Netanyahu's office tells Times they're 'deeply disappointed' with Kerry comments
An anonymous official in the Prime Minister's office has told the New York Times that Israel is '
deeply disappointed' with Secretary of State John FN Kerry's comments
blaming Israel for the 'peace talks' collapsing. This is from the first link.
“Secretary
Kerry,” the official in Mr. Netanyahu’s office said, “knows that it was
the Palestinians who said ‘no’ to continued direct talks with Israel in
November; who said ‘no’ to his proposed framework for final status
talks; who said ‘no’ to even discussing recognition of Israel as the
nation-state of the Jewish people; who said ‘no’ to a meeting with Kerry
himself; and who said ‘no’ to an extension of the talks.”
He
added, “At the same time, in the understandings reached prior to the
talks, Israel did not commit to any limitation on construction.
Therefore, the Palestinian claim that building in Jerusalem, Israel’s
capital, was a violation of the understandings is contrary to the facts.
Both the American negotiating team and the Palestinians know full well
that Israel made no such commitment.”
He could have added that both the 'Palestinians' and the Americans knew full well that Israel never committed to including 'Israeli Arabs' in the fourth terrorist release.
A
Palestinian official close to the negotiations, who also spoke on the
condition of anonymity because of the delicate diplomatic situation,
said in response that Israel was “undermining the American role in the
peace process.” The Palestinian side, he said, “never raised any issue
that is not already an Israeli obligation.”
Israel
is obliged to stop settlement activity, the Palestinian official said,
because it is considered illegal under international law. The Obama
administration has described the settlements as “illegitimate.”
Israel has never accepted the notion that 'settlement activity' is illegal under international law, and no President other than Carter and Obama (modern history's two greatest failures) has called the 'settlements' illegitimate.
Israel’s
failure to release the fourth batch of prisoners, the Palestinian
official added, violated an American-brokered agreement. As for
extending the talks, he said, Israel has so far “clearly shown no
interest” in trying to reach an agreement establishing a Palestinian
state alongside Israel.
It was the 'Palestinians' who insisted that the fourth group of terrorists include 'Israeli Arabs.' Israel never agreed to that, and if Kerry told the 'Palestinians' otherwise,
he lied. The 'Palestinians' then threatened to cut off talks if Israel didn't release 'Israeli Arabs' as part of the fourth terrorist release. So why release more murderers and then have the talks cut off anyway.
Not to mention that the 'Palestinians' never negotiated in good faith and never tired of telling the media that they were only continuing the talks to get the terrorists released.
While the details of the negotiations have been kept secret at Mr.
Kerry’s insistence, little progress appeared to have been made, with the
sides stuck over fundamental issues like borders, security, the future
of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees and Israel’s demand for
Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.
The 'negotiations' have not gone anywhere anyway. And that was predicted by many (including me) from the outset. We ought to be more than disappointed by Kerry's comments. But did anyone really expect this administration to place the blame anyplace else?
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, gestures, John Kerry, Middle East peace process, Palestinian terrorists, unilateral concessions
You mean we didn't do this already?
'
Moderate' '
Palestinian' President
Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen is concerned that Israel will respond to his unilateral moves at the United nations by cutting off 'his'
tax money.
Looking ahead to possible Israeli economic sanctions, ['Palestinian Foreign Minister' Riad al-] Malki said
Tuesday that at the Arab League session, Abbas would voice concern
Israel might again withhold tax revenues it transfers to the Palestinian
Authority.
Interim peace deals task Israel with collecting taxes
and customs duties for the PA amounting to around $100 million a month,
on goods imported into the Palestinian territories. Israel has previously frozen the payments during times of heightened security and diplomatic tensions.
Now why didn't we think of that... along with cutting off their water and electricity at least until their
debts to our utilities are paid.
And watch how fast the Arab League runs the other way if anyone actually expects them to put up any money....
Labels: Abu Mazen, Arab League, Israel Electric Corporation, Middle East peace process, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome, Riad al-Malki, unilateral concessions, United Nations
Ouch! Time to wake up John!
CBS's Ben Stein PWN's US Secretary of State John FN Kerry for his handling of the 'peace process.'
Let's go to the videotape.
Transcript
here.
Excellent.
Labels: gestures, Israel's right to exist, John Kerry, Jonathan Pollard, Middle East peace process, unilateral concessions
Abu Mazen tells Kerry to beg
Khaled Abu Toameh writes that '
moderate' '
Palestinian' President
Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen is
waiting for US Secretary of State John FN Kerry to beg him to come back to the 'peace talks.'
Abbas dispatched Erekat to the meeting to see what the Americans and
Israelis are prepared to offer him in return for suspending this bid.
So far, however, Abbas does not seem to be satisfied with what his
emissary, Erekat, heard from Indyk and Livni. Abbas is therefore
expected to step up pressure on the two parties in the coming days and
weeks, if he can, in the hope of extracting as many concessions as
possible.
Abbas and the Palestinian Authority leadership have concluded that
the Obama Administration is prepared to do almost anything to show some
kind of a "victory" in the peace process between Palestinians and
Israelis. Palestinian demands have therefore continued to increase
almost every day.
Realizing how desperate Kerry is to achieve an extension of the
talks, Abbas decided that this was the right time to set new conditions,
such as the release of jailed Fatah militia leader Marwan Barghouti and
Ahmed Sa'adat, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine. Barghouti is in prison for his role in
terrorist attacks against Israelis during the second intifada. Sa'adat
is serving a lengthy prison term for his role in the assassination of
Israel's Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi.
As Kerry increased his pressure on the Palestinians to agree to an
extension, Abbas added two more conditions: the release of hundreds of
Palestinian prisoners and a complete cessation of construction in
settlements and east Jerusalem neighborhoods.
Abbas has also made it clear
that his decision to join international organizations and treaties does
not mean that he is interested in a "clash" with the U.S.
Administration.
Abbas is right. Of course he does not want a "clash" with President
Barack Obama and Kerry.
Rather, Abbas wants the two men to continue
begging him not to walk out of the peace process and turn their entire
Middle East policy into another blunder. He wants them to exert pressure
on the Israeli government to accept both his old and new demands.
Abbas apparently thinks he is moving in the right direction, and that
Obama and Kerry have no choice but to accept his demands and intensify
U.S. pressure on Israel. Abbas does not want totally to walk out of the
peace talks at this stage. He feels that he can still extract further
concessions from the Israelis and Americans, and that his decision to
join 15 international organizations and treaties has left the U.S.
Administration in a state of panic that the peace talks might fail. Now
he is waiting to see what price Obama and Kerry are willing to pay to
avoid that scenario.
Charles Krauthammer writes that the problem is that US policy was based on
wishful thinking in the first place.
Instead of trying to stave off the U.N. bid with the release of
Palestinian terrorists and an American spy, perhaps the administration
could simply stop fighting Congress, which developed a far more
effective method. Under law, any U.N. agency that recognizes “Palestine” has its U.S. funds cut off.
The Obama administration keeps trying to restore funding for UNESCO,
which in 2011 defied the U.S.
by recognizing Palestine. What kind of signal is this to the rest of the
world? Financial sanctions are precisely the kind of pressure that can
support diplomacy. Yet this administration seems intent on removing
sanctions that might thwart Palestinian moves toward unilateral
statehood, the latest Palestinian strategy for getting land without
offering peace.
Well yeah. But most agencies don't get enough US money to make a difference all by itself.
Labels: Abu Mazen, Barack Hussein Obama, gestures, John Kerry, Middle East peace process, unilateral concessions
It's come to this: Kerry throws in the towel
US Secretary of State John FN Kerry has apparently
thrown in the towel on talks between Israel and the 'Palestinians.'
"You can facilitate, you can push, you can nudge, but the parties
themselves have to make fundamental decisions to compromise," Kerry said
in Algiers at the start of a trip to North Africa on Thursday.
"The leaders have to lead, and they have to be able to see a moment
when it's there," he added, showing signs of frustration after his
months-long peace efforts appeared to be in tatters.
He said talks were facing a "critical moment".
Negotiating teams from the US, Israel and the PA met late Wednesday
to try to chart a path forward after both sides took steps Washington has criticized as "unhelpful."
"There's an old saying, 'You can lead a horse to water but you can't
make it drink,'" Kerry said at the Algerian foreign ministry.
"Now's the time to drink; the leaders need to know that."
He added that the United States remained committed to the talks, and
said that after the trilateral meeting on Wednesday discussions would
continue.
Kerry did say, however, that there had been progress in overnight talks
between Israeli and PA negotiators, which stretched until 4:00 am (0100
GMT), but stressed that "there is still a gap and that gap needs to
close fairly soon."
But Maan reports that the lengthy session between Israeli negotiations chief Tzipi Livni and 'Palestinian' chief
negotiator bottle washer Saeb Erekat was '
heated.'
Palestinian sources told Ma'an that the nine-hour meeting with US
Special Envoy Martin Indyk was attended by PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat,
Head of Palestinian intelligence Majid Faraj, and Israeli negotiators
Tzipi Livni and Yitzhak Molcho.
The sources described the meeting
as a "fierce political battle", with Martin Indyk struggling to control
heated exchanges between both sides.
Erekat reportedly told the
Israeli side that "we are here to negotiate in the name of the
UN-recognized State of Palestine, not in the name of a Palestinian
Authority whose inputs and outputs are controlled by Israel."
Israeli negotiators responded by threatening to put "endless" sanctions on the Palestinians, the sources said.
During the heated exchanges, US special envoy Martin Indyk reiterated his support for Israel's security.
Majid
Faraj responded by stressing that the Palestinians were there for
"political, not security" talks and to negotiate about Jerusalem as the
future capital of an independent Palestinian state.
Erekat
responded to Israeli threats of sanctions by saying the PLO would go
after Israeli officials as "war criminals" in international
institutions.
...
"Since Israel failed to release the last group of prisoners, the State
of Palestine is no longer obliged to postpone its rights to accede to
multilateral treaties and conventions," the PLO said in a statement
Wednesday.
"Despite the escalation of oppressive Israeli policies
such as the killing of Palestinian civilians, settlement construction,
raids on vulnerable communities, arbitrary arrests and detentions, home
demolitions and the removal of residency rights, we remained committed
to the negotiations process and supported US efforts," it added.
What needs to be said - but is not being said enough - is that the real reason these 'talks' are falling apart is because Israel has done nothing but give and the 'Palestinians' have done nothing but receive. That's why Israel refused to release the fourth batch of terrorists. It decided it would rather let the talks blow up now than have them - inevitably - blow up in a month, after the precedent of releasing 'Israeli Arabs' on the 'Palestinian Authority's say-so had been set.
Do I get to say 'I told you so' yet?
Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, gestures, Israeli Arab, John Kerry, Martin Indyk, Middle East peace process, Palestinian terrorists, Saeb Erekat, Tzipi Livni, unilateral concessions
Of course: The 'Palestinians' say it's blackmail so Israel sweetens the deal
It goes without saying.
The 'Palestinians' rejected as '
blackmail' an Israeli
proposal to release 420 terrorists to be chosen by Israel and partially freeze 'settlement' construction in exchange for the 'Palestinians' continuing talks and the United States releasing
hostage Jonathan Pollard from confinement.
So Israel has
sweetened the deal.
A reported American offer revealed to Arutz Sheva on Tuesday,
by which Jonathan Pollard would be released in exchange for over 400
Israeli-held Arab terrorists, including arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti,
was sharply denounced by Judea and Samaria's Yesha Council.
Yes, that's right. Lifer x 5 Marwan Barghouti (the cockroach in the middle) is now part of the deal.
In response to the plans, Yesha Council released a statement on
Tuesday afternoon, declaring "the submission to Arab blackmail and
American bribery through the use of Pollard is a disgrace. Freezing
building and freeing murderers is not a new patent."
"The government of Israel has already frozen (building) and released
murderers several times, but the Palestinian leadership isn't interested
in peace, but rather steps up its demands and requests more and more
murderers," noted the statement.
Yesha Council strongly denounced the "extortion," calling on
government ministers to oppose the "shameful deal," and in doing so "not
to submit to American pressure and bribery."
The statement clarified the Council's ardent desire for Pollard's
release, but noted "making the joy of the day of his release dependent
on the mourning of the bereaved families whose loved ones' murderers are
released is an unforgivable act."
"The Palestinians are extorting, the Americans are bribing, and the
one paying the price is the government of Israel in the name of us, the
citizens," concluded the council.
The 'Palestinians' agree. They are proud of their successful blackmail.
Let's go to the videotape.
But there's more to it than that. The 'Palestinians' aren't at the table to make peace. They're at the table to
release terrorists.
Senior PA leader Nabil
Shaath explained already in November and again in December 2013, that
the reason the PA has not "stopped negotiations," is because the PA
wants to first fulfill its goal of having all the prisoners Israel
arrested before the Oslo Accords released.
Israel
agreed to release the 104 terrorists from prison because it was the
Palestinian Authority's precondition for starting negotiations at all.
But Fatah's spokesman calling the release of the prisoners "blackmail,"
together with Shaath's statement that they are just waiting for the
prisoners to be released before they stop the negotiations, indicates that for the PA, the current round of peace talks may have been a charade.
Israel has already released 78 of the prisoners, and has not yet announced if it will release the remaining 26.
And Obama-Kerry are the 'Palestinians' willing lackeys. I hope they share Arafat's fate.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, gestures, John Kerry, Jonathan Pollard, Marwan Barghouti, Middle East peace process, Nabil Sha'ath, negotiations without preconditions, Palestinian terrorists, unilateral concessions
As odious as this deal sounds, I doubt the 'Palestinians' will agree to it
The JPost has
details of the 'deal' for Jonathan Pollard's release before Passover, and I'm reproducing them below. The highlights in the list are the reasons why I think the 'Palestinians' won't go for this deal.
1) Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard will be released before the first Passover seder on Monday April 14.
2.
The negotiations will continue into 2015, during which time the
Palestinians will committ themselves not to engage in diplomatic warfare
against Israel by going to international organizations for recognition.
3)
Israel will release the fourth batch of 26 Palestinians convicted of
terror acts before the 1993 Oslo Accords. Some Israeli-Arabs will be
included in the release, although it is not yet certain how many.
4)
Israel will release an additional 400 Palestinian prisoners during the
continuing negotiation period. These prisoners will be picked by Israel,
will include many minors and women, and will not include those with
"blood on their hands."
5) Israel will "exercise restraint" in
releasing government tenders for new homes in the West Bank. This policy
will not include Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem beyond the Green
Line. This policy will also exclude public building projects such as
roads. Israel has rejected a total settlement freeze.
No definition of what "restraint" exactly means was provided.
I will guarantee you that the 'Palestinians' will reject this proposal before the end of the day.
Kerry has left the country. Good riddance!
Labels: Jonathan Pollard, Judea and Samaria, Middle East peace process, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome, Palestinian terrorists, settlement freeze, unilateral concessions
Jodi loves terrorists
Jodi Rudoren writes an incredible puff piece
humanizing a 'Palestinian' murderer who was released as part of the 'peace talks.' The terrorist murdered a 72-year old Holocaust survivor in cold blood in 1993. A few highlights and comments.
Demonized
as terrorists by Israelis and lionized as freedom fighters by
Palestinians, prisoners like Mr. Salah have become a flash point in the
troubled peace talks, whose continuation hinges on whether a promised fourth group is let go in the coming days. Amid the charged debate,
these middle-aged men — 69 of them convicted of murder, 54 escaping
life sentences — have begun to rebuild disrupted lives. They are earning
their first driver’s licenses, leveraging $50,000 grants from the
Palestinian Authority to build apartments or start businesses, searching
for wives and struggling to start families.
Mr.
Salah was flush with more than $100,000 saved from the Palestinian
Authority’s monthly payments to prisoners’ families. He remodeled and
refurnished his mother’s home. He bulldozed the rocky slope out back and
built a 2,400-square-foot pen for livestock. He invested in a Nablus
money-changing storefront in December, and, last month, bought his first
car, a silver 2007 Kia Pride.
But
he still wakes at 5 a.m., as he had to for the prison count. He makes
coffee in an electric kettle like the one he had in his cell. The day
before his wedding, Mr. Salah and one of his brothers got threatening
phone calls from a man who gave his name as Moshe and spoke in Hebrew.
“He
told me, ‘I will kill him, kill his wife, and shoot you and all his
family,’ ” said the brother, Muhammad. “He told me, ‘I know where you
live, in Burqa, and Burqa is next to Sebastia.’ ”
If
Charles Manson is ever released from prison, will the Times do a story about his difficulties in adjusting to life outside prison? With the Times, one can never be 100% sure, but somehow I doubt it.
Hearing
about Mr. Salah’s new life was unsettling for Ms. Harris [the daughter of Salah's victim, 72-year old Israel Tenenbaum HY"D - May God Avenge his blood. CiJ], who is 56 and
works as a special-education teacher. “If he was an anonymous
character, it would be easier,” she said.
But
while most Israelis — and certainly most victims’ relatives — oppose
the prisoner releases, Ms. Harris said of her family, “If it advances
the peace process, we all support even the release of this murderer.”
And it's this kind of insanity that drives just enough of a wedge in Israeli society to allow terrorists to be released. You're willing to let your father's murderer be released if it 'advances the peace process' - whatever that means. I haven't seen anything that advanced the 'peace process' - certainly not in the last 20 years. Why do we continue to fool ourselves?
The only good news here is that Salah - who is still only 47 - says he won't participate in the next intifada.
“I’m away from the conflict now,” he said. “I’ve paid the tax in full.
If tomorrow there is a third intifada, I’ll sit on this couch, and watch
it on TV.”
Let's see if he sticks to that one.
Releasing terrorists from prison is insane. Even if they don't go back to their former lives, the message being sent to future generations of terrorists is not one that Israel can abide.
And as to the Times, it's long past time for them to stop lionizing murderers.
Labels: gestures, Jodi Rudoren, Middle East peace process, Palestinian terrorists, unilateral concessions
Surreal: Abu Bluff offers to extend talks to end of 2014 in exchange for 1,000 terrorists of his choosing
The Times of Israel reports that '
moderate' '
Palestinian' President
Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen has offered to extend the 'talks' with Israel through the end of 2014 in exchange for the
release of 1,000 'Palestinian' terrorists of his choosing.
On Saturday, The Times of Israel learned from a
Palestinian source that Jerusalem, backed by Washington, offered to
release 400 more prisoners of Israel’s choosing, in addition to a fourth
and final group of longtime terrorism convicts who were set to go free
this weekend – on the condition that the Palestinian Authority agrees to
prolong the ongoing negotiations beyond the April 29 deadline.
However, on Sunday, the Palestinian leadership
rejected the offer and presented a counteroffer of its own to American
mediators – that Israel release 1,000 more prisoners, of the Palestinian
Authority’s choosing. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
also demanded that Israel freeze settlement construction and transfer
some Area C regions to the Palestinian Authority’s control.
In exchange, peace talks would be extended until the end of 2014.
Although the Palestinian leadership rejected
Israel’s offer, which was an attempt to at least partially fill Abbas’s
prerequisites for the extension of talks, the Palestinian Authority was
holding intensive talks Sunday to discuss the matter further.
Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, who
has resigned several times since peace talks started up again in July
under US mediation, said Sunday that he was still holding secret talks
with Jerusalem and Washington, far from the public eye.
...
Saturday’s
offer had stipulated that Israel would determine which additional 400
security prisoners would go free, Palestinian sources said. The demand
was rejected by the Palestinian leadership, which insisted on
determining which prisoners would be freed.
Israel is said to be holding close to 5,000 Palestinian security prisoners.
Netanyahu has all the backbone of a pretzel soaked in warm water overnight, but I do not see his own party - let alone Jewish Home - going along with this.
Labels: Abu Mazen, Binyamin Netanyahu, gestures, Middle East peace process, Palestinian terrorists, Saeb Erekat, unilateral concessions
'Palestinians': Israel to release 4th trache of terrorists within 48 hours, no additional concessions
'Palestinian' news site al-Quds is reporting that Israel will
release the 4th tranche of 26 'Palestinian' terrorists by Tuesday evening without the 'Palestinians' making additional concessions to Israel. If that is true, the names of the terrorists to be released would have to be posted on the Prisons' Authority website on Sunday evening.
"It seems that the efforts paid off and there will be a release of
the prisoners," the unnamed source said to be familiar with the
negotiating process told the Palestinian news site.
Earlier Sunday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that haggling on the issue could go on for "a number of days."
Speaking
at a meeting of Likud ministers, Netanyahu said that Israel would not
make a deal to free the prisoners "without a clear benefit for Israel in
return." He acknowledged that negotiations to come to an agreement
could potentially "blow up."
...
Saeb Erekat, the PLO’s chief negotiator, said that both sides are
still negotiating the scale and composition of the prisoner release,
though he added that the Palestinians did not see any linkage between
the release and the continuation of the negotiations.
Nonetheless,
Palestinian sources in Ramallah told Israel Radio that there would be
no discussion of future negotiations without the fourth installment of
the prisoner release, which should include Israeli Arabs. The Israeli
government has so far refused to consider freeing Israeli citizens
convicted of terrorist acts.
On Saturday, the United States charged Israel with
violating the terms of the original agreement reached between Israel and the Palestinians at the start of talks nine months ago regarding terrorist releases.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, gestures, Middle East peace process, Palestinian terrorists, Saeb Erekat, unilateral concessions
Netanyahu: No terrorist release without 'clear benefit' to Israel
Prime Minister Netanyahu told a meeting of Likud ministers on Sunday that Israel will not release any more terrorists without a '
clear benefit.'
Speaking at a meeting of Likud ministers, Netanyahu said that Israel
would not make a deal to free the prisoners "without a clear benefit for
Israel in return." He acknowledged that negotiations to come to an
agreement could potentially "blow up."
Israel said it is willing to release a fourth batch of convicted Palestinian terrorists,
but not if the Palestinians say that they will end the negotiations
directly after the release, a highly-placed Israeli official said
Saturday night.
The official, familiar with the negotiations, said
“Israel wants to see the continuation of the peace talks with the
Palestinians, and is willing to implement the fourth release of
convicted terrorists. But the Palestinians are making that very
difficult when they say that immediately following the release, they
will end the talks.”
...
An Israeli official said that the Palestinians also did not live up to
their commitments under the framework, including to engage in serious
and good faith negotiations.
Meanwhile, '
moderate' '
Palestinian' President
Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen is trying to get Fatah Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti onto the list of terrorists to be released. Barghouti is serving five life sentences for murder.
The wife of Marwan Barghouti, a senior member of Abbas’s Fatah party
who is serving five life sentences for planning numerous terror attacks
against Israelis, stated Sunday that Palestinian Authority Chairman
Mahmoud Abbas is campaigning for the terrorist's release.
Barghouti has been named as a possible successor
for Abbas, who is under increasing pressure in the political sphere to
both sign an agreement with Israel and ascertain Palestinian nationalist
rights.
Barghouti is one of the PA's most dangerous terrorists, according to experts, and he has threatened Israel with
a third intifada, albeit an unarmed one from his jail cell. He declared
that “would not give up and I claim that the right of return is a
sacred right of the Palestinians.”
Someone please find Netanyahu's backbone quickly so that there will actually be a chance that he sticks to that demand.
Labels: Abu Mazen, Binyamin Netanyahu, gestures, Marwan Barghouti, Middle East peace process, Palestinian terrorists, unilateral concessions
Report: Israel refusing to release last tranche of terrorists
The 'Palestinians' are reporting that Israel has
refused to release the fourth and final tranche of terrorists on Saturday night as scheduled.
"The Israeli government has informed us through the American mediator
that it will not abide with its commitment to release the fourth batch
of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday 29," PA
official Jibril Rajoub told AFP.
"Israel has refused to commit to the names that were agreed upon
of prisoners held by Israel since before the 1993 Oslo agreements,"
added Rajoub, calling the move a "slap in the face of the US
administration and its efforts."
Rajoub reiterated PA threats to take unilateral moves for
recognition at the UN next week, in breach of conditions of the peace
talks, due to the release not occurring. "Not releasing the prisoners
will mark the beginning of the efforts in the international community to
challenge the legality of the occupation," threatened the PA official.
Israel has already released 78 of the 104 terrorists it committed to release. The talks have gone nowhere, and the 'Palestinians' are continuing them only to gain the release of additional terrorists.
Israel Radio reported early this morning that the release would be delayed because under the procedure fixed by the Supreme Court, the names have to be released 48 hours in advance - not including the Sabbath - in order to allow the families of the terrorists' victims to appeal the release. The appeal is pro forma anyway - none have ever been granted - but the government must still comply with the procedure. As of this morning, no names had been released by the Prisons Service.
Anyone could have foreseen this result. But of course Obama and Kerry didn't.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, gestures, Jibril Rajoub, John Kerry, Middle East peace process, Palestinian terrorists, Supreme Court, terror victims, unilateral concessions
Hypocrisy: US asks Israel not to release murderers of Americans, only murderers of Israelis
MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud) told a Knesset Interior committee hearing considering terrorist releases on Wednesday that the United States asked that Israel
not release any terrorists who have the blood of American citizens on their hands. But releasing terrorists with Israeli blood on their hands is not only okay with Obama-Kerry - it's encouraged and even forced.
"A crazy situation is taking place in which terrorists enter prison with
the understanding that it is only a matter of time until American
pressure will lead to their release," MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud Beytenu)
said.
According to Feiglin, the US asked that Israel not release anyone who
killed American citizens. The Likud Beytenu MK called for the government
to reject the request.
As a potential 'beneficiary' of such a policy, I must ask: Is American Jewish blood redder than Israeli Jewish blood?
Substantively, the three members of the committee who remained in the room after an argument between committee chair Miri Regev (Likud) and MK Bassel Ghattas (Balad) voted to call on Prime Minister Netanyahu not to go through with the release of 'Israeli Arabs' - or at least to release 'Jewish terrorists' if the 'Israeli Arabs' are released.
The three MKs that remained in the room – Regev, Feiglin and MK David
Tsur (Hatnua) – voted that they call on Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu not to release Jewish or Arab security prisoners, but if
Israeli Arabs are freed, then Jews should be, as well.
"We freed
terrorists three times and didn't move forward in negotiations. There is
still terror from Gaza and Abbas does not recognize the State of Israel
as the Jewish State. We need to stop negotiations," the committee
chairwoman said.
Regev also said Netanyahu should not connect the
release of Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard to the release of Palestinian
terrorists.
"We should teach the Americans what national honor
means. They don't release one spy and we don't need to release
murderers," Regev posited. "The comparison between freeing Pollard and
freeing terrorists is not constructive. Pollard should have been
released long ago."
The committee meeting was originally called to
discuss criteria for choosing which prisoners are released, but the
Prime Minister's Office refused to give information on the process and
Prison Services had yet to receive a list of who is set to be freed this
weekend, but said it would include Israeli Arabs.
Regev criticized the PMO for "disrespecting the committee and the
Knesset" and said she plans to propose a bill that will not allow the
government to release security prisoners without authorization from the
Knesset.
I believe that there is supposed to be a separate authorization required for the release of 'Israeli Arabs' anyway. If yes, then the Knesset will have a chance to say its piece.
Labels: gestures, hypocrisy, Israeli Arabs are a fifth column, Miri Regev, Moshe Feiglin, Palestinian terrorists, unilateral concessions
PA 'foreign minister' says 'framework agreement' to be non-binding, 'Palestinians' will apply to UN anyway
'Palestinian Authority' 'foreign minister' Riyad Al-Maliki, told an Arab newspaper that any 'framework agreement' to be signed with Israel would be non-binding. The 'Palestinians' intend to
apply for membership at the United Nations and with its constituent agencies immediately upon the end of the 'negotiating period' at the end of April.
Speaking to pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat at the sidelines of the
Arab League conference n Kuwait, Maliki criticized the US-brokered
talks, which are set to expire at the end of next month, and reiterated
the PA's opposition to extending the length of the negotiation process.
"We are committed, along with the US administration, to the nine-month period which ends on April 29," he said.
"When the nine months end,
if there is something that justifies extra time, it will be discussed on
the level of the Palestinian leadership and then our Arab brothers will
be consulted about the issue before any decision is taken... Any
amendment to the negotiation formula requires confirmation from the Arab
side."
One crucial condition for
extending talks, said Maliki, was a full construction freeze in all
Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
"If not linked with halting
settlement activity, extending the negotiations will be a cover for the
Israeli side to swallow Palestinian territory," he insisted.
His comments echo claims made by a source close to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who
revealed yesterday
that Abbas was willing to extend talks in exchange for a building
freeze in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, as well as additional
terrorist releases.
Maliki reiterated that
expectations vis-a-vis the outcome of talks were low, having moved from
hopes of a permanent "peace agreement" to a mere "framework agreement".
That would be a humiliating failure for the Obama administration, and
particularly Secretary of State John Kerry, having declared its aim to
impose a comprehensive agreement within nine months.
Asked how the PA would move forward following the termination of
talks at the end of April, Maliki confirmed it would take unilateral
steps "including making requests to join international organizations".
And for this they want Israel to release more terrorists and impose a construction freeze? God forbid....
Labels: gestures, Middle East peace process, unilateral concessions
Abu Bluff asks US to help free Barghouti, Saadat
Earlier this week, I reported that '
moderate' '
Palestinian' President
Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen planned to
demand the release of murderers Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed Saadat in exchange for an extension of the 'peace talks.' Reuters is now
confirming that demand was made.
A Palestinian official said Abbas had written
to the United States asking them to bring about the release of ill
prisoners, female inmates and minors, as well as Barghouti and two other
high-profile leaders - Ahmed Sa'adat and Fouad Al-Shobaki.
"The
president renewed his demand during the recent meetings in Washington,"
said Qadoura Fares, chairman of the Palestinian Prisoner Club,
referring to Abbas's trip to Washington this week to discuss the shaky
peace process with President Barack Obama.
An
Israeli court sentenced Barghouti to five life sentences and 40 years
in jail in 2004, finding him guilty of orchestrating ambushes and
suicide attacks during the Palestinian Intifada, or uprising, that was
raging at the time.
Saadat was the planner and leader of the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rechavam Zeevi HY"D (May God Avenge his blood). Shobaki was the financier of the Karine A weapons ship that convinced then-President George W. Bush to break off all negotiations with Yasser Arafat. Israel has held them since
2006. Before that, they were held in a '
prison' that was monitored by Britain.
The second picture is (left to right) Saadat, Barghouti and their good friend, the
child murderer Samir al-Kuntar. Kuntar was released in 2008 in
exchange for two black boxes containing the
mutilated remains of kidnapped IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev HY"D (May God Avenge their blood).
Labels: Abu Mazen, Ahmed Saadat, Barack Hussein Obama, Fouad al-Shobaki, gestures, Marwan Barghouti, Middle East peace process, Palestinian terrorists, Samir al-Kuntar, unilateral concessions
Oh my... LIVNI says we may not release terrorists
This is about as strong a warning as the 'Palestinians' are going to get that the handouts from Israel just might be over. Israel's 'chief negotiator,' Tzipi Livni said on Tuesday that
there might not be a fourth terrorist release on the 29th of March unless there's a commitment from the 'Palestinians' that the 'negotiations' will continue beyond the end of April.
"There was never any automatic commitment to release prisoners
unrelated to making progress in negotiations," Livni said in a speech
in southern Israel that could complicate Washington's efforts to salvage
peacemaking.
She was referring to Israel's agreement, as part of
US efforts to revive Palestinian statehood talks frozen for three
years, to free 104 inmates jailed for attacks, many of them deadly,
against Israelis before a 1993 interim peace deal.
Israel has freed more than 70 of those prisoners
since the negotiations resumed in July. But the talks have made little
progress and Washington is trying to set guidelines to keep them going
beyond the original April 29 target date for an accord.
US
officials fear the negotiations could break down if Israel fails to
free the final batch of prisoners. Palestinians regard brethren jailed
by Israel as heroes in a quest for an independent state in the occupied
West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. Israel views them as
terrorists.
"The key to the door for Palestinian prisoners is in Abu Mazen's hands," Livni said, using Abbas's nickname.
As you might recall, earlier this week, there was a report in the Arabic media that the 'Palestinians' wanted Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat released as a condition to continuing 'negotiations.'
Hmmm.
Labels: Abu Mazen, Ahmed Saadat, Barack Hussein Obama, John Kerry, Marwan Barghouti, Palestinian terrorists, Tzipi Livni, unilateral concessions
Saeb Erekat: No extensions
'Palestinian' chief
negotiator bottle washer Saeb Erekat told the Associated Press on Monday that the 'negotiations' are over on April 29.
No extensions.
Erekat added that the possibility of continuing the talks past the
April deadline did not come up in Abbas’s meetings with Obama or
Secretary of State John Kerry.
"The negotiations are up on April 29," he said, according to AP. "You don't need negotiations any more. You need decisions."
Look at the bright side: No more negotiations = no more concessions.
Labels: final status negotiations, Middle East peace process, Saeb Erekat, two-state solution, unilateral concessions
Oh my: Shlomo Avineri admits Abu Mazen will never sign
Long-time 'peace' advocate Shlomo Avineri has written a piece in Israel's Hebrew 'Palestinian' daily acknowledging that '
Moderate' '
Palestinian' President
Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen will
never sign a 'peace' deal (with thanks to
Steve O).
But
what came out of all that? When Olmert proposed in dozens of meetings
that Abbas sign a document containing the Israeli concessions, he
refused. Olmert explains this by saying that Abbas did not say either
yes or no. This is patently ridiculous: By refusing to sign, Abbas
clearly said no.
Evidently,
Abbas was not ready to commit to anything, but he was able to get
Olmert to consent to far-reaching concessions, and then halted the
negotiations. The upshot is that when the negotiations resume, the
Palestinian side will insist that they must begin “where they left off” –
with the starting point being the Israeli positions as set forward in
Olmert’s generous proposal, with no concession having been made by the
other side.
Am
I misinterpreting things? This is exactly what happened in 1995 in
Yossi Beilin’s talks with Abbas. Then, too, the talks led to extensive
Israeli concessions; then, too, the Israeli side sought to put things
down on paper and fashion a final accord – and then, too, Mahmoud Abbas
refused to sign. There was never any Beilin-Abbas Agreement. There was
only a paper laying out Israeli concessions.
At
Camp David, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton became fed up with this
method and, as he ran out of patience, told Yasser Arafat that so far he
had rejected every offer. Perhaps you have a proposal of your own,
Clinton suggested to Arafat. But no such Palestinian proposal was ever
placed on the table.
The
Palestinians have never outlined their overall vision of an agreement,
except, of course, in regard to the territorial issue. But on matters of
crucial importance to Israel – forgoing the right of return, some form
of recognition of Israel as the Jewish nation-state – the Palestinian
leadership has clearly rejected the Israeli position. Though Abbas has
stated that he personally has no desire to return to Safed, he has also
declared that the Palestinians cannot give up the right of return,
saying it is an “individual right.” And both Abbas and Saeb Erekat, his
chief negotiator, have outright rejected all calls to accept Israel as
the Jewish nation-state, citing the basic Palestinian position that the
Jews are a religious community, not a nation.
Abbas’
refusal to sign a document with Olmert or Beilin has a clear
implication: not that he is no partner for talks, but that he is an
excellent partner for talks — as long as they are talks designed to lead
Israel to make more and more concessions, and to put them in writing.
Then, on one pretext or another, he is unwilling to sign and brings the
negotiations to a halt, so they can be restarted in the future “where
they left off”: with all the previous Israeli concessions included, and
no concessions having been put forward by the Palestinian side.
In
certain circles in Israel nowadays, having anything positive to say
about Ehud Barak is considered heresy. But he did reach the correct
conclusion from all this. His statement that he went to Camp David in
2000 to expose Arafat’s true face may be regarded with some skepticism.
He went to that summit in the honest belief that his readiness to make
major concessions, which endangered his political standing, would bear
fruit. But when he saw that the Palestinians were prepared to do nothing
but engage in negotiations that would squeeze more and more concessions
from Israel, without committing to anything in return, he drew the
proper conclusion.
The only downside to this article is the last paragraph, in which Avineri reaches the wrong conclusion.
If
a similar thing happens in the current negotiations as well, Israel
will have to prepare an alternative to the ever-elusive comprehensive
agreement: a serious proposal for interim or partial agreements,
unilateral moves, a halt to more construction in the territories, and a
willingness to acknowledge that even in the absence of a final agreement
that officially ends the conflict, there are things that can be done to
reduce the friction and bring about significant change – not only in
Israel but also among the mainstream of the Palestinian national
movement.
No. All those things do is ensure that the 'Palestinian' recalcitrance will continue. The thing to do if there is no agreement (and it should have been done a long time ago) is to get up, walk away and build everywhere, because it's our land. The only way that the 'Palestinians' might consider making a real peace (and I don't believe they ever will) is if they think they have something to lose by continuing to say no.
Labels: Abu Mazen, Bill Clinton, Binyamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Ehud K. Olmert, Middle East peace process, two-state solution, unilateral concessions, Yasser Arafat
They should have been buried at sea wrapped in pigskin a long time ago
They should have been buried at sea, wrapped in pigskins (and fed to sharks) a long time ago. Instead, 'Palestinian' media are reporting that Israel is to return the bodies of two 'Palestinian' suicide bombers from the last decade for
heroes' burials.
According to Israel Radio, the Palestinians anticipate that Israel will
transfer the remains of Fatah operative Ayat al-Akhras, the woman who
set off an explosive device attached to her body as she stood at the
entrance to a supermarket in the Kiryat Hayovel neighborhood of
Jerusalem on March 29, 2002. Three Israelis were killed in the attack.
Israel will also hand over the body of Islamic Jihad terrorist Daoud Abu
Sway, the young Palestinian who detonated explosives attached to his
body as he was standing near the David Citadel hotel in Jerusalem on
December 5, 2001. Three bystanders were wounded in the attack.
Israel's government really needs its collective heads examined.
Labels: Arab-Muslim blood lust, gestures, Palestinian suicide bombers, Palestinian terrorists, unilateral concessions
Kerry to go over government's head without going over government's head?
US Secretary of State John FN Kerry is 'mulling' speaking directly to the 'Israeli people' (not God forbid the Jews) in a bid to convince us that we should support 'concessions' to the 'Palestinians.' Kerry claims he does not want to go over Prime Minister Netanyahu's head, but....
Kerry is mulling the option of delivering a speech directly to the
Israeli public which would be similar to a "state of the union" address.
The secretary has instructed officials in the American embassy to begin
examining the logistical and practical aspects of a Kerry speech.
The idea of a speech is being examined in concert with Israeli
officials, for the Americans have made it clear that they have no
intention of "going over the head" of the government in Jerusalem.
Instead, the goal of the speech would be to help Netanyahu gain more
support from the Israeli public as the secretary puts the finishing
touches on the framework agreement that is due to serve as the basis for
further negotiations between Israel and the PA.
If Kerry does go forward with the speech, it would be along the lines of
remarks he delivered to the Saban Forum this past December. Many in
attendance at the event said that the secretary of state's remarks were
akin to "an almost religious sermon." Kerry is likely to emphasize to
the Israeli public the cost of refusing to move forward in the peace
process and the destructive repercussions that would befall Israel in
the event that talks with Ramallah collapse.
In other words, if we don't 'move ahead,' he will try to convince us that the United States (where almost as few people - as a percentage - support this 'process' as is the case here) is going to rain fire and brimstone on us from the sky. He will try to convince us that the Europeans - who are threatening us with sanctions
at his behest - will impose sanctions on us at his behest if we don't 'move ahead.' For this we should agree to commit suicide?
And of course he won't give any such speech to the 'Palestinians.' Their 'leadership' wouldn't allow it and they don't have to make any concessions anyway.
Then there's this amusing tidbit:
Kerry is now trying to create linkage between a Palestinian demand that
east Jerusalem be mentioned as the future capital of Palestine and
Israel's demand for Palestinian recognition of it as a Jewish state. He
is hard at work in trying to lobby Arab governments to apply pressure on
PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who has suddenly got a case of cold feet
and is hesitating.
This is where the absence of Hosni Mubarak is most felt. It was Mubarak
who would intervene on behalf of Washington in moments like these. Right
now, there is no responsible adult in Egypt who can avail himself to
apply diplomatic pressure on the Palestinian Authority. That is a shame.
And who is the one who cut Mubarak loose, leading to his downfall, in the first place? Who was the first 'world leader' to call on Mubarak to resign?
It's time to show John Kerry the door, and suffer the consequences, if any. The sky is not falling.
Labels: Hosni Mubarak, John Kerry, Middle East peace process, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome, two-state solution, unilateral concessions
