Israel Matzav

Nothing has happened since 1998?

In an interview last Friday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton complained that 'nothing has happened' since 1998 and therefore it is hard for the 'Palestinians' to come back to the conference table.

Rick Richman lists some of the things that have happened since 1998.

(1) In 2000, the Palestinians were offered a state by Israel, and turned it down; (2) in 2001, the Palestinians rejected the Clinton Parameters; (3) in 2002, the U.S. endorsed a Palestinian state if the Palestinians built a practicing democracy (today the putative state is ruled half by a terrorist group and half by a party that hasn’t held an election in nearly six years); (4) in 2003, the Palestinians accepted the Roadmap but have yet to complete any of its three phases; (5) in 2004, Israel adopted a plan to hand over Gaza to the Palestinians; (6) in 2005, Israel removed every settler and soldier from Gaza, which the Palestinians turned into Hamastan in one week; (7) in 2006, the Palestinians elected a terrorist group to control their legislature; (8) in 2007, the U.S. convened the Annapolis conference to “accelerate” the Roadmap; (9) in 2008, after a year of final status negotiations, the Palestinians rejected still another Israeli offer of a state; and (10) in 2009, Israel offered the Palestinians negotiations again, which they refused, and initiated an unprecedented construction moratorium, which they ignored.

A fairer assessment of what has happened since 1998 is that Israel has beaten its head against the wall trying to satisfy the 'Palestinians' while the 'Palestinians' have done nothing but say "no." Maybe it's time to find a new paradigm.

Labels: Hillary Clinton, Palestinian intransigence

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:55 PM