September 3, 2008
I read recently that Labour party leader and minister of defense Ehud Barak is trying to sell his luxury apartment for 40 million shekels which is, at current exchange rates...well, a lot of money. In fact it is about 10 times what the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's apartment sold for not long ago.
Like many people selling their apartments or houses, Barak must be setting the price too high. As any real estate agent can tell you, if you ask for too much money you might not make a sale. On the other hand, if you have patience, someone may come along and meet your price or something close to it.
And then it hit me: this is the ideal strategy for Israel's leaders. For a number of years, their main strategy has been to make concessions in order to be liked or in hope that this will lead to a peace deal. They acted as if they had to make an agreement fast, even on worse terms. Thus, they gave away a lot of real estate and are offering bargain basement prices for more.
This didn't work for several reasons. First, Israel could afford to be patient, far more so than many outside pretend-experts argue. Second, when you signal that you are in a hurry and willing to lower the price fast, the buyer takes advantage of that to offer even less.
So that's the answer: Israeli leaders should treat the real estate of the land of Israel like they do their own personal real estate. That doesn't mean they should never give up any land at all, but only if the price and terms are real good. Until then, they should signal, I can afford to wait. Come back when you have a serious offer.
Like Barak, Prime Minister (for a few months before he is thrown out of office and labeled the worst prime minister in Israel's history) Ehud Olmert owns some nice pieces of property, purchased no doubt by the income from his hard work and clean living. Presumably they are not alone. So just set the price high, hang tough, dare to dream you will get an offer that meets your demands and everything will be all right.
Notice to potential buyers: If you don't keep up the mortgage payments, you lose your deposit and we repossess the property.
Like many people selling their apartments or houses, Barak must be setting the price too high. As any real estate agent can tell you, if you ask for too much money you might not make a sale. On the other hand, if you have patience, someone may come along and meet your price or something close to it.
And then it hit me: this is the ideal strategy for Israel's leaders. For a number of years, their main strategy has been to make concessions in order to be liked or in hope that this will lead to a peace deal. They acted as if they had to make an agreement fast, even on worse terms. Thus, they gave away a lot of real estate and are offering bargain basement prices for more.
This didn't work for several reasons. First, Israel could afford to be patient, far more so than many outside pretend-experts argue. Second, when you signal that you are in a hurry and willing to lower the price fast, the buyer takes advantage of that to offer even less.
So that's the answer: Israeli leaders should treat the real estate of the land of Israel like they do their own personal real estate. That doesn't mean they should never give up any land at all, but only if the price and terms are real good. Until then, they should signal, I can afford to wait. Come back when you have a serious offer.
Like Barak, Prime Minister (for a few months before he is thrown out of office and labeled the worst prime minister in Israel's history) Ehud Olmert owns some nice pieces of property, purchased no doubt by the income from his hard work and clean living. Presumably they are not alone. So just set the price high, hang tough, dare to dream you will get an offer that meets your demands and everything will be all right.
Notice to potential buyers: If you don't keep up the mortgage payments, you lose your deposit and we repossess the property.
Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal.
His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), with Walter Laqueur (Viking-Penguin); the paperback edition of The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan); A Chronological History of Terrorism, with Judy Colp Rubin, (Sharpe); and The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley).
Watch on The Middle-East: a project by The Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) CenterAll material: (C) Copyright 2008 Watch on The Middle-East. All Rights Reserved.Email: info AT gloriacenter.org. You must credit if quoting and ask permission to reprint.
Watch on The Middle-East: a project by The Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) CenterAll material: (C) Copyright 2008 Watch on The Middle-East. All Rights Reserved.Email: info AT gloriacenter.org. You must credit if quoting and ask permission to reprint.
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