Israel fearful PA negotiating staff could impede progress in talks - Haaretz

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Last update - 07:47 11/11/2007

Israel fearful PA negotiating staff could impede progress in talks

By Barak Ravid ,Haaretz Correspondent

tags: Annapolis

The negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians are powered by a great many people behind the scenes. However, while the Israeli team is relatively new and just beginning to coalesce, the Palestinians have a well-oiled organization that has been at this task for nearly 10 years: the Negotiations Support Unit (NSU).

The NSU was founded in 1998 following a Palestinian request to the U.K. for assistance in the final-status talks with the Israelis. Britain, Sweden, Norway, Demark and Holland agreed to contribute to the new body, appointing the London-based Adam Smith Institute to head the project. Since 1998, the NSU has received tens of millions of euros from European countries.

The offices of the NSU are located not far from the Palestinian Authority's government center, the Muqata, in Ramallah. Some 20 legal experts are at work there on the issues of the final-status agreement - Jerusalem, the settlements, water, the refugees, borders and security.

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The NSU also deals with other issues involving Israel in the realms of economics, agriculture, transportation, communications and archaeology. A good many of the NSU staff are not Palestinians born and raised in the West Bank or Gaza, but rather in the U.S. or Europe, and others are Israeli Arabs. The head of the NSU is a British citizen.

The Israeli diplomatic and security establishment is said to have a high regard for the NSU staff as experts in international law who wield no small influence on PA policy, both as expressed to the media and in the talks.

However, senior Israeli officials say the NSU is increasingly becoming an obstacle with regard to progress after the Annapolis conference.

Sources in Israel say the NSU has taken an extreme position over the years about the right of return for the Palestinians, saying the Palestine Liberation Organization and the PA do not have a mandate to make concessions on this issue. "We talk about compromise and they speak of justice," a senior official said.

"We can see how the papers they write are leading to more extreme positions. Their problem is that they hold the opinions of Palestinians from outside the territories, and they care much more about ideology and justice than finding a solution that will meet the needs of the Palestinian population," he said.

The NSU attitude completely ignores the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip and the weakness of the PA in the West Bank and has raised more than a few eyebrows in Israel. "They talk about establishment of a Palestinian state within six months as if there is no reality on the ground," a diplomatic official said, refering to the NSU document published in Haaretz last Thursday. "Instead of trying to reach a common denominator and agreements, they turn the talks all along the way into a debating society, waving their rights around, and that doesn't lead anywhere."

The NSU has a representative on the negotiating team, but an Israeli official says, "despite all their talent, it's not certain they will be able to make an impact."

Related articles:

PA eyes final accord within 6 months of summit

Israel, PA agree future deals hinge on implementing road map

Israel fears PA taking tougher stance prior to summit

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1.	the trap	06:58	\|	Shmuelshachor	11/11/07

2.	Israel CAN NOT Be Trusted, So Firm Positions Are Required.	07:10	\|	Proud Pal Defender	11/11/07

3.	the palestinians are learning	07:37	\|	khalad	11/11/07

4.	Loads of B. S.	07:43	\|	Roland	11/11/07

5.	Man, Israel`s excuses are starting to wear thin.	08:25	\|	Johnboy	11/11/07

6.	A serious negotiator, oye vey....	08:30	\|	Esther	11/11/07

7.	ISRAEL LOSING DIPLOMATIC WARS.STOP TALKING&RETAKE ALL TERRITORIES	08:50	\|	VOICE of MOSHIACH)))	11/11/07

8.	for 1	09:09	\|	Sam	11/11/07

9.	Which reality on the ground?	09:15	\|	Dutch Dirk	11/11/07

10.	Israel must state to the PA and anyone who wishes to listen that	09:35	\|	Avner	11/11/07

11.	The NSU is good news, not bad, for Annapolis	09:40	\|	Ivar	11/11/07

12.	Esther, strange take on it	09:42	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	11/11/07

13.	LETS GET THEM,NOW	09:43	\|	REFUGEE	11/11/07

14.	NSU, SchmNSU	09:57	\|	Roland	11/11/07

15.	#2 - nothing is happening but a charade	10:03	\|	redmike	11/11/07

16.	#3 - what negotiations ? See my post to #2	10:05	\|	redmike	11/11/07

17.	For Margie #12	10:11	\|	Esther	11/11/07

18.	What? The Palestinians won`t roll over for Israel?	10:13	\|	Clickfool	11/11/07

19.	justice? for whom?	10:16	\|	matt	11/11/07

20.	Israel fears PA negotiating staff could impede	10:30	\|	khader herzallah	11/11/07

21.	Khaled - yes we have learned ....finally	10:43	\|	Palestinian Brit	11/11/07

22.	Annapolis/NSU	11:31	\|	Peter	11/11/07

23.	Without justice there will never be peace	11:32	\|	David Tretzer	11/11/07

24.	Avner # 10. In addition to your post I would add	11:56	\|	Orli Carmel	11/11/07

25.	Let me explain what he`s saying	12:17	\|	Linguist	11/11/07

26.	Submissive Israel being dictated to by a bunch of pal parasites	12:25	\|	Absolute Sweden	11/11/07

27.	#23 - yes there must be justice for all !	12:57	\|	redmike	11/11/07

28.	Allow for all refugees to return to their homes	13:27	\|	Gregory Whitehall	11/11/07

29.	`gregory whitehall`	13:36	\|	Jasmine Murphy	11/11/07

30.	#28 gregory from the irrational section !	13:38	\|	victor hardman	11/11/07

31.	Right of return	13:43	\|	klas	11/11/07

32.	#30 Victor	15:07	\|	cyrstal clear	11/11/07

33.	Proud but stupid Pal # 2	15:27	\|	Sabra	11/11/07

34.	Khalad #3	15:30	\|	Sabra	11/11/07

35.	It wont really matter	15:35	\|	Sabra	11/11/07

36.	#12 Even odder take from you, Margie	01:02	\|	Johnboy	12/11/07

37.	Esther #17 - feeling for the underdog/	04:04	\|	dana	12/11/07

38.	#33 Sabra--I`m NOT Palestinian, Arab Nor Muslim.	17:19	\|	Proud Pal Defender	12/11/07

39.	#10 Avner is wrong	02:02	\|	Chuck	16/11/07

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