Israel Matzav

Pocketing the concessions

One of the things you learn when you come here is that the region has a different 'negotiating style.' When I did business in the US, we would come down to the last few disagreements in a transaction and split the difference. My guy will concede a, b and c if yours will concede d, e and f. We'd agree, the clients would sign off (secretly, the clients didn't care about most of those issues anyway) and that would be it.

Not here.

If I make an offer like that here, the other side will pocket a, b and c and then say, "but I can't give you d or e either." And then when I concede d and e, they'll tell me that they can't concede f either. Or they'll start retrading a, b and c saying that I didn't give them enough on those points.

And if you think that's true in the business world here (which it often is), it's even more true in real life negotiations here. That's why all political negotiations here are supposed to be based on the notion of "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed," except that once negotiations break down and then re-start the Arab side insists on "starting where we left off." Of course, knowing that's going to happen (all insistence to the contrary that "my offer is off the table" if negotiations break down - remember the Clinton Parameters?) doesn't encourage putting anything on the table with the expectation of being able to take it off. So no one puts anything on the table if they can avoid it.

All of the above is worse when you're negotiating against yourself as Israel has been doing on the Gaza 'embargo.' And the results are predictable. Now that Israel has said that it won't restrict the entry of foods and medicines, but that it will retain some restrictions on the entry of dual use materials and will not allow terrorists in or out... yes, the concessions have been pocketed and now we're being pressed for 'free flow' of terrorists and materials.

Middle East Quartet Envoy Tony Blair said Tuesday that he hopes additional easements of Israel's blockade on the Hamas-controlled Gaza region will be made within the next two weeks and that the gestures will give momentum to the relations between Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. Blair made his statements during a visit to Kerem Shalom Crossing, where he is being hosted by Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot.

And then there's this one.

Turkey is calling Israel's decision to ease the blockade on Gaza a "positive" but "insufficient" step, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Tuesday.

Turkey denounced the blockade as inhumane and urged Israel to lift it entirely, and stated that they will continue their efforts to deliver aid to the region.

The security cabinet on Sunday lifted nearly three years of restrictions on civilian goods allowed into the Gaza Strip, in the hope – according to senior diplomatic sources – that Israel would now have international legitimacy for the more important naval blockade, aimed at keeping out heavy weapons.

What could go wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:17 PM