Secret papers reveal slow death of Middle East peace process

[Lars77]

The biggest leak of confidential documents in the history of the Middle East conflict has revealed that Palestinian negotiators secretly agreed to accept Israel's annexation of all but one of the settlements built illegally in occupied East Jerusalem. This unprecedented proposal was one of a string of concessions that will cause shockwaves among Palestinians and in the wider Arab world.

A cache of thousands of pages of confidential Palestinian records covering more than a decade of negotiations with Israel and the US has been obtained by al-Jazeera TV and shared exclusively with the Guardian. The papers provide an extraordinary and vivid insight into the disintegration of the 20-year peace process, which is now regarded as all but dead.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/23/palestine-papers-expose-peace-concession


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This is final evidence that the Israelis never were interested in settling this conflict in a peaceful manner.
It has always been about the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population, something that goes on to this very day.

[aquart]

1. You know, that happened to my people.

And lots and lots of other peoples. Which is why we emigrated. Ever looked at Illyria? Serbia? Croatia? Yugoslavia? Albania? Same neighborhood in assorted centuries. Those people have been murdering each other every time they get the chance. And let's not even venture into Africa. Or any part of Kurdistan. Or Armenia. (Yet none of those disputes are of interest, are they?)

If you stay, at some point you're the one getting cleansed or the one doing the cleansing. The Palestinians have NEVER attempted any ethnic cleansing of their own, I know. They're a peaceful, victim people, little lost lambs, really.

When you say "Palestinian negotiators" you are not including Hamas, I notice, which makes all of it pointless anyway.

No reason is given why Israel considered the offers "inadequate"? I would also need LOTS more clarification as to what's legal and what's illegal under international law in the matter of land seized in war since so much of this earth was acquired that way. Seems to me, it's "illegal" until everyone signs a treaty saying you can keep it.

The release of these documents strengthens Hamas. Which I'm sure was only done in the interest of truth and fair play. Have you noticed the difference between the West Bank and Gaza? Between Hamas control and Fatah control? I know you think these documents are an embarrassment to Israel, but they aren't. They're an embarrassment to the PA. Now why would they be released NOW?

[Kurska]

2. Jpost has the details on what was actually offered.

As opposed the Guardian which only spoke in generic terms.

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=204914

"The paper said the offer on Jerusalem was rejected by Israel because the Palestinians insisted on Ma'ale Adumim, Har Homa and several other settlements, such as Ariel. The Palestinians did agree to Israeli annexation of French Hill, Pisgat Ze'ev, Neve Ya'akov, Ramat Shlomo and Gilo."

"According to the offer, which Israel maintains Abbas never responded to, Israel would annex 6.8% of the West Bank, including the four main settlement blocs: Gus Etzion, Ma'ale Adumim, Givat Ze'ev, and Ariel, as well as all of the Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem beyond the Green Line, including Har Homa, in exchange for 5.5% of Israeli territory elsewhere."

[TomClash]

3. You miss the point

The Palestinians can never accept this and Israel knows it - that is why Lars77 is right.

On refugees Israel would acknowledge the "suffering" of refugees, but not take responsibility for it, and there would be mention in the agreement of Israeli or Jewish "suffering."

Israel would take in 1,000 refugees a year for five years on "humanitarian grounds, and would contribute to compensation of refugees "based on suffering."

[shaayecanaan]

4. Bollocks...

"The paper said the offer on Jerusalem was rejected by Israel because the Palestinians insisted on Ma'ale Adumim, Har Homa and several other settlements, such as Ariel."

No serious offer made by either side has ever contemplated leaving Ariel in Israeli hands. It is almost dead centre in the middle of the West Bank, and if it remained it would be impossible to have any kind of contiguous Palestinian state.

Maale Adumim is hardly part of Jerusalem. It is 10 kilometres from the old city and is disconnected from it by at least 4 kilometres of wide open country:-

http://maps.google.com.au/?ie=UTF8&ll=31.772543,35.253067&spn=0.125798,0.220757&t=h&z=12

I am most disappointed at the United States in all this. Obama probably knew the Palestinians were making such generous offers and getting them thrown back in their faces. Yet he has chosen to chastise the Palestinians instead for seeking to censure Israel in the UN. Frankly if I was in their position I would want Israel to be censured as well.

[shira]

6. "The Palestine Papers". Fabrication of the Day.

Several people have asked me what I think about the new “Palestine Papers” which have been "obtained" (that means the PA gave it to them) by al-Jazira, the Guardian, and perhaps others, in imitation of Wikileaks.

It purports to show that the PA made Israel a big offer of peace and Israel rejected it. Naturally, this is being accepted by these and other newspapers as true without verification or considering how these claims stack up against other information. Also claimed is that the PA was ready to accept Israel as a Jewish state, again something it has totally opposed.

My reading is that this is a Hamas or hardline Fatah hoax to weaken the PA's current leadership, and that's how the PA's current leadership is reading it.

MUCH MORE....
http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/2011/01/palestine-papers-fabrication-of-day.html

[shaayecanaan]

5. Shameful

"If you stay, at some point you're the one getting cleansed or the one doing the cleansing."

This is a disgusting post, and from someone who has previous form in that regard.