Monday, August 23, 2010

The Pre-Conditional Peace

On August 15, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out any "preconditions" ahead of an expected invitation to direct peace talks with the Palestinians that may be based on a complete settlement halt.

But the other side has another opinion:-
Abbas to quit talks if settlements go on

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has threatened to pull out of the planned direct talks with Israel unless it halts illegal settlement construction in the West Bank.

“Settlements and peace are two parallels that don't meet,” acting PA Chief Mahmoud Abbas urged the Middle East Peace Quartet on Sunday, The Jerusalem Post reported.

“If Israel continues with the settlement construction, we will withdraw from the talks,” read a letter delivered to the quartet by chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

...Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already re-assured his cabinet that the moratorium will not be renewed, warning that extending the freeze would risk the future of his right-wing coalition cabinet.

Where lies the difference?

Well, precondition are very in:-

The Palestinian Authority is basing its hopes on the Mideast Quartet statement, issued Friday, rather than anything said by American officials, Fatah official Azzam Al-Ahmad said Sunday.

...Al-Ahmad, a Fatah Central Committee member, says that if the US does not adhere to the Quartet statement, "Obama’s invitation will not be more than a dinner party. There will not be real negotiations; they might not even be launched."

While Clinton insists that the talks should renew "without preconditions," the Quartet reaffirmed its commitment to previous statements including one on 19 March which called on both sides to adhere to the Road Map and specifically demanded that Israel "freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth."

Abbas had insisted that talks would not resume without an end to settlement construction in occupied Palestinian territory, a request Netanyahu refused as a "precondition."


This seems to be a very pre-conditional peace.


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1 comment:

Eagle said...

These peace talks between Israel and Palestine are going nowhere indeed. And this is on purpose. The peace talks are organized to give a message to the world that Israel wants peace too but the reality is exactly the opposite!

Eagle.