Israel Matzav

Expect a delay

There's going to be a delay in the 'peace talks' and in John Kerry's 'framework.' What a surprise....

Kerry and his team have suggested publishing a framework for negotiations going forward that the parties would collectively roll out before the April 29 deadline. But the Americans now view the hard date they originally set out to be "artificial," and suggest that even the framework may need more time, given some important gaps that still remain.

Any deadline they set for these 'negotiations' is artificial. I said that from the beginning.

One of those gaps is Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' refusal to recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland, a precondition for a two-state solution set by Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. Abbas told The New York Times over the weekend that he would refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

"This is out of the question," he said, when asked about the issue.

Netanyahu took note of this response in the Likud faction meeting in the Knesset on Monday, saying that Abbas' negative response came even though "he knows that there will not be an agreement without recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people." The Prime Minister dismissed as "absurd" the notion Israel will sign an agreement recognizing a nation-state for the Palestinian people, without a mutual recognition by the Palestinians of Israel as the nation-state of the Jews.

"Now let's see if those same elements in the international community who until now have placed pressure only on Israel, will make clear to the Palestinians what exactly the ramifications will be for the them if there will not be an agreement," he said. "Without the Palestinians understanding that they will pay a price for a lack of continuation of the talks , they will prefer not to continue the talks," he said.

Netanyahu did not discuss another element of the Times interview with Abbas, namely the Palestinian leader's suggestion that an American-led NATO force patrol the future Palestinian state indefinitely, and that the IDF withdraw after a five year transition period. Abbas said the NATO force could be stationed throughout the future state, both on its eastern and western borders, at border crossings, and in Jerusalem.

 Read the whole thing. I'm sure you'll be shocked... at how stupid Obama and Kerry were to think this could be resolved in nine months in the first place.

Labels: Abu Mazen, Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, John Kerry, Middle East peace process

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:13 PM