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Last update - 09:41 11/03/2008 Prepare to sign By Haaretz Editorial Tags: Peace, PA, Gaza, Israel Israel is conducting two dialogues in parallel. One with its back to the enemy and the other with a potential partner. With Hamas, Israel's stance is to pretend "as if." As if there are no negotiations, as if there are no understandings, as if Israel did not succeed in twisting the group's arm. With the Palestinian Authority, Israel is making the right noises on cooperating to reach a signed agreement, even if it is labeled a "shelf agreement." In other words, not a realistic agreement for now. The two dialogues are leading to an impasse. Without a real accord on a bilateral cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the relative calm characterized by the relatively small number of rockets fired against Israel will not last. Such an understanding cannot rely on hints; it needs the backing and cooperation of Egypt, which is meant to supervise its side at the border crossings. The understanding also requires the cooperation of the Palestinian Authority, which is party to the crossings agreement signed in 2005. For now, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is rejecting any dialogue with Hamas before the Islamic group restores the Gaza Strip to the situation before June 2007, when it took over the territory. Without an internal Palestinian agreement, and as long as the crossings remain shut, the situation in Gaza will remain explosive and Hamas will continue monopolizing control over the next flare-up. Advertisement At the same time, the PA, which exhibited amazing powerlesness in view of the events in Gaza and the subsequent terrorist attacks, cannot offer the residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip an appropriate alternative to their miserable existence. The talks with Israel are still not providing a political horizon, or at least a positive scenario that could encourage the Palestinians. This is also the reason for the PA's weakness in dealing with terrorism, as demanded by Israel. This situation, which also worries Israeli intelligence officials, may spark the outbreak of yet another intifada. Even worse, as long as the feeling persists that the talks with Israel are pointless, Hamas can continue to argue that only it can change Israel's position. In light of this difficult situation, it is hard to understand why Israel continues to drag its feet and does not reach a real agreement with the PA. It is not a zero-sum game that Israel needs to play, but an overall outlook that the government must first adopt toward its citizens. This outlook should define the permanent borders Israel seeks, Jerusalem's status, and the settlements' future. As long as Israel does not answer these fundamental issues, it is hard to see how it can conduct effective negotiations with the Palestinians. Israel may argue that the force of its response in the Gaza Strip may deter and restore calm. Experience proves that this is a baseless claim. Israel must therefore utilize the current lull and the PA's willingness to immediately push forward in the negotiations and establish the parameters for a solution to the core issues, to get an agreement signed quickly. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Bring down the house Knesset speaker calls for wrecking of yeshiva killer's family home. Frum and fabulous Beauty salons offer Haredi women a unique brand of modest glamour.   1.   Boggles the Mind! 09:52  |  Flabbergasted 11/03/08   2.   Once again, Haaretz is spot on !! 09:53  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/03/08   3.   ONE HAND SIGN ... THE OTHER STEAL? 10:00  |  TripleJump 11/03/08   4.   And once again, Swiss is spot off! 10:07  |  Linichka 11/03/08   5.   OK Haaretz, thank you for being honest. 10:08  |  Dutch Dirk 11/03/08   6.   #1 I don`t think anyone suggests signing *that* away... 10:20  |  Johnboy 11/03/08   7.   Ask the leaders 10:26  |  stonebird 11/03/08   8.   Haniyeh has already said that there will be no free calm,in other 10:30  |  lakshmi 11/03/08   9.   #2 the clock macher is really cuckoo 10:38  |  v hardman 11/03/08   10.   LEFTIST SECULAR HUMANISTIC MADNESS ?? 10:42  |  Bill 11/03/08   11.   If Hamas and the PLO can agree that Israel is a legitamate"Jewish 10:51  |  Susanna/Shoshanna 11/03/08   12.   AS IF, AS IF Dushman are Disahman 10:57  |  ben shlomo 11/03/08   13.   With the `Al- Aksa Brigades` also? 11:01  |  Shalom Freedman 11/03/08   14.   Shas in Charge? 11:04  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/03/08   15.   Juvenile minded panicky editorial 11:04  |  Shalom Freedman 11/03/08   16.   Act in haste, regret at your leasure 11:14  |  Stan 11/03/08   17.   WHAT KIND OF REALISTIC AGREEMENT WOULD THAT BE? 11:24  |  indrajaya 11/03/08   18.   "Haaretz" wilfully lies ,it ommits the central pal demand "return 11:26  |  Absolute Sweden 11/03/08   19.   The One We Have Is Useless:To Quote A Lebanese Arab... 11:32  |  Yishai Kohen 11/03/08   20.   stop israeli peace lies, this is a joke 11:52  |  zele 11/03/08   21.   First get permission from die hard American Jews 12:08  |  El-Birawi 11/03/08   22.   Yoel Marcus has got it right 12:17  |  Boycott 11/03/08   23.   The most failed government should sign quickly? 12:29  |  Jonathan S 11/03/08   24.   Stupid Article 12:51  |  Gary 11/03/08   25.   Zele 12:54  |  Purple Canary 11/03/08   26.   Oslo... Oslo... Oslo... (echoing into the infinite distance) 12:55  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 11/03/08   27.   swiss d still LOST in his poll-induced HAZE 13:04  |  CK Tan 11/03/08   28.   To #1 Dino 13:05  |  Hilda 11/03/08   29.   when will the left wing idologists learn how the world works 13:07  |  zionist forever 11/03/08   30.   They chose Hamas 13:08  |  Joseph 11/03/08   31.   Political symmetry 13:11  |  Joe 11/03/08   32.   Peace deal 13:23  |  marcel 11/03/08   33.   #9 Why does either Hamas or the PLO have to do that, Susanna? 13:31  |  Johnboy 11/03/08   34.   #26 You have got to be kidding 13:45  |  PantherJet 11/03/08   35.   Who Dares Truth? 13:47  |  Banka 11/03/08   36.   "Peace" of paper 13:52  |  Frank 11/03/08   37.   Get over it. 13:55  |  PantherJet 11/03/08   38.   #6 Hamas soon to be toasted Pita 14:01  |  PantherJet 11/03/08   39.   # 25 Hilda (our U.S. lady with the not so "kosher" name....:) 14:04  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/03/08   40.   El-Birawi the prophet speaks 14:11  |  PantherJet 11/03/08   41.   # 25 CK Tan thinks he makes some "valid" points...... 14:21  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/03/08   42.   Sign in invisible ink, since the Pals will not abide anyway... 14:24  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 11/03/08   43.   Reality Check 15:00  |  Concerned Individual 11/03/08   44.   Alternate title: Sign a deal behind backs of Israelis. Despicable 15:04  |  Chaim 11/03/08   45.   Prepare To Sign What? 15:10  |  Jeff Northridge 11/03/08   46.   Do we sign before or after Israel is `raped`? 15:17  |  Sammy 11/03/08   47.   A naive article - not connected to the reality 15:17  |  Ben gurion 11/03/08   48.   toilet paper 15:21  |  real vision 11/03/08   49.   PEACE canNOT be forced upon people, who do not want it! 15:22  |  AliciaYasmeen 11/03/08   50.   Abu Mazen is the wrong man 15:30  |  issy Hass 11/03/08   51.   palestinian reality 15:30  |  izaak 11/03/08   52.   Peace 15:40  |  Dan 11/03/08   53.   Leftists Prove Masturbation Leads to Blindness 15:46  |  B 11/03/08   54.   Reply to Jeff Northridge (Post No. 45) 15:53  |  Johnny Weintraub 11/03/08   55.   #3 Triple dump do you mean how could the idiots flare up in Gaza 15:56  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   56.   #5 Double Dutch, there seems to be double standard here. 15:59  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   57.   #6 Jonboy you never learn.... 16:03  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   58.   #8 what land Laksmi did Israel take this time? 16:11  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   59.   Johnboy # 31 Israel As A Jewish State 16:11  |  Jeff Northridge 11/03/08   60.   Mark of Lewiston always a plkeasure.#14 16:15  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   61.   Signing peace deal with PA + $4 will buy U a coffee at Starbucks 16:15  |  Jack Levine 11/03/08   62.   Do Haaretz Editors want a peace deal with the Munich Butcher? 16:16  |  Itzak Berman 11/03/08   63.   it took hell of a long time....... 16:17  |  ravi 11/03/08   64.   #20 Zele yep that is why the Palestinkians broke the "lull" today 16:18  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   65.   More useless paper agreements won`t stop rockets 16:19  |  B (The other one) 11/03/08   66.   Again lying Haaretz doesn`t mention bogus right of return 16:23  |  McQueen 11/03/08   67.   what a silly logic! -- actually a complete lack of it 16:35  |  felix 11/03/08   68.   You`re kidding, right................. 17:01  |  Dave from Chicago 11/03/08   69.   The Same as Prepare to Be Raped 17:07  |  Tod Zuckerman 11/03/08   70.   Racists 17:13  |  James 11/03/08   71.   58Robert/Montreal,you complain about israel`s small size,but you 17:15  |  lakshmi 11/03/08   72.   AGREEMENT WOULD SPUR RECONCILIATION... 17:25  |  Smadar 11/03/08   73.   Right of Return 17:35  |  American Christian 11/03/08   74.   palestinians,go for it,make it the third,fourth fifth,sixth and 17:37  |  terrornator 11/03/08   75.   Hehehe 17:39  |  Tonylee 11/03/08   76.   Bye Bye 2-State Solution 17:39  |  Hussam 11/03/08   77.   # 8 lakshmi,so,when the shit hits the fan the next time,blame 17:40  |  terrornator 11/03/08   78.   everyone knows that Palestinian-leadership is 17:43  |  TAZ 11/03/08   79.   The only way out 17:46  |  Danite 11/03/08   80.   Jeff Northridge 17:49  |  Danite 11/03/08   81.   Racism 17:57  |  American Christian 11/03/08   82.   why THE LEFT supports THE PEACE ? 17:58  |  atilla karagözoğlu 11/03/08   83.   ravi # 63 Time Is On Whose Side? 17:58  |  Jeff Northridge 11/03/08   84.   Are WE the majority idiots. 18:00  |  Hamza 11/03/08   85.   what Leftist Jews did in THE NAZI TIME ? 18:04  |  atilla karagözoğlu 11/03/08   86.   hussam # 76 if your a "generally moderate person"then god help us 18:04  |  terrornator 11/03/08   87.   iakshmi 18:08  |  Dan 11/03/08   88.   Borders? 18:09  |  Purple Canary 11/03/08   89.   neither Abbas or any other palestian has authority to make peace 18:11  |  zionist forever 11/03/08   90.   Hussam 18:15  |  Purple Canary 11/03/08   91.   #71Lakshmi 18:24  |  Robert /Montreal 11/03/08   92.   Btw Lakshmi What is illegal in war? 18:27  |  Robert/ Mtl 11/03/08   93.   Lakshmi 18:31  |  Purple Canary 11/03/08   94.   bill, show me god`s contract with israel 18:34  |  ragged soul 11/03/08   95.   Gosh: You really think Israel is making the right nuances 18:36  |  American 11/03/08   96.   66, Right of returns is not Aliyah,Moron. 18:42  |  Proud American 11/03/08   97.   just sign anything, but do it fast, fast, let`s go o`reilly move 18:48  |  Pavel 11/03/08   98.   And then there are the Gary`s 18:53  |  ragged soul 11/03/08   99.   Robert/Montreal & other zionists,Pakistan did not take anything. 18:54  |  lakshmi 11/03/08   100.   Israel needs peace more than the Palestinians 19:00  |  raged soul 11/03/08   101.   Steps towards a realistic peace agreement 19:06  |  Tosefta 11/03/08   102.   An ani-semite, Hilda? 19:07  |  ragged soul 11/03/08   103.   NO PEACE WITH ARAB MURDERERS IS POSSIBLE 19:51  |  Beside themselves 11/03/08   104.   LEFTISTS NEED NOT FORGET TO USE HALF THEIR BRAINS 19:56  |  Hollistic 11/03/08   105.   83..JEFF....YES UNLESS... 20:04  |  ravi 11/03/08   106.   Btw Lakshmi here is the info you said is not true. 20:07  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   107.   Palestinians for Piece 20:37  |  All of Us 11/03/08   108.   What/where is Israel? 20:38  |  Harold 11/03/08   109.   # 102 ragged soul 20:44  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/03/08   110.   is the pa ready to sign 20:54  |  yonah 11/03/08   111.   Hey Dino 20:58  |  tadchase 11/03/08   112.   What the cheering sections want 20:58  |  Mark Lincoln 11/03/08   113.   Israel-PA.Dialogues 21:22  |  Michael Walsingham 11/03/08   114.   WAKE UP FROM YOUR DELUSIONS AND GO BACK TO FUNDAMENTALS 21:22  |  G. Marcus 11/03/08   115.   TOO LATE 21:35  |  Mohamed Malleck 11/03/08   116.   Johnboy 22:04  |  Tal 11/03/08   117.   Laksmi 22:13  |  Tal 11/03/08   118.   Off the subject, but 22:17  |  Mark Lincoln 11/03/08   119.   Don`t sign a peace deal,that a majority of 22:28  |  bill gordon 11/03/08   120.   Johnboy 22:40  |  Tired of the lies 11/03/08   121.   ongoing madness 22:43  |  joki 11/03/08   122.   IDF coup d`etat 23:08  |  cato 11/03/08   123.   #85 news to attilla about left wing jews 23:23  |  v hardman 11/03/08   124.   Haaretz editorial naive and youthful 23:25  |  bernard ross 11/03/08   125.   101 23:39  |  zionist forever 11/03/08   126.   #113 Tal is new here...... 23:45  |  Johnboy 11/03/08   127.   96 23:49  |  zionist forever 11/03/08   128.   #113 Tal is another who sees scary people everywhere. 23:49  |  Johnboy 11/03/08   129.   #68 Dave from Chicago 00:20  |  Johnboy 12/03/08   130.   PA has no credibility 00:27  |  Truth 12/03/08   131.   #59 Care to go back thru the documents, Jeff 00:29  |  Johnboy 12/03/08   132.   MCQueen learn your history 00:31  |  Truth 12/03/08   133.   Shouting from Egypt: Hope U listen In Israel! 00:48  |  Sharif Hafez 12/03/08   134.   Lets talk war instead 01:05  |  Reality 12/03/08   135.   Why talk peace, why sign anything? 01:06  |  Signed prediction 12/03/08   136.   "land for peace" is a flawed premise 01:20  |  Scharker Yid 12/03/08   137.   NO to the Leftist Crap 01:43  |  Brod 12/03/08   138.   Yes sign quickly and dont read it either 01:55  |  rich 12/03/08   139.   Truth in Melbourne 01:57  |  rich 12/03/08   140.   James 02:01  |  Linichka 12/03/08   141.   Jeff Northridge, the onus is on Israel 02:03  |  Ibrahim 12/03/08   142.   #132 Ibriham - utter crap 02:31  |  Adrian de Klerk 12/03/08   143.   Mark Lincoln More Wisdom? 02:52  |  George W. Bush 12/03/08   144.   Sign with the PA 03:38  |  Seymour 12/03/08   145.   Haaretz Editorial 04:25  |  Carey Jaffee 12/03/08   146.   #115 Mark Lincoln...while your at it...... 04:36  |  Abraham 12/03/08   147.   Peace and Israel 05:06  |  Zev 12/03/08   148.   to Gary #24 05:26  |  zeev in Beer Sheva 12/03/08   149.   What will happen 05:29  |  Mark Lincoln 12/03/08   150.   johnboy #121 05:51  |  Dave from Chicago 12/03/08   151.   IBRAHIM--IT`S ALWAYS TIME FOR PEACE. 06:05  |  Bobby the Jew 12/03/08   152.   And what if Abbas turned into a Terorrist ? 06:50  |  Akaram Zekaria 12/03/08   153.   #41 swiss d RUNS on EMPTY under poll-induced HAZE 08:17  |  CK Tan 12/03/08   154.   #139 Dave from Chicago, yeah, you have it wrong. 09:03  |  Johnboy 12/03/08   155.   to Dave from Chicago #68 10:38  |  zeev 12/03/08   156.   to Zev #147 11:46  |  zeev 12/03/08   157.   Dave of Chicago - BEWARE of johnboy`s LIES re #154 (last try) 18:56  |  CK Tan 12/03/08

Today Online Hamas: No truce until Israel ends Gaza siege Responses: 122 Australian parliament lauds Israel as 'custodian of freedom' Responses: 93 Qureia to Livni: PA 'shocked' at plan to expand settlement Responses: 90 Pro-Palestinian graffiti found inside El Al plane in Italy Responses: 50 Haaretz TV: Israel-born child faces expulsion Responses: 18 More Headlines 16:15 Hamas: No truce until IDF ends Gaza, W. Bank raids 17:19 Dichter to police: Demolish home of Jerusalem yeshiva terrorist 18:58 New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigns amid sex scandal 19:21 IDF kills 5 Palestinian militants in two West Bank incidents 18:57 Rightist rabbis urge 'measure for measure' revenge on foes 15:36 Lyon police disperse anti-Israel rally during Peres visit 16:59 Smuggler buried alive when tunnel collapses near Egypt-Gaza border 18:34 Brothers sentenced to life in jail for 'honor killing' of sister 18:34 Rubinstein Piano Competition / A truly impressive artist 17:09 Israel to boycott Al-Jazeera TV, claiming incitement to terror 16:30 After 30 years, musician Joe Jackson realizes dream of playing in Israel 17:32 70 years after Anschluss, Austrians urged not to bury past Previous Editions Select Day 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb

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