And thanks to the Arab Spring it’s about to get a whole lot worse.

(JPost) — Iran and the growing Islamic ascendancy in the region are acting as a barrier against any chances of soon re-starting negotiations with the Palestinians, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday.

Netanyahu, in a meting with visiting Senator Mark Bennet (D-Colorado), was asked if he thought there was any chance of a quick return to the talks. While saying he was ready for their immediate resumption, Netanyahu expressed skepticism that this was going to happen.

Iran, he said, was driving the Palestinian issue, more than the Palestinian issue was impacting on the world’s ability to deal with Iran.

His point was that as long as Iran seemed to be ascendant and on the rise, and as long as it supported a growing Islamist tendency in the region that is overwhelmingly hostile to Israel – including holding huge sway over Hamas – the Palestinian Authority was not going to go out against the way it perceived the regional winds were blowing.