Israel Matzav

Desperation time in Ramallah

'Moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen seems to be getting desperate as the United States thus far refuses to at least abstain in a UN Security Council vote condemning Israeli 'settlements.'

On Friday, Abu Mazen 'revealed' (again) that he and then-Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert reached an agreement for a 'Palestinian state' within the 1967 borders.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas revealed that he had reached an understanding with former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that Jerusalem would not be divided, Israel Radio reported on Saturday.

According to an interview with Abbas on Al-Jazeera TV on Friday, an understanding was reached regarding the borders of a Palestinian state, which would be based upon 1967 borders with minor adjustments and land exchange areas, and would include third party representatives stationed within the new founded state.

The report also stated that the agreement maintained that Jerusalem would remain open to all religions and would consist of two municipalities working side by side. Abbas did not discuss the issue of sovereignty over the Temple Mount.

Abu Bluff called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to agree to what Olmert (who was already on his way out by then) 'negotiated.'

Abbas called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to agree to his predecessor's understanding, which he emphasized could be the basis for renewing negotiations, the report stated.

Well, why bother negotiating if we're going to agree to all that? What's left to negotiate? How many millions of 'Palestinian refugees' we will allow to overrun what's left of Israel? And by the way, there's one small fact Abu Bluff isn't telling you. He's likely describing what Olmert offered (Olmert was desperate for a deal at the time), but Abu Bluff rejected that deal as not good enough.

In the same al-Jazeera interview, Abu Bluff warned that failed 'peace negotiations' could lead to another 'popular uprising,' although he ruled out a 'military confrontation' with Israel (if anyone can define the difference between a 'popular uprising' and a 'military confrontation,' please let me know).

On Friday, Abbas told Al- Jazeera that if the peace process fails, “it will have serious repercussions” for the entire region.

He also ruled out the possibility that the Palestinians would unilaterally declare the establishment of a state.

Abbas said that the Palestinians and Israelis had reached understandings during the era of US president George W. Bush that Israel would recognize a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders and that east Jerusalem would become its capital.

The Israeli government had avoided the US president’s attempt to implement those understandings, Abbas said.

He said that he had rejected an offer to conduct secret negotiations with Defense Minister Ehud Barak. He added that he rejected the offer because it did not include Israeli recognition of the June 4, 1967 lines as the borders of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

A spokesman for former prime minister Ehud Olmert said that an offer had been made to Abbas in September 2008, based on the pre-1967borders, that included a six percent land swap.

He said the offer was made within the context of direct negotiations, which had been ongoing between Olmert and Abbas. The Palestinians did not respond to the offer, he added.

Talks between Abbas and Olmert broke down in December 2008, after Israel launched its military strike against Hamas in Gaza known as Operation Cast Lead.

Abu Bluff is also trying to get the American government to recognize the pre-1967 armistice lines as the border of a 'Palestinian state.'

The current round of talks is stalled because the US administration failed to exert enough effort, the president said.

"If the US recognizes the 1967 borders as the borders of the Palestinian state, the PA will resume peace negotiations with Israel."

And how would that recognition would bind Israel? Just sayin'....

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Ehud K. Olmert, George W. Bush, Mahmoud Abbas

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:40 PM