Obama loses another friend
There's a premium on friends in Washington these days, and Barack Obama has apparently lost another one. The meetings are being held amid deep disappointment in Ramallah with the US administration for failing to pressure Israel to halt construction in West Bank settlements and east Jerusalem.I can't recall the US ever committing itself to do something when it was so obvious at the outset that it would be incapable of doing it.
A PA official said that Abbas informed the Fatah committee that he would reject the American call for holding indirect talks with Israel.
Abbas is also expected to seek the backing of Arab League foreign ministers for his position. The ministers have decided to hold a meeting on Wednesday at the request of Abbas to discuss the repercussions of Washington’s failure to convince Israel to renew a moratorium on settlement construction.
Mohammed Shtayyeh, member of the PA negotiating team with Israel, was quoted by AFP as saying that Washington has suggested that the Palestinians resume indirect negotiations with Israel – an indication that the Americans have “nothing to offer.” He also ruled out the possibility that such negotiations would succeed.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior PLO official and close adviser to Abbas, said he expected the PA leadership to reject Washington’s demand to resume the peace talks.
“We don’t want to return to indirect talks to once again discuss agendas for the negotiations because we will then waste another year,” he said.
Abed Rabbo warned that the interests of the superpowers in the region would be affected if an independent Palestinian state is not established. He added that Washington’s credibility has already been undermined as a result of its announcement that it has failed to stop settlement construction.
“This is the first time since the Vietnam War that the US declares its failure,” Abed Rabbo told the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper.
Labels: Barack Obama, Mahmoud Abbas, settlement freeze extension, Yasser Abed Rabbo
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:48 AM
2 Comments:
Here is what the US should do. First, cut off all aid to Palestine. Second, Remove all of our military trainers and the weapons until the PA decides to sit down and negotiate with Israel.
The Palestinians have no interest in making Obama look good and they have no interest in peace with Israel. Given that and Erekat's rejectionist farrago about the "refugees," George Mitchell might as well pack up and go home. There is no optimism even for the pretense the two sides are still talking.
Heh
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