Chief Palestinian Negotiator Urges Resumption of Peace Talks

[Violet_Crumble]

The Palestinians' top peace negotiator is urging Israel's acting prime minister, Ehud Olmert, to help restart peace talks, once the upheaval surrounding the health of ailing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon subsides.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says the Middle East has weathered what he called two recent "political volcanoes": the formation of Israel's new Kadima political party by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and Mr. Sharon's health crisis following a massive stroke last week.

Speaking on CNN's Late Edition program, Mr. Erekat expressed hope that a renewed commitment to peace negotiations will emerge from Israel's political uncertainty.

"This may sound like wishful thinking, but to Mr. Olmert, I tell him the only way to break this vicious cycle of violence and counter-violence is resuming the negotiations," said Mr. Erekat, "and I hope that if Mr. Olmert cannot do it now because of the confusion and the transition, I hope that when the Israeli voters go to elect their new leaders, I hope they will elect a leadership that is willing to commit to peace and negotiations."

Full-scale peace talks have been largely stalled since Mr. Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas announced a verbal cease-fire pledge during a summit last February in Egypt, despite Israel's subsequent evacuation of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, regarded by some as a major unilateral concession.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-01-08-voa39.cfm

[Englander]

1. Peace talks? What peace talks? n/t

[Wordie]

2. dupe

[Wordie]

3. A link to transcript of the CNN show, and some add'l Erekat quotes:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0601/08/le.01.html

BLITZER: How worried are you that the militant groups like Hamas will dominate these elections and that the Fatah movement of Mahmoud Abbas will come out not necessarily at top?

ERAKAT: Look, I belong to Fatah Party. And we are exerting maximum effort and determined to win these elections. But I cannot tell you the results of elections before January 26th.

This is a democratic choice of Palestinians. But, mark my words, let those who are running for this election, including Hamas and anybody else, know that the democracy is a two way street.

Yes, you have the right to go to the ballots, choose your representatives. But those who participate in the elections must understand that these elections are the way to the one authority, the rule of law, and the one legal gun.

This is the truth about why we are having these elections, why we are determined to have all participate in these elections, because we want to achieve the rule of law, the oneness of the authority and the one legal gun.

And this raises a rather question. Could Sharon's strategy have been to undermine Abbas (as the "no partner" comments of Sharon, and the refusal for further negotiations certainly did), and to intentionally strengthen Hamas?

Here's how such a strategy might play out: if Hamas were to win, Israel could then go to the US and say that there was no way a viable Palestinian state could be envisioned and therefore Israel is justified in setting the final borders itself. If so, Israel would then move ahead to take East Jerusalem and all the territory illegally settled in the West Bank, along with the Jordan Valley, with the support of the US. Could this have been Sharon's ultimate game plan? But what will happen now?

Erekat also spoke about the PA's economic problems caused by the donors holding back financial support. It appears that the moderates are caught between a rock and a hard place. Wouldn't it have been far wiser to delay such decisions until after the Palestinian elections?