Israeli officials accused Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of looking for excuses not to negotiate, after Abbas said Thursday he would return to the negotiations if Israel declared a complete settlement freeze for a defined period of time during which the border issue would be resolved.
Abbas reportedly made those comments during a meeting of the Fatah Revolutionary Council in Ramallah.
One Israeli official said that Abbas was "making sure he is high up on the tree. It is a pity he is entrenching himself in his pre-conditions, and we don't understand the logic. It is almost as if he is searching for excuses not to negotiate."
One of the issues reportedly holding up Washington's letter to Jerusalem regarding US commitments in exchange for an additional 90-day settlement freeze is whether borders will be the focus of the first three months of negotiations.
While the Palestinians want the border issue to be the focus of the start of the talks, arguing that once the borders were set it would be clear where Israel could and could not build, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's position is that border issues could not be divorced from other core issues such as security arrangements and Israel's demands that the Palestinians recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.
Netanyahu is also apparently unwilling to pledge to wrap up an agreement on borders during the time when there is a settlement freeze. And the US, for its part, is reportedly unwilling to commit in writing that this would be the last settlement freeze it would ask for, apparently wanting to keep open the option of another freeze if the border issue was not wrapped up during one 90-day freeze.Here is more
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
5 comments:
Abbas doesnt have the best interests of the Palestinian people at heart. He is serving some "other agenda"
Identifying the agenda is the key to peace in the Middle East
Abbas shouldn't be referred to as President anymore, he announced in 2006 that he would not seek re-election at the end of his term. Well, January of 2009 was the end of his term. What'd he do? Decided to extend his term for another year, stating the law gave him a right to do so...Well it's November of 2010 and he's still calling himself the President. He knows the Palestinians won't re-elect him.
"I renew my commitment to continuing the road he [Arafat] began and for which he made a lot of sacrifices, until the Palestinian flag flies from the walls, minarets and churches of Jerusalem."
"I will never allow a single Israeli to live among us on Palestinian land"
And yet we support him with $$$. Perpetual war machine at it's finest.
2:17 is absolutely correct...history will, and does, show that no matter what Israel gives in concessions, it is NEVER enough for the Palestinians...the rockets continue to get launched into Israel and terror attacks are unabated. This is historical FACT. Next week, or next month, or next year, the Palestinians will demand MORE and NEW "concessions". They are COMMITTED to the elimination of Israel. Sworn. Dedicated to it. the ONLY thing "concessions" do is make liberals in the USA feel good about helping the poor, oppressed, and picked on Palestinians and bring the enemy closer to their targets. But our President is now on the side on the Palestinians (to show the world what a "fair" and "wise" man he is). Israel, like the USA, is in deep trouble.
Israelis and Palestinians BOTH have mastered the Business of Conflict. Look at the Israelis, they receive each year the Biggest Foreign Aid $$$ package from the United States. No, Neither are intersted in genuine peace. The sooner the world acknowledges that ugly fact, and stop pouring BILLIONS into both their coffers, the quicker both sides will find the will and the "enlightment" for a peaceful resolution. Until then this nausiating conflict will continue!
What do they care? Hillary just gave them another $150M in free money.
We couldn't afford to have her as President.
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