Israel Matzav

They never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity

On Monday morning it's becoming clear that the 'Palestinians' may once again take the opportunity to miss an opportunity. 'Moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen is once again saying he won't negotiate with Israel so long as there is any 'settlement activity' going on.

But while Netanyahu was painting a relatively upbeat picture, Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaineh said that Abbas had sent an "urgent message" to the US administration saying he would not return to the negotiating table with Israel as long as construction in the settlements continued.

While the details of the understandings between Israel and the US regarding settlement construction are being kept very much under wraps, there is little expectation that Israel would agree - or that the US at this point would force - a complete shutdown of all construction beyond the Green Line.

Despite Abbas's threat, a top PA official told The Jerusalem Post that he did not rule out the possibility that Abbas would agree to resuming talks with Israel. The official pointed out that the PA president had come under heavy pressure from the US to retract his earlier decision to boycott the talks unless Israel halted all settlement construction.

Abbas said in his message that Israel's policy of building in the West Bank and Jerusalem was aimed at torpedoing US President Barack Obama's efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East on the basis of two states for two peoples, Abu Rudaineh said.

The spokesman said that reports about plans to build new homes for Jewish families in eastern Jerusalem were designed to thwart talks between Netanyahu and Mitchell.

Chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the Netanyahu government was refusing to resume talks with the Palestinians from the point where they ended under the previous government of Ehud Olmert.

Erekat also accused Israel of failing to fulfill its obligations under the road map plan for peace in the Middle East, especially with regards to freezing settlement construction, including for natural growth in these communities.

What the Americans and the Europeans somehow still don't get is that the 'Palestinians' really don't have any intention of compromising on anything. They assume that they can propose what seem (to them) to be reasonable compromises, and the concessions in those proposals will be pocketed and then the 'Palestinians' will start bargaining again until they get what they want. It's like bargaining in a souk where the bargaining itself is a major part of the game, but unlike the souk where the merchant wants to make a sale, the 'Palestinians' feel no need to reach an agreement.

What could go wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:59 AM