Olmert made 'final offer' to Abu Mazen; Abu Mazen never answered
Eventually resigning (God willing Monday or Tuesday of next week) Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert told the country today that six months ago he made an 'unprecedented, generous' offer to the 'Palestinian Authority' for a final settlement, and that Abu Mazen never answered the offer (Hat Tip: NY Nana). "There was one point when I put things on the table and offered Abbas something that had never been offered and dealt with the crux of the problem, with the most sensitive issues that touch the most exposed nerves and historical obstacles," Olmert said during a Thursday conference in Herzliya.Everything to this point was reported on the radio here in Israel today. What YNet adds (and the reason I linked the article) are the terms of the offer.
"I told him – 'let's sign.' It was half a year ago and I'm still waiting," he said.
"Sadly, to this day, the prime minister has not recent an answer from Abbas to the generous offer, which was designed to bring an end to negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and bring about the creation of two states for two peoples."
Senior officials said that a meeting of the leaders in the Prime Minister's resident in Jerusalem involved a "final offer to end the conflict." The offer involved a future border between a possible Palestinian state to Israel, involving the eviction of the more than 60,000 settlers living beyond the security barrier in the West Bank – the proposed new border between the two entities. [It's been three and a half years since the government evicted 10,000There is no chance that the 'Palestinians' would accept this offer. It doesn't include their claimed right to demographically overwhelm the remaining state of Israel with 'refugees.' I don't know what ever made the Americans think the 'Palestinians' would accept this or any other offer that does not involve Israel committing suicide.settlersrevenants from Gaza, and most of them still don't have homes or jobs. Can you imagine what would have happened if - God forbid - Olmert had evicted another 60,000? CiJ].
The offer involved a return of 93% of the West Bank, leaving in Israel the large population centers, such as Ariel and Elkanah in the north, Maaleh Adumim in the center, and Jerusalem and Gush Etzion in the south.
Regarding Jerusalem itself, Olmert offered to cede over to the Palestinians the peripheral neighborhoods and the refugee camps surrounding the city, such as Kalandia. The holy sites, whose sovereignty is desired by all faiths, would be determined within an international framework, the prime minister said.
The plan was also presented to the Americans who, according to the Prime Minister's Office, supported the plan. They apparently also expressed optimism that the offer would be acceptable to the Palestinians.
And no, you can bet that Netanyahu will not be bound by this offer.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:18 AM
7 Comments:
And no, you can bet that Netanyahu will not be bound by this offer.
From what you say, Bibi can make the same offer quite safely, since it will just be rejected again.
Carl,
Thanks for the hat tip. When I read that online? [Deleted]
I am glad that you do not think Bibi would be bound by the offer. I have now exhaled.
Call Mahmoud Abbas 'Abu Mazen' or Mahmoud Abbas; a terrorist is a terrorist no matter what they choose to be called. I have some other choice names for him.
Carl's point is the Palestinians will never accept ANY offer that would leave Israel intact. That's the reason the Palestinians turned down Ehud Barak a decade ago at Camp David and that's why they turned down Ehud Olmert's offer six months ago without even a reply. 93% is LESS than what Roger Cohen and Henry Siegman see as the bottom line for a two-state solution and the reason it wasn't enough for the Palestinians is they are not interested in statehood. The bottom line is the Palestinians will not agree to end the conflict on terms acceptable to Israel.
I'll be very happy to see Olmert go but take note: during the Bush presidency, there was much debate over just how much pressure Israel was getting from the US. That Olmert was so willing to surrender all the goods and is now warning the incoming government about the "isolation" Israel will suffer if it does not follow suit suggests there was a lot of arm-twisting going on behind the scenes. With Obama, the US-EU noose can only tighten further. Israel needs some radical rethinking of its short-term and long-term strategic objectives (and partnerships).
Israel should re offer what was presented by that Saint Jimmy Carter...
Let us ALL present the Camp David Accords for the basis of a peace settlement...
a framework agreement establishing a format for the conduct of negotiations for the establishment of an autonomy regime in the West Bank and Gaza.
No where does it say "State"...
What wonderful news, to be free of the Clown Prime Minister at last!
Disgusting that he was permitted to cling to power for so long...
FinanceDoc,
I don't believe Olmert's or Livni's arm was being twisted.
The Raptor,
I'd rather not take that chance.
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