Israel Matzav

'Proximity talks' won't start where Olmert left off

The 'proximity talks' (indirect talks) with the 'Palestinians' will not start where former Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert left off with Abu Mazen in 2008 according to a report in Friday's Jerusalem Post. The question of where the talks would start was one of the major sticking points between the parties.

Olmert offered the Palestinians nearly 94 percent of the West Bank, a land swap to compensate for most of the rest, an arrangement on Jerusalem, and the return of a small number of refugees into Israel as a “humanitarian gesture.”

Abbas rejected the offer, telling The Washington Post in May that the gaps were “too wide.”

The Post has also learned that the proximity talks will not immediately focus primarily on borders, another Palestinian demand, with Israel saying there can be no credible discussion of borders without first knowing what security arrangements will be in place.

That 'small number of refugees' was rumored to be 150,000 over the course of ten years. That's not such a 'small number.'

I don't expect the 'proximity talks' to get anywhere and it's good to hear that we apparently did not give up much to get them. Hopefully, we won't concede anything in them either.

UPDATE 3:49 PM

Hamas is seething over the talks.

Hamas speaker Ahmad Bahar expressed fury Thursday following the Arab League's decision to approve mediated negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. As long as Hamas doe not share power in the Palestinian Authority, negotiations with Israel “would not meet any standards of legitimacy,” Bahar said.

...

Bahar warned PA Chairman Abbas that Hamas supporters would refuse to recognize decisions made in negotiations with Israel as long as Fatah is the sole negotiating party.

Bahar also criticized the Arab League, and suggested that the league reconsider its decision.

Hamas insists that the land Israel is on belongs to the Muslim world, and that the entire land should be given to PA Arabs. The terrorist group has agreed to observe a tadhiya (temporary calm) at various points, but refuses to sign any permanent treaty with Israel, which it does not recognize and to which it refers as “the Zionist entity.”

Heh.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:39 PM