See you at the next summit - Haaretz

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Last update - 10:35 18/11/2007

See you at the next summit

By Zvi Bar'el

Tags: Annapolis, Mahmoud Abbas

The Annapolis conference is over before it started. Its fascinating discussions and earth-shaking decisions have not been conducted and made at the American port city, but at the Knesset in Israel. Here we are told, for example, about the approval of an amendment to the Basic Law on Jerusalem that needs the support of 80 MKs to make any change to Jerusalem's status. In this way a chunk of the core issues, as it were, has been jarred loose and gotten stuck in President Bush's eye.

Practically speaking, there is no need for such a law because the Reinforcing the Golan Law of 1999 already stipulates that any concession of territory under Israel's sovereignty requires a majority of at least 61 MKs and a referendum. True, 80 MKs is more than 61, but a referendum, which is not included in the new law, is no less serious an obstacle.

Later, MK Avigdor Lieberman demanded presenting the Palestinians with a condition for convening the Annapolis conference: recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. This is not a condition for signing a peace accord, heaven forbid, just a condition for starting negotiations. And why shouldn't Lieberman pose another condition, for example, of recognizing Israel as a democratic state and not only a Jewish one, precisely as the state defines itself? What does he fear? That the occupied Palestinians, who witness Israeli democracy at work at the checkpoints, will agree to recognize this condition?

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In response to this condition of recognizing the Jewish state, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad said: "Israel can define itself as it likes, but the Palestinians will not recognize it as a Jewish state." Thus this issue has also come to an end in the Annapolis framework. Isn't it unnecessary to ask Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas why he cares about whether to recognize Israel as a Jewish state? Does he fear the reaction of the Arabs in Israel? And do they really not know that this is a Jewish state? Only Jewish?

Next came Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's impressive promise to dismantle unauthorized outposts and freeze construction in the settlements. This is ostensibly an unequivocal matter. Straight from the scrap heap called the road map, and Israel, of course, is scrupulous in implementing the road map. Just like the Palestinians. But which outposts is Olmert talking about? Those that have already won legal status or those that will in the future?

And which construction does he plan to freeze? Construction that has already started and is about to be completed? Construction in communities slated to remain in Israel's hands after the withdrawal? Construction that will be included in the framework of border adjustments? Or "only" construction designed to meet the needs of natural growth? And in general, will the freeze come after the Palestinians fulfill the road map's directive to stop terror, before this, or in parallel? And what does it mean to wipe out terror? Dismantle Hamas?

Under these conditions, even Lieberman can sleep in peace. He does not need any amendment of the Jerusalem Law or Palestinian recognition of a Jewish state. The road map includes all the obstacles needed to thwart an accord.

If all this were not enough to summarize the Annapolis conference, a major operation in Gaza is being promised by the Israel Defense Forces, an extraordinarily mighty one, a real war. How can Abbas travel to the conference in the U.S. when he knows he has to severely condemn Israel over the war it will wage in Gaza? How can he explain to the public in Gaza that during these very days Israel will dismantle outposts in the territories, but that he cannot persuade Israel to provide the Gaza Strip with regular supplies of fuel and electricity?

It is possible, of course, to lash out at the Annapolis conference, to portray it and its participants - including Bush and the leaders of Arab countries who may or may not attend - as actors in a play re-staged every few years in the hope that someday it will be directed in a more successful way. The problem is that a conference like this generates new dangers.

When Israel approves a new, constraining law in honor of the conference and on the Palestinian side the expression "Jewish state" becomes a minefield, one gets the feeling the conference will create more traps for the future instead of removing those of the past. The conference has already achieved one thing - Olmert can praise Abbas and say there is finally a Palestinian partner. But sadly for him, there is no Israeli partner.

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1.	There can only be ONE conclusion from Zvi Bar`els article.....	11:07	\|	Swiss (Dino)	18/11/07

2.	Little completion to my # 1	11:17	\|	Swiss (Dino)	18/11/07

3.	ONLY SOLUTION: GAZA TO EGYPT; PARTS OF W.BANK LINKED TO JORDAN	11:44	\|	G. Marcus	18/11/07

4.	There will be no next summit, but the destruction of Israel	11:53	\|	Ivar	18/11/07

5.	israel cannot have peace,dino	12:03	\|	avraham	18/11/07

6.	ONLY SOLUTION ANNEX GAZA , JUDEA AND SAMARIA ?	12:27	\|	Bill	18/11/07

7.	BEFORE ANNAPOLIS THE UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED GOD`S COVENANT WITH A	12:32	\|	VOICE of MOSHIACH)))	18/11/07

8.	# 5 avraham	12:39	\|	Swiss (Dino)	18/11/07

9.	Brother Bill, you`d better read your Bible	13:09	\|	Ivar	18/11/07

10.	Zvi Harel: the facts trip you up	13:12	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	18/11/07

11.	#6 Bill, Only Solution	13:39	\|	Petra	18/11/07

12.	why its an ell of an artictle bar none	13:49	\|	victor hardman	18/11/07

13.	#9 Ivar, What bible are YOU reading?	13:50	\|	Petra	18/11/07

14.	HORRAY! NO SUMMIT!!!!!	13:51	\|	Petra	18/11/07

15.	#6 Bible Bill	13:51	\|	Boycott	18/11/07

16.	Israel and just peace = contradiction in terms	13:56	\|	Labhras	18/11/07

17.	INCOMPETENCE ABBAS AND FAYAD: A LAUGHING STOCK	14:27	\|	indrajaya	18/11/07

18.	Annapolis Conference dead before it happens	14:32	\|	Hilda	18/11/07

19.	#1 swiss what price ?	14:35	\|	duncan	18/11/07

20.	to Bill and Petra	14:40	\|	Hilda	18/11/07

21.	#2 swiss	14:46	\|	duncan	18/11/07

22.	# 19 duncan	14:46	\|	Swiss (Dino)	18/11/07

23.	#9 ivar	14:49	\|	duncan	18/11/07

24.	Checkpoints vs. democracy?	14:50	\|	Shalom	18/11/07

25.	all he is saying:peace has no chance	14:55	\|	srulik	18/11/07

26.	Checkpoints vs. democracy?	14:55	\|	Shalom	18/11/07

27.	labarse wakes up in boston tea still in the harbour !	14:57	\|	victor hardman	18/11/07

28.	#16 labhars, de Valera and hitler	14:58	\|	duncan	18/11/07

29.	the joy of democracy	15:46	\|	aba	18/11/07

30.	Annapolis is a joke, a fraud	15:57	\|	El-birawi	18/11/07

31.	Dead the day afer it was announced	16:00	\|	Mark Lincoln	18/11/07

32.	victorious hard man	16:15	\|	srulik	18/11/07

33.	Peace plan does not address Jewihs right of return	16:24	\|	Farc Fincoln	18/11/07

34.	#22 swiss p2, swiss government views on laws	16:28	\|	duncan	18/11/07

35.	#22 swiss should switzerlnd apologise	16:32	\|	duncan	18/11/07

36.	lincoln,dino like minded-an honest question	16:38	\|	srulik	18/11/07

37.	#30 birawi	16:40	\|	duncan	18/11/07

38.	# 34 / # 45 duncan	16:47	\|	Swiss (Dino)	18/11/07

39.	Not necessarily	16:48	\|	David Hoffman	18/11/07

40.	GOD IS GREAT! PALESTINIANS DROP OUT BEFORE SUMMIT! RETAKE W.BANK)	16:48	\|	VOICE of MOSHIACH)))	18/11/07

41.	in all my years of reading haaretz&talkbackers	17:01	\|	shikmona	18/11/07

42.	#swiss 22	17:04	\|	duncan	18/11/07

43.	#38 swiss	17:06	\|	duncan	18/11/07

44.	#42 swiss, corrected url	17:23	\|	duncan	18/11/07

45.	# 42 / # 43 duncan	17:36	\|	Swiss (Dino)	18/11/07

46.	Lets face the facts people	17:53	\|	Danite	18/11/07

47.	Abbas has no realistic partner	17:54	\|	Tosefta	18/11/07

48.	Annapolis should address the right of return of both.	18:02	\|	El-Birawi	18/11/07

49.	#7 The so-called VOICE of MOCHIACH)))	18:06	\|	Worshipper	18/11/07

50.	#45 swiss dino	18:15	\|	duncan	18/11/07

51.	# 44 duncan	18:22	\|	Swiss (Dino)	18/11/07

52.	# 36 srulik (2nd try)	18:25	\|	Swiss (Dino)	18/11/07

53.	#13 Don`t impose your writings on others!	18:28	\|	Worshipper	18/11/07

54.	poor srulik, take an acamollie	18:32	\|	Melissa	18/11/07

55.	# 36 skrulik, I have send you a response (2-trys).....	19:01	\|	Swiss (Dino)	18/11/07

56.	The solution is.....	19:17	\|	Shalom	18/11/07

57.	#52 swiss	19:18	\|	duncan	18/11/07

58.	After Annapolis collapses, the Israeli Initiative will top our ag	20:01	\|	Chaim	18/11/07

59.	thank uou dino and even you melissa	20:06	\|	srulik	18/11/07

60.	words never spoken but understood	20:26	\|	Any doubts?	18/11/07

61.	See you at the next UN summit	20:13	\|	Dutch	18/11/07

62.	Some fantastic nonsense from Barel	21:09	\|	Eva G	18/11/07

63.	Abbas is welcome to negotiate with an alternative	21:11	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	18/11/07

64.	#9 IVAR	21:11	\|	Bill	18/11/07

65.	# 11 PETRA	21:14	\|	Bill	18/11/07

66.	#IVAR 2/	21:20	\|	Bill	18/11/07

67.	# HILDA .	21:28	\|	Bill	18/11/07

68.	danite right but u.s prefers status quo for reasons unknown	22:11	\|	srulik	18/11/07

69.	# 59 Margie in Tel Aviv	22:38	\|	Swiss (Dino)	18/11/07

70.	Gee Thanks Danite	22:41	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	18/11/07

71.	It may be see you at the UN...	22:55	\|	Dutch	18/11/07

72.	No Jewish or Islamic state	23:36	\|	christa	18/11/07

73.	The Almighty will never agree	00:13	\|	Rabbi Izzy Lahm	19/11/07

74.	and the last line sums it all up quite nicely	00:20	\|	eric	19/11/07

75.	#47 Tosefta, re: " the present nebisch " `s dilemma...	00:40	\|	Smadar	19/11/07

76.	Margie in Tel Aviv	03:09	\|	Danite	19/11/07

77.	over	04:03	\|	Shmuelshachor	19/11/07

78.	Israelis can only cheer if Zvi Bar`el is correct	04:10	\|	Voice of Reason	19/11/07

79.	# 69 Rabbi, with all due respect, HaShem (the Name) is the Word &	04:19	\|	Virginia	19/11/07

80.	Denying the cross does not = Jewish. Quite the contrary	04:36	\|	Virginia	19/11/07

81.	Negotiating The Hudna of the Brave	04:37	\|	Yoram	19/11/07

82.	# 56 Shalom, In Biblical times Samaria was home of the	04:42	\|	Virginia	19/11/07

83.	B`Ezrat HaShem - With Help of the Word/Name	05:02	\|	Virginia	19/11/07

84.	You need only say, Blessed is he that comes in the Name/Word of	05:10	\|	the Lord.	19/11/07

85.	Might help if we actually had an "Israeli initiative"	05:33	\|	Johnboy	19/11/07

86.	Danite	05:23	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	19/11/07

87.	El Birawi	05:25	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	19/11/07

88.	#70 Margie in Tel Aviv Re: #76 Danite	05:34	\|	Smadar	19/11/07

89.	Margie in tel aviv	07:22	\|	Danite	19/11/07

90.	Smadar Hello	07:43	\|	Danite	19/11/07

91.	Smadar & Danite	10:15	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	19/11/07

92.	Smadar about nebisches	10:25	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	19/11/07

93.	What they want Johnboy, is what they believe with all their heart	11:52	\|	Virginia	19/11/07

94.	was not limited to kinship.	11:53	\|	Virginia	19/11/07

95.	It is time this creation showed its Creator their willingness to	12:03	\|	Virginia	19/11/07

96.	There are a few I`ve heard, will speak it openly;it`s time Olmert	12:40	\|	represent them	19/11/07

97.	If you don`t begin with the Truth, you have not yet begun.	13:02	\|	Virginia	19/11/07

98.	It`s okay to end without "Joint Declaration" communicate honestly	13:08	\|	.	19/11/07

99.	"Don`t be afraid", give it to God. He Loves ALL He has made.	13:47	\|	God is Love	19/11/07

100.	#85 johnboy	21:23	\|	israel	20/11/07

101.	Is Lieberman`s demand sound?	22:48	\|	Fortuna Benmayor	20/11/07

102.	And why do Palestinians refuse to recognize Israel as	22:50	\|	Fortuna Benmayor	20/11/07

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