Erekat: Mideast peace summit without Israel-PA deal is mistake

Conditions of Retaliations should be 1 hour of inefficient Palestinian police to stop terrorist would in turn activate a IDF military incursions or raids into the Gaza (instead of 2 hours as stated)

Intifada will never end as long as koran continue to propagate '....kill Jews and allah will be proud of you.' At the moment when a peace accord is reached, there must always be a clause that allows Israel to retaliate militarily after a period of 2 hours of inefficient palestinian authorities to stop any bombings or qassams. The price of peace in Gaza would also mean that all humanitarian and electricity must be paid according at a discounted price of the services offered eg. for every 10 kilowatt used, Gaza would have to pay $1.00. If 20 megawatts is used Gaza would have to pay $2,000.00. IDF will not be allowed into Gaza territory unless authorized to repulse terrorist militants after the stipulated 2 hours of emnesty period. 100% Check point search must be made to search vehicles for weapons even though the search may involve sniffer dogs to root out any hidden weapons from compartments of the vehicle or even the Gazan people at the check points. By The Archives

This is the moment. Terror, intifadas, occupation, settlements, rocket attacks, everything intransigence had to offer has already happened in this tragedy. Abbas and Olmert have nothing to lose (their support is not equal among their constituencies, but is far from high). Olmert did not succeed in his tough-guy mode. So perhaps he can pass onto history as the peace-maker. Abbas was always under the shaddow of Arafat. Then Hamas swept Gaza from him. He has failed in being tough, or didn't even try. So his missed Nobel Prize is at reach now. Bothe leaders have an ego, both leaders need to let go of it and reach in some middle point. They have days to do it. They don' start from scratch. There are a dozen agreements, ready made, to build on a bridge. And they all are basically similar. Stop the procastination and the shouq mentality bargaining and strike a deal once and for all.

You're contradicting yourself all over. "Israel must give to the Palestinians everything they want." Hamas, AAMB, and IJ want all of Israel. They are Palestinians too. In fact, your calling Haifa "occupied" rather places you alongside them, as Haifa is NOT in the WB, or Gaza, or Jerusalem. Israel cannot and will not give all of Israel to the Pals. You want all of Jerusalem? Even the Western part that is on the Israeli side the 1948 borders you mentioned? Tough. Even under the 1948 border, you wouldn't get all of Jerusalem. The Pals can't have Azrieli mall either. What you're saying amounts to 'as long as Israel exists, all future intifadas will be justified.' Seee how far those intifadas will get you, genius-boy. A few more and the Pals will have to accept the Jenin - Ramallah corridor as their whole country. So, please, do go on..

I do hope that a just agreement can be hammered out. We only have to determine what 'just' is. Reading this thread leaves me with great foreboding that any kind of agreement that treats with respect, those who are truly innocent, is only an ethereal mist that cannot be captured in the hand. Don't be too hard on ex-Prez Clinton, he only wanted things to look good for his legacy. He really didn't give squat about a real agreement. Just so it looked like he was being a peacemaker and was in line for a Noble prize.

If the Israeli gov is serious about peace, there is nothing wrong with TRYING to finalize the borders, settlements, E J'lem, the refugee issue, water and other resources before the conference. They can figure out the time frame, security, implementation and final details after the conference. We need the PA security forces to be able to control the militant groups and have security before the complete withdraw. It is much easier to do when the Pals have an official international peace agreement. There will be people on both sides who will oppose the 2 state solution based around the 67 borders with some land swapping.

Interesting how PM Olmert keeps all close to his vest and lips locked while the PA - Saeb Erekat and all are negotiating telling of what has been agreed to via the news, stating their minimalist conditions- all my PA way or else the 'mother of all infitadas'- attempting to force Israel to comply -- when in reality it is all a mirage. Does Abbas even control Bethleham or Jericho ?? Surely not Gaza - the looser has split the PA rule to less and less and the people do not like him.And now the PA will accept the Barakat 2000 offer. Time marches on. The conference is worthless. DO NOT TRUST CONDI RICE

Not in Ereket's life. He has proven to be an enemy of peace through his lies and constant anti-Israel pronouncements. Ereket was the spokesman for the Jenin 'massacre' hoax. I am sure he will insist that Mohammed Dura was shot by the IDF long after the French trial proves otherwise. He and people like him are enemies of peace. If he sees his son as a potential suicide bomber- which is an amazing statement - then that generation is lost too. When there are palestinians who stop the lies and myths and face Israel honestly and truthfully there is hope. Until then the Holocaust deniers and liers cannot make any peace.

the ARABS LEADERS themselves. First, Arabs [not Palestinians because they only came into existence later] rejected the Partition Plan in 1948 which RECREATED ISRAEL where it always had been for over three thousand years in the land of Palestine and instead started a battle against the Jewish people to push them out. Arabs lost the battle together with much of the land allotted to them in the Partition Plan. Again in 1956 and again in 1967 came other wars waged against the J lost and in 1967

You're so modest. Why don't you just ask all the Jews to leave Israel and let you have it all? I suppose you're worried that the prosperity will stop happening without the Jews.

Your fate among the the Moslem Palestinians sounds dire. If the Christians spoke with one voice, elected a leader, perhaps a man of religion or a MK and brought a petition to the government of Israel, something would surely be done. However, every time concern is raised for the Christians people claiming to be Christians denounce the concern and identify with the Moslem Palestinians. It's up to you to clarify your position.

certain facts before embarking on a Peace Summit with Israel. It should be understood also that according to Arab Traditional Culture, terror and genocide are acceptable. Think.... what have the Bedouins been doing while they were living in the desert for thousnds of years if not fighting with each, tribe against tribe, until one broke loose and called himself Arab..... Check Google for 'The Original Arab, The Bedouin'. Oil has changed the lives of many of these people from being among the poorest in the world to among the richest. But where are the signs of their humble origin?

Good, Erekat, Abbas and the other PA Quislings are now beginning to bow to Hamas' principled position of boycotting this media-rigged non-event. Why would they possibly submit their begging supine selves to a photo op for Bush/Olmert?

The Palestinians have absolutely no claim to West Jerusalem or the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. Sorry. Your calling Haifa 'occupied' when it's nowhere near the green line reveals your true nature. "Kulhu Falestin", right? Know this: that attitude consigns everyone involved to eternal war. Is that what you want? Because you may get it. If you can't bring yourself to admit that Haifa is ISRAEL, you won't even get Jericho. It's that simple.

Are you a pre-school teacher, perchance?

Instead of being setisfied with two state solution in 1948 (According to UN borders in 1948) where bouth Jews and Arabs would have there own states, Arabs wonted to "TROW JEWS AT THE SEA" and to take Jewish piece of Land given buy the UN, they lost war and oppertunity to have there own State and what is werse for them they lost LAND just like in evry Arab Israeli conflict!

Who listens to this guy these days. Maybe he should try to "negotiate" between Fatah and Hamas....

1. The contiguity of the Palestinian state is solely dependent upon Israel and its security needs. It would be unprecedented and the greatest concession Israel would be making. 2. No refugees should be accepted back into Israel, since the status of refugee cannot be inherited. Those srviving the 1948 Naqba should possibly be compensated but their descendants cannot be allowed back or compensated, since in Kohen's mind they are not even under her category of "socalled" refugees. Jews living in Iran or Iraq for 2000 yrs of course are, in her mind, refugees and can justifiably displace Palestinians whose parents were born in Palestine. 3.Again, for Kohen, the Palestinians agreeing to accept a state in 22% of Palestine is not a compromise. In her mind, apparently, a "compromise" by the Palestinians means one thing only: accept what Israel is willing to offer. 4. Her fourth point about Israel's longing for peace is belied by the Maale Adumim land confiscation.

One item in the report I find fascinating, that Liebermann is claimed to have said to Blair: "the basis for an agreement should be a land swap and a population transfer". Now, maybe I'm being too naive, but I just have an inkling that this might refer to Israel's Arab population. Am I wrong? Is Liebermann in fact talking of the Israelis "settled" in the West Bank? And is this official Israeli policy? If not, it is a little surprising to see a minister in the government put it forward. But if it is, we seem to have official Israeli policy to transfer a part of their population to another state, forcibly - because we all know they won't go voluntarily. What does that make the Israeli government into?

3 If the Palestinians want an independent state, they must understand that they can achieve this goal only through compromise. They cannot expect to arrive at a solution without some territorial compromise, which most likely will involve land swaps. Such swaps are a small price to pay for the passage through Israeli territory connecting Gaza and the West Bank. 4 If negotiations on these issues, including Jerusalem, are not fruitful, chances are that war will break out, with serious casualties. Israel has been waiting for sixty years to have peace. She is willing to make serious concessions for the creation of a Palestinian state. The creation of a Palestinian state is not Israel's obligation. The creation of a Palestinian state is the obligation of the Palestinians themselves. The Arab governments have the obligation to contribute to this process in the same proportions that they had contributed to the problem in the first place.

1 First, and most importantly, the Palestinians must understand that the creation of a Palestinian state depends totally on Israel's willingness to build some passage through its sovereign territory that would link the two geographically non-contiguous entities of the West Bank and Gaza. This is not a minor point, since without this passage through sovereign Israeli territory, the creation of a Palestinian states becomes impossible. Nothing in international law can be referenced under which Israel, a sovereign state, would be obliged to build such a passage. 2 Israel is not required to allow any of the so-called refugees back into her territory as is. Although those who became refugees right after the birth of Israel should receive some compensation, their descendents are not so entitled since the status of refugee cannot be inherited. The refugees' descendents have been kept artificially in this state by the Arab world for their own political and ideological reasons.

Erekat was in the arab team who negociate Oslo, Taba, Camp David....so what's new. We know that the summit will bring more terrorism.

Israel must give to the Palestinians everything they want,Jerusalem (all of it),the right of return,the borders of 1948 (for a start). Otherwise the intifada will be justified.

Erekat and Abbas are right on the neccessity for agreement before the summit. The Saudi Plan is the basis of any possible agreement for peace, and must be confirmed as the guiding principle for the coming peace. The Saudi Plan leaves room for negotiations and adjustments. The Road Map, on the other hand, agitated by the Israeli side, has the built-in flaw of impossible security demands on the Palestinians, who do not represent their lunatics. However, officials in Israel do represent their settler lunatics, guilty for the Israeli incitement of the ventdetta. The security issue is compeltely covered by Arab League acceptance of Israel as a recognized member and partner in building a new and peaceful Middle East. The internatioal community will guarantee the security success of the Saudi Initiative. But the Road Map is an endless roundabout, forever stuck in a catch-22 conundrum INSURING THE PERPETUAL WEAKNESS OF THE PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT. The Saudi Plan clearly solves this!

Who does not remember Saeb Erekat giving interviews to journalists to say that Israelis killed 500 Palestinians in Jenin.

Just as bush's excursion to liberate Iraq was doomed to failure. Now, its reached the point where he has just withdrawn. His one and only clear strategy is to turn the mess over to the Democrats in November 2008. And Olmert? Well, he has Israeli precdent to follow which goes thus: verbally promise the US you will do A, and then proceed to do B. If questioned (also probably a ruse since the US is in on the plann from the start) say it is neccesary for Israel's "security", all the while making sure you stir the hornets nest to backup your assertion. Condy is coming with some invitations in her hand but isnt sure to whom they should be given. Thhe invitees have not agreed on the terms of the wedding. Condy will return to georgie and both will shake their heads and say they really tried. The Palestinians will have allowed themselves to be pawned off once again, the radicals will gain and Lieberman will continue to push for transfer, which wont apply to his return to Moldova.

No intifada has started unless it was directed by Palestian leadership. No intifada has been sustained without the support of the leadership. Is Mr. Erekat calling for an Intifada if he doesn't get his way? I had hoped that we might have maturity in the new talks.

Erekat often speaks too soon so he probably speaks with hindsight on this one. Recently he told us that Israel was going to open many checkpoints in the West Bank. We are still waiting. What did happen was that many more were put in place so that when they will eventually be forced to remove a few, nobody will realise there were still far more than when they actually agreed to remove any! Same with prisoners. How many have been arrested since the last batch were released?It really is a farce!

The Christians in Gaza have been free to leave at any time. The Israeli's would like nothing better to have the world see them bringing out the persecuted Christians from Gaza. I live in Bethlehem, and I have visited Christians in Gaza many times. They fear extremists in Gaza, (which are not Hamas, by the way.)but in general have always lived side by side with the Moslem majority. Islamic Jihad and others are beyond the control of Hamas in the same way they were beyond the control of the PA (Fatah) Israel can easily open Erez checkpoint and bring them out - I would be surprised if many came. I know of one woman who recently exchanged her Jerusalem ID for a Gaza one as the difficulties in maintaining the Jerusalem ID became too problematical. She could have just left and gone to live in East Jerusalem of course!

AND GO HOME TO JORDAN FROM WHERE THEY CAME AND INVADED ISRAEL IN THE PAST 40 YEARS. THERE WAS NEVER A "PALESTINIAN" STATE AND THERE NEVER WILL BE!!!!!

I am a Christian Palestinian, if Israel compensates me truly and really for my family's farms and properties I will make peace with Israel, desert people like Erekat and Abu Qarea and of course HAMAS which I hate from my heart and consider my self a good Israeli citizen. What we got from Muslim Palestinians is only displacement from our cities, humiliations and raping our women. To hell with them. Israel should do something to empower Palestinian Christians. Gaza Christians should be brought to either Bethlehem or Jerusalem. The Jihadist with Hamas cooperation are preparing for a massacre in Gazza.

So nobody should get too excited about it. Just ignore it.

The man is nothing but a self-aggrandizing clown.

How convenient it is for the Pals to have a choice of bi-polar representation. Fatah to make the promises and Hamas to break them. This is all a big hoax. Israelis, Don't forget the saying: "if you con me once it's shame on you, but if you con me twice it's shame on me".

This is the same guy who on international tv claimed that 500 Pals were massacred in Jenin in the last intifada. As top negotiating dog in the PA, his lies were broadcast around the world and the myth of the "Jenin massacre" was born. The lies snowballed out of control (mass graves, bulldozers crushing bodies) until several groups investigated and discovered that lo and behold, there was no massacre. However, Erekat never apologized for his lies, and as a result of the Palestinian misinformation campaign, there is more hatred and mistrust. Erekat might not want his son to be a suicide bomber, but we don't here him calling for an end to suicide bombings by the Pals. Erekat is simply a non credible person. He should have been replaced a long time ago.

Israeli-Palestinian agreement with global implications of attaining peace? To jinx this opportunity would be unbelievable. If Saeb Erekat states on Israeli TV that, " We have never been closer to achieving the end game than we are now ", this is quite an achievement. This means that PM Olmert and President Abbas have reached substantial agreements on borders (more or less), Jerusalem, and the issue of Palestinian refugees before the summit - a summit to launch the negotiations in implementing the agreement.

There are 3 conditions that will guarantee success: 1. Have a reconciliation with Hamas BEFORE the conference. 2. Agree to a cease fire with the Palestinians. 3. Olmert should find something to commit to, such as all the refugees will at least be compensated. At present, and since the formation of the previous Unity Government in the PA, the Abbas and Hamas positions for a deal became identical. Hamas simply accepted the Abbas position, which is the Saudi plan too: The 67 borders (up to territorial exchange) and settlement for the refugees. Abbas practically cannot change these conditions because Arafat rejected others, and Arafat is the "great" historical character. A deal with Hamas, and a cease fire agreed to by Israel (including the West Bank), will prevent suicide bombers, etc. It boggles the mind that such obvious, and easy to accomplish arrangements, are objected to by Israel and the US. It only shows us what dummies are leading the world today.

3% approval rating, negotiating away Jerusalem and the territories in exchange for words coming from a powerless "leader". Why the heck is this guy still in office? I have nothing against negotiations and seeking peace but this is simply dishonest. If anything, this will set peace back by *years* because people will say "remember what happened the last time we tried this?". This is even more doomed to failure than Oslo turned out to be.

First they act according to their traditional culture in which terror and genocide are methods of choice. When the victims act in self defence the Arabs miscalculate and botch their responses and get humiliated in the process. Then they expect and demand that the victims compensate the Arabs and humiliate themselves to restore the dignity of the Arabs; all under the threat that the Arabs would renew their terror and genocide action, which sooner or later they do. And so it goes on and on.

The Arabs of the Land of Israel consistently demonstrate that they don't want, can't make and won't maintain real peace. They do want, however, to weaken Israel by gaining territory without 'giving' anything tangible. They ignore that "possession is nine tenths of the law" and that it's rather the Arabs who should come forward and spell out what they offer Israel in return for what they want. They also pretend not to get it that in this case "land for peace" is both immoral and unworkable. The Arabs had used the 'territories' to threaten, pester and attack Israel before we took these territories in self defence. They continue to plan, prepare and perpetrate genocide against Israel and pretend not to see that it would be suicide for Israel to concede anything in response to their threats and aggressive action. The Arabs must realize that the only way toward peace is that rather they themselves should offer, accept and be convincingly satisfied with 'painful' compromises.

Jordan. The Arabs of Western Eretz Yisrael have consistently demonstrated that they are incapable of surviving unaided or ruling themselves, especially at the national polity level. They have never exercised their inherent right of self determination and now they expect others to determine and create for them that Mickey Mouse "state" which will never be. They constantly kill and steal from each other and lie to themselves, each other and the rest of the world. They never miss any opportunity to make atrocious choices and mistakes and they are incapable of sustaining and providing for themselves; they depend on others for everything. How on earth will they ever make it?

Israel should let Hamas to depose Abbas and smash Fatah, also in Judea and Samaria, on their way to abolish the PA and wipe it off the world map and consciousness. It will also open the way for the Kingdom of Jordan to take charge as the only viable nation state of all the Arabs of Greater Palestine. Having got rid of the PA, Israel and Jordan should agree on the border between them in Judea and Samaria and maybe cede Gaza to Egypt that would sort it out quite smartly. Everybody, Jews and Arabs, should continue to live in peace where they are and nobody should move from their homes or land. Israelis who would thus become residents of the Kingdom of Jordan should be given rights and conditions like the Arabs in Israel.

"If Mr. Olmert and Mr. Abbas reach the agreement on the end game, they'll be the most important persons in this holy land since Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem." We all know what happened to the Jews in the subsequent 2000 years after Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem!

Such a summit should be cancelled. Why should America and Israel be distracted by this crap? There are much bigger, urgent matters of concern than dwelling in fantasyland. America and Israel should focus their eyes on Iran 24/7. American forces in Iraq must not be ill-prepared as sitting ducks for Iran's aggressions. America must stop the Turks persecuting and killing the Kurds and ravaging Kurdistan-the only pro-America country among the Islamist states in the Middle East. Israel must prepare and defend itself against the Ayatollahas' nuke and ballistic threats and the aggressions of Iran's tentacles.

This whole silly faux-peace conference has reached the point of being nothing more than a rather droll Kabuki dance. The actions of Israel and the US have made it absolutely clear nothing is intended than a terminal humiliation of Abbas, Fatah, and any Arab nation insipid enough to attend. Thus Fatah is now trying desperately to rescue a shred of reputation from it's betrayal of the Palestinian people in June. I hope Fatah succeeds, as failure will only enhance the victory that Israel and the United States have delivered to Hamas and Islamic fundamentalists everywhere. It is hard to fathom the thinking of men as shallow and incompetent as Bush and Olmert. They are the degenerate spawn of political systems which have devolved to the point of self-destruction. No competent or decent system would allow such men to rise to power. Yet they have. What to do? They have not a clue. Bush didn't have a plan for what next when he invaded Iraq. Olmert has no plan for what happens next.

"If Mr. Olmert and Mr. Abbas reach the agreement on the end game, they'll be the most important persons in this holy land since Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem," Erekat said. Who is Mr. Erekat speaking to? Would most Palestinians consider Jesus to be as important as the Prophet Muhammad who Muslims believe was the greatest of all prophets and ascended to heaven from al-Asqua over 600 years after Christ? Mr. Erekat, Mr. Abbas and the PLO seem hopelessly out of touch with the Palestinain people and pathetically eager to please the Israelis and the Americans. I really doubt that leaders like these can commit the Palestinain people to any agreement. But I have no doubt that they will ultimately sign a vague statement of general principles, if they are ordered to by Bush and Olmert.

For once "aratkat" is right...The summit is a mistake...THE PROBLEMS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE ARAB "nations?" SHOULD BE SOLVED IN BI-LATERAL CONVERSATIONS ONE AT A TIME...THIS "SUMMIT" BETWEEN ONE ISRAEL AGAINST A BUNCH OF ARAB "nations?",IS AN INVITATION FOR DISASTER...