Abbas: I'm ready to negotiate a truce between Israel, Hamas

[bemildred]

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday he was ready to mediate a truce between Israel and the Islamic Hamas movement, after five days of fierce fighting in the Gaza Strip and intensified rocket attacks from the Strip into southern Israel.

"President Abbas renewed his readiness to work for a full and mutual calm with Israel to spare our people and to avoid suffering," a statement carried on the official Palestinian Wafa news agency said.

Abbas called on Israel "to accept this initiative." The Palestinian leader froze peace talks with Israel in the wake of the latest round of violence, which left more than 100 Palestinians and two Israel Defense Forces soldiers dead, and began last Wednesday, when Israel killed five Hamas militants it said were planning an attack.

Militant groups in the Gaza Strip responded by intensifying rocket attacks on Israeli towns and communities near the Gaza border, including launching Iranian Grad-type rockets at the coastal town of Ashkelon, hitherto only a sporadic target of rocket fire.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/960370.html

[Hugabear]

1. Peace sells, but who's buyin'?

Not when both sides want to obliterate the other.

[Tom Joad]

2. you would think he start by negotiating for peace between Fatah and Hamas first.

I mean, that would be easier perhaps?

I do hope that Israel finally sees what most of its residents already see... that talking with Hamas, that working toward a ceasefire, is the best way to go.

[bemildred]

3. He's just making a last stab at being relevant. nt

[azurnoir]

5. unfortunately

he only has "butter knives", Israel won't allow him to negotiate with Hamas for Fatah, so the likelyhood is nil.

[bemildred]

13. If only it were so.

The US gave Fatah, in the form of Dahlan, lots of real knives, and Hamas took them when it kicked Dahlan out of Gaza.

[azurnoir]

15. You think it's true?

good lord I had hoped propaganda.

oops major thread confusion

[Vegasaurus]

4. Don't hold Israel responsible for a truce

Abbas should try to make a truce with Hamas, if they so desire.

Israel has nothing to be gained by trying to make nice with a government that has expressed its desire to annihilate them. If Abbas can get Hamas to soften their views, I am sure everyone would be delighted to talk.

Maybe Abbas should also tell them to stop lobbing rockets, kidnapping people, killing or silencing those with whom they disagree (including members of Abbas's own party), etc. Seems they have a bit of their own "clean up" to do, before they begin to tell anyone else what to do.

[subsuelo]

6. Please read what you just wrote

"Israel has nothing to be gained by trying to make nice with a government that has expressed its desire to annihilate them."

Um. Hello?

[Vegasaurus]

7. Israel is not trying to annihilate the Palestinians

their population continues to grow every year.

That genocide you all keep claiming is happening is just farce.

[Waya]

8. How odd........

.....how is that possible? Palestininas in Gaza are 'outdying' Israelis by a large margin - so how do you figure?

[msmcghee]

9. Incompetent military leadership n/t

[subsuelo]

10. on both sides n/t

[Vegasaurus]

12. They "outbirth" them more

[LeftishBrit]

11. Great if it worked...

however, Abbas is in a weak position; and as far as I can see, has little influence on Israel and none on Hamas - who hate him almost as much as they hate Israel.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

14. I'm sure ol' Abu Mazen is anxious to get his nose back up Olmert's ass. nt