Monday, April 8, 2013

Abbas Continues to Impose Preconditions for Negotiating with Israel

Mike L.

According to CAMERA:
Ma'an News Agency and the Jerusalem Post report that during the current talks with US Secretary of State Kerry, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is still demanding preconditions to joining Israel for negotiations. Despite US President Obama's urging Abbas to drop his preconditions, the PA continues to make negotiations contingent on Israeli acquiescence to prior demands, including:

a) halting all construction and renovation within the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem

b) immediately releasiing Palestinian prisoners held in Israel

c) submitting a map of the final borders

d)) turning over parts of Area C, currently under Israeli security and civil control, to Palestinians

e) promising never to withhold Palestinian tax revenues for any reason in the future

According to Ma'an News Agency, the latter two conditions are "incentives" offered by US Secretary of State Kerry to the Palestinian leader to encourage him " to return to direct negotiations with Israel."

As President Obama's stated during his recent visit to the region in March, "If the expectation is that we can only have direct negotiations when everything is settled ahead of time, then there is no point for negotiations..."

Indeed, with all the demands made of Israel prior to negotiating with Israel, what is left to negotiate? And will anyone in the mainstream take note?
I've never heard of an oppressed people so reluctant to gain their own freedom and autonomy.  It's very strange, actually.  We in the west are told that the "Palestinians" are an oppressed people under the boot of Israeli control and occupation and, yet, after so many decades and so many offers for a state of their own the "Palestinians" not only refuse to accept a state for themselves on Jewish land in peace next to Israel, but even refuse to negotiate the matter.

Tell me, just how oppressed can a people be if their leadership absolutely refuses to give up that alleged oppression?  One would think that given the horrors and humiliations of living under occupation that the Palestinian-Arabs would be eager for their freedom, but not so much, really.

One begins to wonder if just maybe something else is afoot other than the quest for "Palestinian" autonomy and peace.  One begins to get the impression that maybe, just maybe, their goals are not quite what they tell us they are.  Surely if Mahmoud Abbas and his people wanted a state for themselves in peace next to the Jewish one they would be willing to negotiate the matter without throwing up road blocks to those negotiations.

I feel reasonably certain, for example, that if China were willing to negotiate a Tibetan state that the Tibetan leadership would leap at the opportunity of freedom and, yet, somehow, the Palestinians do not seem the least little bit eager to gain their freedom and autonomy in a state of their own in peace next to Israel.

How odd.

Maybe they actually want something else.

3 comments:

  1. And the only sane course of action for Israel is to say they agree to everything - go to the meeting and then suddenly walk out. Abbas claimed he was looking for an agreement before the agreement not actual implementation. So fine, agree to anything, then turn on your heels and walk out. Or pretend to entertain them for a few days while they chatter and pound the table. And THEN walk out. It really doesn't matter.

    In a practical sense they could 'stop' all construction for a week or two, they could move all the terrorist prisoners to some other holding area 'pending release', they could scribble a map of some kind, give them a timeline for Area C and promise whatever they like for taxes.

    So what? Walk into the meeting and then when Abbas screams about something and threatens to walk out, just beat him to it. And if John Kerry complains tell him all the prisoners are going to be put on planes and dropped somewhere in the US.

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    1. Well, drop 'em in care of Mr. Kerry, who certainly has the room and the money to take care of them...

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    2. The point to any negotiation is never entertain your opponent with more good faith than they have. It's a sucker bet.

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