I find the contrast between success and failure to be a bit murky. That is, we talk of success and failure as if they're distinguishable from one another in an easily perceptible way. What would it mean for Netanyahu to be successful? Would it mean further peace talks at a later date in the future? He's a smart man with a ton of experience in this game. He knows what he's doing. Apparently, what he's doing is to sabotage the talks, and my supposition is that he's doing it purposefully. The reason is that it's easy for him to maintain the status quo so long as peace talks don't progress. And right now the status quo is for Israel to do as it pleases without regard for any other opinions, treaties or protocols. Why would he want to destroy that? He knows that AIPAC isn't going anywhere. So what if its influence diminishes incrementally? It's still very rich and very influential. I don't think that's likely to change any times soon, no matter what public opinion dictates. In the US public opinion is always secondary (probably more like tertiary) to cash. The only lesson Mr. Netanyahu has ever learned is that there aren't really any consequences to his actions, no matter how out of step with law and basic humanity those actions may be. Until the US gives him a reason to think otherwise, why would he do anything differently?