made by the prime minister. Netanyahu has committed himself to the "two states for two peoples" solution to the conflict with the Palestinians and he must act accordingly, even if deep in his heart he hopes the talks with the Palestinians fail. From my heart, I hear the beat of the Naomi Shemer song "Let it Be." Habayit Hayehudi ministers hope the negotiations with the Palestinians will produce a song "Let it Not Be." That is fine, but Habayit Hayehudi ministers pledged to let Netanyahu try to reach an agreement with the Palestinians, which would then be put to a national referendum. As such, they do not have the option of proposing thousands of new housing units in Judea and Samaria without receiving prior approval from the prime minister.
