Israel believes Abbas will bide time on direct talks until settlement freeze nears end
Arab League gives green light, but leaves ultimate decision up to Palestinian president; U.S. welcomes approval as encouraging.
By Barak Ravid, Natasha Mozgovaya and Avi Issacharoff Tags: Israel news Middle East peaceOfficials in Jerusalem believe that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will attempt to delay at all cost the beginning of direct peace negotiations with Israel, even after the Arab League gave the green light for the process at a special session on Thursday.
A senior source in Jerusalem said that Abbas will likely wait until September, when Israel's temporary settlement freeze expires, before declaring his own decision on the matter.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Barack Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in New York in September 2009. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
Officials also assume that the Palestinian president will use the time to try to convince Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue the free or to take other "equal" measures to that regard.
The Arab League approved the holding of direct talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, but authorized Qatari Prime Minister Hamed Ben Jasem al-Thani, who heads the committee, was somewhat vague about its conclusions at the press conference that followed the meeting in Cairo.
"There is agreement, but only about the way the talks will be held and the subjects that will be discussed," he said. He added that Abbas was authorized to decide when the time is right for resuming the direct negotiations.
In addition, Al-Thani said, the Arab League is demanding clearer guarantees from the Americans than they have yet offered about the framework of the direct talks.
About an hour prior to the Arab League's official announcement, Abbas addressed the gathering of the Arab states' representatives and asked them to back the continuation of proximity talks for the full four months that had originally been allotted for them. That was tantamount to asking the Arab League not to decide until September - when the settlement freeze put in place by Israel's government is due to end.
Abbas said he is under heavy pressure - "never in my life have I experienced such pressure" - to agree to direct talks. And he may well have expected full support from the Arab states in resisting this pressure, as they have supported him steadfastly throughout the last few months.
But the events of the past week could have given Abbas a clue as to what was coming: Jordan's King Abdullah met publicly with Netanyahu for the first time in over a year, and a meeting between President Shimon Peres and Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak was scheduled for Sunday.
The planned Peres-Mubarak meeting follows an announcement by Mubarak's spokesman on Wednesday about the receipt of American guarantees that could make it possible to resume direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
All this suggests that, with all due respect to the PA's wishes, the Arab League's major player are not looking for a confrontation with the administration in Washington. On the contrary: They are falling in line behind U.S. President Barack Obama like obedient soldiers with regard to Israeli-Palestinian peace.
According to the Qatari prime minister, the Arab League unequivocally opposed direct negotiations in the past, but has changed its view in light of what he termed the current "Arab situation."
"So long as Netanyahu is there, neither direct nor indirect talks will produce results," he said. "But we want to prove to the world that we are in favor of peace, without giving up on our rights."
It seems the main reason for the change in the Arab League's stance is what al-Thani had to say next: The league is convinced that Israel does not seriously intend to make peace, and is merely trying to buy time, "but we are convinced that U.S. President Barack Obama is serious in his intention to make peace."
This may be one of the most impressive achievements any American president has ever had in the Middle East: He pressured Arab states to back direct negotiations, and they did so, even at the cost of a minor confrontation with the Palestinians. Winning some brownie points at the White House was apparently enough to get the Arabs to withdraw their unconditional support for Abbas.
State Department officials were pleased by the Arab League's decision, saying it will spur direct talks. A department spokesman termed the news from Cairo encouraging, adding that the Qatari prime minister had sent a letter to Obama on behalf of the committee on the Arab peace initiative.
Ultimately, the spokesman stressed, the parties themselves will have to decide whether there is a basis for moving on to direct negotiations. But as far as the United States is concerned, he added, this is the right time.
Responding to a question on preconditions for negotiations and how they may affect the start of the talks, the spokesman said there was still work to be done ahead of direct talks, but the U.S. was in touch with all the parties involved.
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If Abbas shows, Bibi has an obligation to get real and respond to his offers. What Olmert proposals at Camp David? The only Olmert proposal that ever made the press came three weeks before Olmert left office and was on his way to court. Bibi ran on disavowing anything Olmert offered and had already been declared the winner.
The Arab League is a community of clowns since it's "invention " Egypt and Jordan are traitors which not only history showed back in 1948, but they are still today. The Palestinians have nothing to do with these clowns which are walking like dogs behind their master the US. The Palesinians have to solve their problems by themselves with the help of worldwide BDS, Iran, Syria and Hezbollah . The zionists just play on time in the meantime creating facts on the ground in order to prevent peace, which they don't want . Wether the PA is negotiating directly or by proxy doesn't make any difference at all. The zionists want their Great Israel and the meantime exclaiming "Shalom "which is probably together with the word "anti semitism : a word in a dictionary which is abusing the facts at most.
if israel and pals made a proper deal the America and Israel can concentrate on real threat ........i mean Iran, that what Arabs really want
Build baby build ! God gave this land to us, not the so-called Palestinians. Sorry, you are out of luck. Sticks and stones will not take this land from us !
This is a recording.
It takes two to tango. If Abbas is not ready to compromise and settle, Israel cannot do anything short of suicide, which you seem to suggest.
For I just read it on the other forum.You must be running out of ideas Mark L Though I was just reading some comments did not take part.Just lurking.And there you were verbatim << A recording indeed.
the PBS program of July 29th, 2010 where Charlie Rose interviews Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Mr. Lincoln, you're totally mistaken about the Israeli Government.
"The league is convinced that Israel does not seriously intend to make peace, and is merely trying to buy time." Right! What a waste!
Paraphrazing,PARAPHRAZING..Ad infinitum...
Do they want to make peace?
"So long as Netanyahu is there, neither direct nor indirect talks will produce results," he [the Qatari prime minister] said. Sad but true.
Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, warned on Wednesday that his government will collapse if he extends the freeze. No!
"When I receive written assurances [about] accepting the 1967 borders and halting settlement [building], I will go immediately to the direct talks," Abbas said before the Arab League meeting. Enough said.
Np mention of renouncing violence by the Arabs or accepting the presence of a Jewish state by the Arabs. So they can continue supporting terrorism and violence with one hand and pretending to want peace with the other- such hypocrites!
There appears to be a strong momentum toward direct talks. In this current ambiguous situation -- where the UN, EU and int. law are ignored by the Israeli govt. -- I think this will be a mistake, as does Abbas. The Arab League has leverage, but apparently no backbone: In this interdependent world, a group like the Arab League which has such vast, essential natural resources, in theory, is able to make more of an impact -- this would have a negative effect on those Arabs too, but not nearly as much as the western world. As for the direct jokes -- what I call them -- behind closed doors, as always, there will likely be the famous Israeli pass-the-buck type sabotage which will exacerbate talks. Then back to square one... which is a humongous square.
The Arabs began massacring the Jews in the region in 1920. What was the excuse then? What was the excuse from 1920 to 1948? What was the excuse from 1948-67? The real obstacle to peace is the Arab hatred of autonomous Jews.
What was your obstacle before '67 ??? Settlements are a smokescreen. they are here to stay, deal with it, otherwise, no State.
and if you believe all settlements would stay i have a bridge to sell you real cheap
...... nay-sayers to any move they may want to make - One, Abbas, has Hamas, the Arab League, Meshal, to contend with ...... the other, Netanyahu, has Lieberman, Shas, his own Likud, etc, on his back..... all disagreeing ..... So, how to ever come to an agreement?? Not to speak about the posters herein!
The Arab league has made the wrong decision by putting pressure on Abbas to go into direct negotiations with Netanyahu. We all know that Bibi is not interested in peace and he is captive of his extreme ideology. He is someone who is only prepared to pay lip service to get himself out of tricky situations but when it comes to the serious business of peace, all he can do is reveal his true colors as an extremist in disguise. There is no point in wasting any time on this man
You can always see the problem accross the border, never that`in front of your nose....
talk is slight of hand signifying nothing.. except to look in agreement with Obama, to get US to bomb Iran nuke sites
Reminds me of Arafat -- when he accepted Israel's deal for a Palestinian state -- over a year after the deal was removed from the table. Once the freeze is off the table, Abbas will come back and want it back on the table in order to engage in direct talks. What's that saying about missing opportunities?
Only difference is the suit. Otherwise, same crapola. Holocaust denier, to boot.
Now is not a good time to start talks anyway. He'll wait to the end of the freeze and then theyll be some sort of deal to start talks, itll all be announced by Obama just before the november midterms.
Yes, so the fact that after the peace talks its the "Palestinians" who start the fighting means that it is all Israel's fault. Good job you dumb bigot.
With weeks to go before the midterms Obama would be a fool to start putting the squeeze on Israel and taking Abbas side once again sayiing OK Abbas you tell me what you want and you got it I expect nothing from you I will make sure Israel delivers everything you demand if you agree to talk. If his stupidity and dreams of a legacy help the Republicans take Congress there will be no free rides for Obama anymore where he can steam roller through any bill he wants because the Democrats control everything. Obama needs to start being pro Israel and suck up to Bibi rather than Abbas.
One may start from the safe assumption that this Netanyahu government is not capable of progressing in any significant way towards a peace agreement. The inevitable result is that the Arabs must do what they can to topple the Netanyahu government so that it is replaced by a more peace-oriented one. Since the Arab League believes in Obama's sincerity, they also believe that once Obama realizes that what they see in Netanyahu (i.e., a void) is correct, Obama will join them in their goal to topple the Netanyahu government. This is reasonable, and it has a historical precedent. Jim Baker got tired of the Shamir government lying ways and absolute determination to hold on to the West Bank, so it criticized it in public and punished Israel financially, which resulted in the Israeli public replacing Shamir with Rabin in the following elections. It is a reasonable approach which may work even faster this time. It is likely that with no real progress towards peace, the Labor party will quit the government, making it even more hardline and more resistant to any concession. For this strategy to work, Abbas should attempt to make sure Labor has no excuse to remain in the government. Let him get from Netanyahu his "good will gestures", go to direct talks, then suspend them when Israel declines to extend the freeze over settlement construction.The snowball will start rolling after the US Congressional elections this November.
You can blather about toppling the Netanyahu government to "replace it with a more peaceful one," but peace wasn't negotiated with any other government before either. Did you see the point I made Logios? It precedes the following insult... Anti-Israelis are morons.
your logic is extremely flawed, to say the least, not even sure where to begin, but anyway... 1. It's not up to arabs to topple the govt of a sovereign nation...if Israel sees arabs are trying to interfere, the Israeli public will resist...there is a good chance that you'll see a far more right wing leader than Netanyahu. 2. Obama can't afford to alienate Israel, he is so low in the polls and repubs are using this issue to shore up support. 3. arabs have had plenty of Israeli govts to work with from the very liberal to the more conservative and they have failed to make peace with every one of them so it's hardly Israel's fault that there is no peace. 4. If labor backs out, they can be replaced with a series of far right wing smaller parties. 5. abbas can't deliver peace and everyone knows it, including abbas, so this is little more than a charade that will bring no substance...until abbas finds a way to bring hamas in and get them to accept Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, there will be no real progress. And that's just for starters....
"4. If labor backs out, they can be replaced with a series of far right wing smaller parties." Jennifer, please name TWO in the series. In any case, I didn't say that Labor's quitting will bring down the government. Something else will happen. Now, try to see how the Jim Baker example will work her. This will answer most of your questions. As for evaluations, their value happens to go together with knowledge and paying attention to facts.
Some form of a building freeze in the West Bank is absolutely elementary. You can't negotiate the division of a pizza when one side keeps eating it. This basic truth was understood even by Dumbya Bush, which is why it was put in phase 1 of his Roadmap, and why Sharon committed to it. (Both were businessmen.) If Netanyahu cannot get his coalition colleagues to accept this easy step, then his government will never accept the really painful steps that go with a real peace agreement. Netanyahu is wasting everybody's time when presenting his government as going for peace. It will never happen with this coalition. Netanyahu can get a majority for peace, in a coalition between Likud, Kadima, Labor (68 MKs), supported from the outside by 14 more of Meretz and the Arabs. Even the Haredim (16 MKs) will agree to peace if a good part of Jerusalem will be kept. (They are not interested in the West Bank.) Netanyahu is stuck in his coalition because of some political fears of Lieberman. The man is a political coward, the like of whom never before appeared on the Israeli scene.
Bibi is not a coward. The key issue that everyone is failing to recognize that the combined forces of arab nations had initiated wars and a variety of terror activities when Abbas was younger & in concert with arafath since 1948 and were all defeated and they dont want to be reminded. Now, the same terrorists, dressed in a suit think that Israel had forgotten. They are mistaken because there wont be a move back to the 1967 borders, nor returning of the Golan Heights. It is just not possible no matter what security garuntees the US gives because the arab communities cannot be trusted. Look at Gaza!! a good example. Look at the firing of rockets from Gaza this morning. Think about. They cannot fool Israel.
Every time throughout modern history that the LEGAL STATE of PALESTINE (as recognised by MOST countries on the planet) tried to be serious about the charade of "Peace Talks" orchestrated by the Israeli Terrorists' paymasters, the USA, who also had the audacity to ACT as MEDIATORS; all that has ever happened is they LOST MORE LAND, LOST MORE of what precious little FREEDOM they had left, LOST more innocent lives to Israeli Snipers & Terrorists. Our organisation UKFPI says: NO more PHONY PEACE TALKS, ESPECIALLY if the Terrorists' Paymasters "Obama & Co" are involved. Israel's brutal and arrogant intransigence over the lands they stole and illegally occupy has cost the WORLD $TRILLIONS in cash and an IMMEASURABLE amount in the human tragedy of horrific pain, terrible suffering, loss, GRIEF & DESPAIR. We will work with anyone who is able to accept non-Jews as EQUAL children of God, not children of a lesser God. The WORLD is VERY VERY angry with Israel (NOT Jews) and WE ARE NOT BEING ANTI-SEMITIC we are FED UP with being called ANTI-SEMITIC or "SELF HATING JEWS" it's pathetic!
Right. If it weren't nothing more than egotistical excess to speak for the world on any issue, I find it hard to believe that the world with all it's other pressing issues should care much about Israel. Of course that may be symptomatic of what really plagues the world, be it AIDS, the Kurds, Sudan or global warming. Anti-Jewish agitators posing as concerned world citizens are just taking a ride on trendy Israel bashing to the expense of real more serious problems.
dear adam, israel did not steal it's right to existence nor did it start the wars on their neighbours. the only phony thing around are comments like yours without any kind of historical context or political understanding. i'd would even prefer a smart antisemite to a phony worldpeacemaker... stay where you are
Since you seem to know so much about Palestine, I have afew questions to ask you: 1. When did the State of Palestine exist? 2. What brought about its destruction? 3. What was its system of government? 4. Can you name some of its leaders - kings, presidents, and such? 5. What were its contributions to the world in the fields of science and education, economics, medicine, the exact sciences, engineering and the like? 6. How many of its writers and poets received or were nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature? 7. What was its language? 8. Did it exist before or after the Israelite Settlement of the Land of Canaan? 9. Did it exist before or after the First Temple Period and the Davidic Monarchy? 10. Did it exist before or after the Second Jewish Commonwealth? Before or after Herod? Before or after King Herod? Before or after the Maccabees? Before or after the Mishna and Talmuds were set down? 11. Oh yes - and what is the source of the name "Palestine"? After all, the Land of the Philistines was called "Peleshet" - in the Bible, of course. It was the Romans who called the Land +Palestine" after they destroyed the Second Temple. So how did this name appear again? It didn't have anything to do with British imperialism, did it?
The Palestinians have been offered a state several times and have rejected it every time. Of course it's going to shrink each time. And what makes you think they are "losing" territory? You can only "lose" something if you had it in the first place.
Such a state does not nor did it ever exist. You need to learn to accept facts of history as they are and not as you would like them to be. The question is what to do and how to do it regarding the creation of such a state. I think most reasonable people will agree that the country Palestine should be created so that Palestinians can fulfill their aspirations. Just to be clear fulfilling those aspirations cannot not include evacuating major Jewish populations centers. Then we can all participate in helping to create the legal State of Palestine.
There is no legal state of Israel beyond its 1949 armistice agreements with Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. All those Jewish population centers in the West Bank that Israelis are adamant about keeping are in violation of countless UN resolutions, violate the spirit of the Camp David Accords, and are responsible for turning Israel into a colonial power. These settlements, in short, may doom the peace process in the Middle East, leaving Israel with no choice but to remain a bunker state perpetually on guard for another united Arab, let alone Iranian, attack. So if Israel wants to remain a colonial master, overseeing the reclamation of Greater Israel at the expense of Palestinians (as the Likud clearly does), then the people of Israel will always fear the day the Arabs deliver a decisive blow. And when that day comes, Israel's bombastic and rapacious politicians will ask themselves forlornly, why didn't I just trade land for peace?
There is a history of loss by the Jewish people of the land - the Egyptians, the Babylonians and the Romans. It was Darius (Persian) who freed them from Babylon and ordered the temple to be rebuilt - the one the Romans destroyed. Jerusalem was a Canaanite city with a history at least 1000 years prior to the Jews arriving. The Canaanites are the ancestors of the modern Palestinians. Sinful Israel(i government) should be more concerned with its own actions than those of other men? The fear is that history will repeat itself
Land for peace, or anything else, is useless as long as Hamas and Hezbullah have any influence in a Paestinian State. It is no more complicated than that.
No one is listening to Abbas but the liberal news media and possibly Obama. Obama will soon be a lame duck just like Abbas. Obama has gone from ' 'Change we can believe in' to ' Well, it could be a lot worse' ! Well, soon it will be a lot worse, thanks to Obama !
The US has always supported the estalishment, We did so in the Russian Revolution and lost. We did so in Vietnam and lost. We are doing so in Afghanistan and losing. But US troops will not leave Afghanistan until there i another Asian country to molest. Yes, it could be a lot worse, and likely will be.
Abbas thinks this is not the right time for peace making...Perhaps he wants to see the benefits of war? peacefulness with Israel is unsustainable...
Why talking about peace when Israel is stealing ground at the same time? It's better to make a good agreement, the whole world will check Israel now.
The Saudi's, American's, England, etc. have no right to the decisions made by Israel. She is her own nation and makes her own decisions. Obama, is temporary and becoming more desperate, enough so that yesterday he appeared on the "View". Obama is a one term pres and knows it. He's spent more than Bush spent in 8 years and managed to do it in a year and a half. What a loser. He's backing the wrong side and for that, there is no excuse.
If you don't have something better to say, why you don't just shut your mouth up? It's because people like you that Israel was able to make the entire world condemning itself... and this coming from an era not so long ago when the world was on our side most of the time. What kind of nation we have become?
Momma speaks the truth. Why don't YOU shut your mouth up ?? What makes you think you know what you are talking about. Go Momma.
The world was on Israel's side until 1967 when Israel decided that conquest was better than mere defense. Since then she has not ceased to do to the Middle East what AH did to Europe.. Untermenchkin, palestinian — what's the difference? Same attitude, same result.
it is my thinking that ABBAS is not serious with the peace talk because his outlines is very difficult for peace to move forward,he should borrow from Africian countries who have exprencies with foreign rule.
Is onwudinjo suggesting that Abbas does NOT have first hand experience with foreign rulers? "When I receive written assurances [about] accepting the 1967 borders and halting settlement [building], I will go immediately to the direct talks," Abbas said before the Arab League meeting. But Natanyahu talks about this vague generality called "peace" without committimg himself to anythng, all of which adds up to nothing. What the Middle East needs is a decent governmnt for Israel.
all the error states and their rulers are nothing but incompetent and bootlicking sermons of the US. They will do what they're told to do. In their hearts they know and all the Arabs know that US president does not have the moral fibre to stand up to the Israeli Prime Minister. The best course available to Abbas is to resign and save himself the humiliation and ridicule from his own people. His days are gone and let someone else take charge
Ball is in Abbas' court now! If he doesn't at least try to negotiate he will be seen as the obstructionist. Enough with this precondition nonsense - let your concerns be voiced! If Netanyahu really isn't interested in a reasonable solution expose him to the world, unless of course the same can be said for Abbas. If Abbas gives Israel much more time to sink its teeth further into Palestine they will only have two options left, all out war or unconditional surrender.
Israel will stand waiting, with its hat-in-hand, for him to come to a decision. Who gives him such defunct advice? Surely not Peres et Ramon?
and neither have the brains to get out of the game they know nothing about.
Netanyahu needs to explain this little tactic to the hard right, and extend the Settlement freeze for just another 90 days after the freeze is over. On the DAY the settlement freeze end (before the 90 extension) call out his BLUFF! Bring international attention that Israel was willing to freeze for another 90 days and Abbas still refuses to come to the table. In those 90 days, if he still doesn't come, he's screwed. And exposed. ;)
It makes the pals crazier ( if that's possible)
I thought the ten month freeze was to call his bluff. And THAT was supposed to bring intl attention to his real intentions. Oh, but this time we REALLY mean. I mean we REALLY mean. Hey, why doesn't anyone believe that this time...
If 10 months of freeze didn't call his bluff, why will 90 days do it ?
Why do you think Obama has dropped pressuring Isreal. He know's what Isreal did on 10 month stay on building did. It exposed Abbas for what he is. That is why he is pressing him now for direct talks.
Abbas can lift the pressure and transfer it all to Netanyahu in one easy stroke. He need only hold a press Conference when George Mitchell arrives and announce that he, Abbas, is agreeing to direct talks, mediated by Mitchell. he should be sure to invite the entire Israeli press corps. With the cameras rolling, he announces that he invites Netanyahu to a first open and public meeting for negotiations to be held in one week, at Orient House in East Jerusalem. He might just also have maps of his security and borders proposals that Netanyahu has refused to respond to available for the press. Erekat can translate for everybody into Hebrew, for those who do not understand English or Arabic. Netanyahu can show up to negotiate or be exposed as the FRAUD he is.
If he does agree to direct talks, it will prove yet again (as in Camp David, Olmert proposals) that the Pals have no interest in any agreement that leaves a Jewish state and a pal state.
If there is a true negotiation, Israel will offer compromises in its all or nothing position and abandon it claims to right of conquest. It will also not insist that Palestine have less sovereignty that New York City.
If Abbas shows, Bibi has an obligation to get real and respond to his offers. What Olmert proposals at Camp David? The only Olmert proposal that ever made the press came three weeks before Olmert left office and was on his way to court. Bibi ran on disavowing anything Olmert offered and had already been declared the winner.
It seems to me that Obama is not at the moment pushing the peace process as it is a bridge too far. Instead he is pushing for a complete settlement freeze. That is doable, if at all, right now. That’s why the crunch is on. If he succeeds, the Arab world will consider it a great victory. It doesn’t care about peace and a Palestinian state. It just wants to stop Israel in its tracts. That will win over a lot of friends in the Arab world. But it won’t bring peace.
and neither can Bibi. They, more than any other group sets the stage for building all of Israel. There will not be an extension to the building freeze. There will not be a pal state. They have Gaza, and that's all their going to get ( and they better hope they can keep it and they may not)
The Pals don't want their own State, they want a State to replace Israel. When will all the geniuses see the light ???
the question is is it going to be west bank and gaza or all israel arabs will be double the jewish population in twenty years and settlements will then become islands with arabs surronding them
the americans control the region with their money. americans (well, aipac and the like, which has a majority of the senate by the balls) don't want to see a palestinian state. the freeze won't be renewed. the west bank will be mostly "jewish land" within a year, east jerusalem isn't too far behind. bibi's already said that "jerusalem won't be divided". so let's see what bibi offers in his much anticipated "direct talks". should make for a good laugh. my guess is gaza and some of the refugee camps in the west bank. with no land connection between the two.
The pals got what they wanted. A kidnapped prisoner and a lifetime of rockets It will be the cost of their not having a state.
The West Bank is predominately Arab, by far. Anti-Israelis are morons.
Bibi will not commit himself to direct talks with Abbas. He will go down in flames first, dragging Israel along with him.
Now the two sides can go back to doing what they were doing before Obama was elected: talking.