Both sides pursuing 'unilateralism'

The New York Jewish Week, the main Jewish community weekly in the New York area, may be very representative of the majority of the organized American Jewish community's cultural and political sensitivities.  It is both liberal (at least moderately so) and very Jewish-focused, while also providing  a platform for elements on the political right of the community.  Regarding Israel, it editorially supports direct negotiations with the Palestinian Authority for a two-state solution.  

In the new issue this week, its Washington correspondent, James  Besser, reports on Palestinian efforts to gain international support for statehood while bypassing negotiations with Israel.  Both his analysis and the editorial on this subject mostly blame the Palestinians for not engaging forthrightly with an Israeli government that has welcomed direct talks.

But in understandably rejecting "unilateralism," neither piece emphasizes that pursuing ambitious settlement expansion plans in East Jerusalem and the West Bank is a form of unilateralism on Israel's part. It's this that has prompted the Palestinians to look for a diplomatic alternative to bilateral negotiations.