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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