Israeli PM ignoring all real issues in talks, sources say

[Tripmann]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/1004/1224280310996.html?via=rel


ISRAELI PRIME minister Binyamin Netanyahu has refused to address substantive issues during three sessions of direct talks with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, an Israeli newspaper has reported. Instead, he limited discussion to the conduct of negotiations and Israel's partial curb on settlement building in the West Bank.

Quoting unidentified western diplomatic sources, the Israeli liberal daily Haaretz reported yesterday that Mr Netanyahu "refuses to present fundamental positions or discuss the borders of the < future> Palestinian state".

Before direct talks opened on September 2nd, the leaders agreed that the border between Israel and the Palestinian state and security would top the agenda. But, Haaretz revealed, security was the only major issue Mr Netanyahu would tackle. Mr Abbas argues that once the border is fixed, agreement could follow on the five final-status issues as well as security.

Western diplomats cited in the Haaretz article contradicted US envoy George Mitchell who claimed the two men had achieved progress during their third meeting in Jerusalem on September 15th. US officials argued, instead, the talks had regressed. An Israeli source told Haaretz Mr Netanyahu would not negotiate core issues, while the row over settlements jeopardises negotiations.

[annabanana]

1. The man is a hawk. . . Has always been a hawk . . . Will always be a hawk..

Peace talks with a hawk proceed as expected.

[LeftishBrit]

2. In general that's true...

but peace talks with two hawks called Begin and Sadat didn't proceed as expected, so there's always *some* hope. But Netanyahu isn't just a hawk; he's a rather stupid hawk.

[Ken Burch]

3. The Begin-Sadat "peace talks" left Palestinians out in the cold

Thus making real peace impossible.

If Begin had accepted the reality that a Palestinian state would have to be created at the time of Camp David, thirty-three years of additional misery would have been avoided.

Instead, Begin, and every "pro-Israeli" person in the U.S. at that time, demonized everyone who supported a Palestinian state(and everyone who realized that there was NO alternative to negotiating with the PLO) as "anti-Israel" and, implicitly, as antisemitic.

Those who did that owe everyone in Israel and Palestine an apology.

[oberliner]

4. May have had something to do with the PLO killing Israeli civilians at the time

The PLO at the time was actively working to prevent any kind of peace talks between Begin and Sadat.

To drive that point home they hijacked a bus in Israel, resulting in the Coastal Road massacre whereby 38 civilians were killed included 13 children (This occurred just a few months before the Camp David Accords were signed).

[azurnoir]

5. The really perverse and tragic part is that until the Palestinians

started resorting to terror no one noticed and no one cared, they were virtually invisible

[oberliner]

6. That was during the Jordanian and Egyptian occupation of the West Bank and Gaza

At no point during that almost twenty year period were the Palestinians offered an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza by their Jordanian and Egyptian occupiers.

Shortly after this occupation ended and the Israeli occupation began, the PLO began their campaign of launching terror attacks.

It was only after they stopped endorsing terrorism and began to embrace peaceful coexistence that the Palestinians were granted some measure of independence in the West Bank, and the peace process truly began.

Of course, prior to all of this, in 1948, the Palestinians could have had an independent state had the partition plan been agreed to, but that is another story.

[azurnoir]

7. First let me be clear that I do not endorse or approve of terrorism

no matter who is doing it, however it is a sad historical fact the PLO was formed in 1964 and there had been calls for a Palestinian homeland prior to this, but they were largely ignored. It should also be noted that the use of terrorism occurred at a time when there was a global wave of terrorism by various groups the IRA, ETA, and Black Panthers would be only 3 of those groups.

My point was however that if attention had been paid earlier to the plight of the Palestinians it might not have happened. I must ask though I was under the impression that the PLO renounced terror as part of the peace talks not prior to them

[oberliner]

8. What about the Partition Plan?

That would have given the Palestinians their own state in 1948 had it been agreed to. That's 16 years before the PLO was founded.

[shaayecanaan]

9. What was during the Jordanian and Egyptian occupation?

Everything you\'ve referred to in your previous post happened after Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza.

You also referred to Jordan and Egypt as \"occupiers\" - presumably because they assumed control of territory that was not bequeathed to them by the 1947 partition plan. By that standard, Israel is also an occupier not only of the West Bank but also the additional territory it seized following the 1947-48 war. Do you regard those lands as occupied territory?

[Dick Dastardly]

10. The Palestinians were engaging in terror against Israel from day 1 of Israels independence.

Prior to the occupation there were many thousands of terror attacks in which thousands of Israelis were killed or injured. In 1952 alone there were over 3000 incidents of cross border attacks against Israelis. Many of the worst years of terror were prior to the occupation.

[azurnoir]

11. Perhaps you should be writing here

http://www.zionism-israel.com/vic/Terror_before_1967.htm

they list 1 terror attack in 1952 i'm sure they would appreciate your expertise

[oberliner]

12. Hard to feel too much hope with Benny at the helm

One can only imagine where we might be if Livni was able to form a coalition.