New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman is harshly criticizing Israel 'sLikud party for being taken over by an "arrogant" group of "far-right settler-activists."
"The far-right group running Israel today is so arrogant, and so indifferent to US concerns, that it announced plans to build a huge block of settlements in the heart of the West Bank — in retaliation for the UN vote giving Palestinians observer status — even though the US did everything possible to block that vote and the settlements would sever any possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state," he wrote in his column.
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He claimed that that the Likud's leaders "are convinced that the Palestinians are no threat anymore and that no one can roll back the 350,000 Jews living in the West Bank."
The journalist further asserted that both the separation fence and the Iron Dome system enable Israel’s leaders "to abdicate their responsibility for thinking creatively about a solution to the Palestinian issue. Friedman noted that the Israeli left and center "are not even offering peace ideas" instead focusing on housing and education.