It is the "One Israel" crowd that is to blame.

This kind of stuff has been going on a long time, but managed to stay out of the news. Mostly smaller things, some official (closing borders so that folks couldn't get to work, for example), many not (settler violence against the Palestinians has been part of that).

The continuing effort is to make the two state solution impossible. The goal is to annex the West Bank despite the UN. Gaza as well. Those who blame Hamas alone for the problems are closing their eyes to what is going on overall. Plenty of blame, and all that.

Bibi leads the list of the guilty, but he's a long, long way from being the entirety of the problem.

Would things be different if Ehud Olmert had a little less affection for fine cigars? We will never know, but he has said he was very close to finalizing a two state agreement before being (justly) forced out of office and (correctly) into jail.

Were I Biden, Bibi would be horrified at the speech I would give to the American people explaining the difference between the very proper existence of the State of Israel and the actions that the Israeli government has been taking for many years. He would be even more horrified when I got to the conclusion that demanded real reform in exchange for continued aid.