Why Netanyahu is worried

The spat about 1967 borders seems somewhat overblown; while the Republicans seized on it because it gave them political fodder, Netanyahu's reaction seems out of proportion. The real reason, for which this was simply a proxy, is the current administrations shift towards supporting democracy even when the governments that come to power may be antithetical to US (and Israeli) interests. Netanyahu is worried, and rightly so, that this imperils Israel's security, particularly when it maintains such an intransigent stance in the peace process. However, he probably also understands that even if he were to adopt a more conciliatory approach, given his past rhetoric and history and the negotiating table, the Palestinians won't trust him an inch. As the Northern Ireland peace process showed, rebuilding trust takes time and commitment; and Israel seems to have neither.