Mr. Goodman’s idea was not just to improve the quality of Palestinian life, but to expand Palestinian self-rule. He proposed expanding the Palestinian Authority’s area of jurisdiction, providing more land for Palestinian officials to allocate for building projects. And he suggested creating a network of Palestinian-patrolled highways in the West Bank, allowing Palestinians to move around without spending hours at Israeli checkpoints.
All this, Mr. Goodman reckoned, could be achieved without returning to negotiations, and without addressing more contentious issues such as the future of Jerusalem, which is claimed by both sides as their capital.
“It’s misunderstood by many reporters around the world that shrinking the conflict means making life easier and better for Palestinians,” he said. “I am all for that. That’s great. But that’s not what stands at the heart of shrinking-the-conflict paradigm shift. Shrinking the conflict is about increasing Palestinian self-governance. It’s about increasing Palestinian freedom — freedom to build, freedom of movement.”
Mr. Bennett’s critics argue that he is less interested in shrinking the conflict than ignoring it.
In his speech to the United Nations on Monday, he did not once mention the Palestinians.