Israel Matzav

Israel agrees to submit proposal on borders and security within three months

Israel has acceded to a request by the Middle East quartet to submit a comprehensive proposal on borders and security within three months. The 'Palestinians' have agreed to do the same.

The statement, put out following separate meetings the Quartet envoys and Quartet representative Tony Blair held in Jerusalem with Israeli and Palestinian officials on Wednesday, said the parties agreed with the Quartet to "come forward with comprehensive proposals on territory and security within three months."

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has been very reticent about presenting a detailed map of where he envisions a future Palestinian state, wary of revealing a key negotiating card before knowing what he can expect in return from the Palestinians on issues such as refugees, Jerusalem and recognition of a Jewish state.

Blair, in an interview he gave earlier this week with the Los Angeles Times, was asked whether either side has provided the quartet with a detailed proposal yet on borders and security.

"The Palestinians, of course, did table a proposal in the last talks that they had in Annapolis [Maryland in 2008 during the Bush administration]. They were detailed, significant proposals, on borders at least, in and around land swaps. This Israeli government has not produced such a proposal, and that's obviously one thing we have to explore with them," he said.

I don't know what Blair means. This is from Soccer Dad's Middle East Media Sampler (which I don't have in html yet, so I need more time than I have now to post it).

What is Blair talking about? In 2008 Israel (PM Olmert) made a detailed offer to Abbas. Abbas rejected it. Is there another proposal that Blair is talking about or did he just reverse reality? (It seems that the proposal being referred to is one made to the Quartet directly. If that's indeed what Blair's talking about - and I've found no indication that such a proposal exists, though I haven't looked very hard - why should it have greater force than a proposal offered by one party to the other?

Good questions.... Back to the first link:

One Israeli government official, when asked about Israel's border proposals, said Jerusalem wanted to "facilitate" the Quartet's efforts to launch direct negotiations without preconditions. He stressed, however, that it was important that the Quartet meetings now don't become a substitute for direct negotiations between the sides, but only as a way to get those talks started.

Blair explained in his interview that what the Quartet was trying to do was get detailed proposals from both sides on borders and security to gauge how wide the gaps between the sides were, and whether there was a basis for negotiation.

What will they do if there is no 'basis for negotiation'? Or worse, what if they come out and say that we have an agreement on borders and security and then the 'Palestinians' say they demand the 'right of return' for millions of 'refugees'? What could go wrong?

Labels: borders and security, Middle East quartet

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:51 PM