Arab League agrees to direct talks but....
Meeting in Cairo on Thursday, the Arab League decided that it would back 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Earlier Thursday, the Qatari prime minister announced the Arab League's decision, saying that the Arab League would support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas if he decided to enter direct talks with Israel.Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Barak dutifully expressed their satisfaction with the League's decision.
Asked whether the league would back direct talks, Jassim said: "Of course, there is agreement, but agreement over the principles of what will be discussed and the manner of the direct negotiations."
It would be up to Abbas to decide whether to hold talks, based on whatever conditions he sees fit, Jassim said.
Jassim added that he was "full of doubts" about Israel's seriousness regarding final status negotiations.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday also welcomed the Arab League announcement. The prime minister declared that he would be willing to enter into "direct and honest peace talks" within days, adding that "by way of direct negotiations, a speedy peace agreement can be achieved."The talks aren't going to be starting just yet.
Barak, currently in Washington for a series of meetings with top administration officials, said that "only direct negotiations can bring a peace agreement and a solution of two states for two peoples."
"Negotiations will require difficult and brave decisions from both sides," Barak added. "I hope that the Palestinians understand that."
The U.S. has for the last few months been mediating indirect negotiations between the two sides, but the Palestinian leader said he would only move toward direct talks if Israel agrees to a complete halt in settlement construction and accepts a Palestinian state in territories seized in the 1967 Six Day War - the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.On Wednesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu told Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos that accepting an extension to the 'settlement freeze' would likely bring about the collapse of his government. As to the demand to return to the 1949 armistice lines - that would be a non-starter regardless of who is in power.
"When I receive written assurances [about] accepting the 1967 border and halting the settlement [building], I will go immediately to the direct talks," Abbas was quoted as saying in remarks reported by Egypt's state-owned news agency Thursday.
Don't hold your breath waiting for these talks to happen.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:17 AM
5 Comments:
The talks are not going to happen because the Palestinians want an advance undertaking from Israel to give them everything they want without their having to make any concessions in exchange. The conditions the Palestinians have placed on direct talks make them impossible for Israel to consent to.
So what the Arab League agreed to is an empty formality and means nothing without Palestinian agreement to actually negotiate with Israel. Don't hold your breath waiting for them to make good on it.
Gotta disagree with NormanF. Bibi would sell away his mother if he got the right offer and the pressure was too much to bear.
Beware!
Gotta disagree with NormanF. Bibi would sell out his grandmother for the right price or if the pressure got to be too much.
Beware!
It's better for Israel if Abu Mazen never agrees to direct talks at all.
Israel would be outnumbered by enemies in a room with Abu Mazen and George Mitchell.
Abu Mazen sees this as his last chance to force Israel to make the suicidal concessions that Arafat wanted.
By the way, when Abu Mazen says that he is willing to make an exchange of territory, he's not talking about giving up the large settlement blocs. He uses the words "equal size and value" when he talks about the exchange of territories. The settlement blocs are worth a fortune of investment and development.
Abu Mazen would only be willing to exchange empty lands.
He's a liar when he implies otherwise.
The Palestinians have made it very clear the only peace they will accept is an Israeli surrender.
A series of demands that requires Israel to accept them unaltered is not a negotiation. It is an ultimatum. And Israel should reject it.
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