Israel Matzav

Pass the popcorn: 'Palestinians' seethe over month-long delay in terrorist release

The 'Palestinians' are seething over a report that US Secretary of State John FN Kerry wants to delay the release of the third group of 'Palestinian' terrorists by a month in order to work out an arrangement involving an Israeli presence in the Jordan Valley after a 'peace treaty.'

However, PA officials who spoke to NRG/Maariv on Sunday said that the PA negotiating team has received an unexpected message from Kerry, according to which the next release - scheduled for the end of December - will be postponed by one month.

According to these officials, Kerry is using the terrorist release as a means of pressuring Abbas, after the PA Chairman rejected all of Kerry’s offers regarding security in the Jordan Valley.

The officials added that Kerry is determined make progress in the peace talks by January, and as such is planning to postpone the third phase of the release of the prisoners, as a way of “persuading” the PA to accept his proposed security arrangements.

Wow. That's the first time that anyone has pressured the 'Palestinians' to do anything since... wait for it... George W. Bush on June 24, 2002. (Don't tell Obama that or he'll make Kerry take it back).

Peace requires a new and different Palestinian leadership, so that a Palestinian state can be born.

I call on the Palestinian people to elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror. I call upon them to build a practicing democracy, based on tolerance and liberty. If the Palestinian people actively pursue these goals, America and the world will actively support their efforts. If the Palestinian people meet these goals, they will be able to reach agreement with Israel and Egypt and Jordan on security and other arrangements for independence.

And when the Palestinian people have new leaders, new institutions and new security arrangements with their neighbors, the United States of America will support the creation of a Palestinian state whose borders and certain aspects of its sovereignty will be provisional until resolved as part of a final settlement in the Middle East. 

...

Today, Palestinian authorities are encouraging, not opposing, terrorism. This is unacceptable. And the United States will not support the establishment of a Palestinian state until its leaders engage in a sustained fight against the terrorists and dismantle their infrastructure. This will require an externally supervised effort to rebuild and reform the Palestinian security services. The security system must have clear lines of authority and accountability and a unified chain of command. 

From the 'Palestinian' reaction, Kerry really is pressuring them.

Issa Karaka, PA Minister of Prisoner Affairs, said that while an official confirmation of the postponement has yet to be made, there are definite American pressures in that direction. Karaka added that Abbas told Kerry in their meeting last week that he refuses the proposed postponement, saying the matter could negatively impact peace talks with Israel.

Kerry's delay is seen as meant to pressure the PA into accepting Kerry's proposed Jordan Valley security arrangements made last week, which PA officials say Abbas rejected as they would not have prevented Israelis from living in the area.

Meanwhile Yasser Abed Rabbo, a top Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) official, told AFP that Kerry's Jordan Valley proposals "will drive Kerry's efforts to an impasse and to total failure."

To date 52 of the 104 terrorists slated for release in "gestures" to keep peace talks going have gone free. The third batch of terrorist releases was set to occur in three weeks, although the new reports leave the timing unclear.

In late November a senior Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) official revealed that the PA is remaining in peace talks only to free all 104 terrorists.

On the flip side of Kerry's pressure on the PA, there are concerns that the US may pressure Israel to concede to Jordan Valley arrangements lessening or removing Israeli presence in the region.

I'm hoping that the 'Palestinians' walk away. I don't believe that the Obama administration will suddenly have an epiphany and support Israel if the 'Palestinians' walk away, but I do believe that it will at least force them to take time to regroup - time that could bring us to the end of the Obama administration.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Abu Mazen, Barack Hussein Obama, Issa Qaraqi, John Kerry, Jordan Valley, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome, Palestinian terrorists, Yasser Abed Rabbo

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:15 PM