JERUSALEM (AP) – He was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s envoy to the United States for more than four years. But when former Ambassador Michael Oren decided to enter politics, he joined an upstart rival and began questioning Netanyahu’s handling of relations with the Palestinians.
Oren is now a key figure in Kulanu, a new centrist party that may play the decisive role in choosing the next prime minister. While the party is focused largely on bread-and-butter issues, Oren is the diplomatic point man, pushing for bolder efforts to end the West Bank occupation after decades of failed negotiations.
In an interview with The Associated Press, the U.S.-born Oren, 59, said the status quo with the Palestinians is unsustainable and rejected Netanyahu’s hard-line approach. Although he agrees with Netanyahu that there is no viable Palestinian negotiating partner – the sides cannot agree on terms – he took issue with his former boss’ announcement this week that he would not cede territory to make way for a Palestinian state.
“I think we always have to say that we will be at the table and we are always ready to enter into final status talks,” Oren said. “We have to lay the groundwork for a future final status agreement.”
In the meantime, Oren said, Israel has to start creating a “two-state reality” on the ground, by restricting settlement construction to major blocs and east Jerusalem – captured lands Israel expects to keep – while improving the living conditions of Palestinians.