Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 07/2013

Where is Israel Heading?

Piki Ish-Shalom

June 2013

Istituto Affari Internazionali

Abstract

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has weakened the Israeli Foreign Ministry by redistributing many of its traditional responsibilities to other, sometimes new and bogus, ministries. The appointments, driven as they are by various political moves and calculations, create an impossible political mosaic; impossible, that is, in terms of forming and executing a coherent foreign policy. Deciphering Israel's preferences regarding negotiations with the Palestinians and its vision for a final settlement is next to impossible. A coherent strategy to deal with Israel's conflict with the Palestinians would warrant a government which provides a coherent agenda and agreed upon policies to a strengthened foreign ministry.