Palestinians seeks U.S. clarification on proposal to renew Mideast talks

The Arabs and Palestinians have accepted Israel's "right to be." The problem is Israel. Not the Arabs. Hamas: In 2009, Khaled Meshal, Hamas political bureau chief stated that Hamas would accept the creation of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders of Israel. In 2006 he stated that conflict with Israel is religious , not political, and "the Jews have a covenant with God that is to be respected and protected." Fatah: "Fatah stresses its commitment to the pursuit of a comprehensive peace with Israel but reiterates the Palestinian peoples right to resistance to occupation in all its forms in line with international law." Arab League: In 2002, and again in 2007. The Arab league including, Palestine, recognized the State of Israel and offered normalizing of relations with all 22 nations of the League, if Israel would withdraw from the occupied territories. Likud: "The Government of Israel flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan river."

Netanyahu has already set pre-conditions. He has planted trees in a settlement promising it will always be part of Israel. He has called for the IDF to maintain a presence in Palestine after it becomes free. Evictions and settlements continue in East Jerusalem. The Israeli Ariel College is being established in the West Bank. There is no good faith by Israel, and Obama is too blinded by political interests in the USA. Abbas should not expect Obama to represent Palestinian human rights nor justice, This is a time for Palestine to seek the counsel of other economic powers such as the EU and Russia. There will be no gifts from the USA based on its long-standing bias in favor of Israel.

he's working on his health care boondoggle. Stabilizing the ME is not a top priority. His whole foreign policy sucks and so does everything else he touches.

labarse when is eire and ulster going to become a bi national state ?? which international law are you quoting now labarse sounds like the 1922 mandates for syria and a jewish state . the golan is not in syria according to those mandates !!

From this side of the Atlantic it is difficult to see that the Palestinians will give up demands for a piece of Jerusalem, refugee reparations, and a return of most of the West Bank. I fervently pray that Israel will get its anti rocket system up and running soon and that it will be effective. After Hamas begins to understand that it has nothing left with which to harass Israel, and has only wet dreams for an Iranian nuclear bomb, which will be blocked, maybe some progress can be made.

know what he wants on the table ? mitchell proposes to negotiate for the arab who represents no one !

One thing certain in this conflict. You can bank on Israel saying one thing publically and then doing another on the ground. They have shown tremendous consistency in this regard. Here too. Israel says it is prepared to negotiate with no preconditions. Then they qulaify that by making clear that certain topics will not be discussed and other will not be discussed now. They agree to a 10 month freeze, which then is so qualified as to make the feigned agreement meaningless. What does Mitchell have to discuss in these proposed "indirect discussions"? Until now, Israel has used every occasion for stalling purposes and little else and during that time of supposed bilateral talks, they continue to entrench their expansionism. Where is the will on the part of Mitchell to make Israel tow the line and meet its obligations? Until that time any talk of "indirect" will be as unermined by Israel as has every other attempt at solution of this burning problem.

Israel and America need to show that they have made an attempt at peace. Israel prefers expansion over peace and America knows this. Netanyahu recently gave Obama a very clear example on the settlement issue. Still, they need to make an attempt, even if it is not sincere. The Palestinians, particularly Abbas, are elected to play the stooge, as usual. My advice to Abbas? Get something of value and get it in advance for your agreement to participate. At least it will not be a total waste of time then.

E: "Arab acceptance of Israel`s right to be, to exist as the nation-state of the Jewish people." I see you put a comma in there. Good, because there are, indeed, two different statements in that one sentence. E: "Historically and to this day the only matter that truly prevents peace between Arab and Jew, between Israel and its Arab neighbors"... I'm curious, Eitan: what has a 42+ year policy of occupation and colonial expansionism have to do with "Israel`s right to be, to exist as the nation-state of the Jewish people"? They do instead seem to point to an Israeli "right" to seek to expand, expand, expand at the expense of its neighbours. Which is not a very neighbourly thing to do, irrespective of wether its being done by Jews, Hindus, Germans, or Mongolians.....

is not in Israel--it is occupied territory.Occupied Syrian Heights to be precise. Please chck UNSCR 497 for clarification. Israeli laws do not trump international law--as much as a thief like you might like us all to believe. What ya gonna do when the Bi National State comsumes Yisrael and you will be a Syrian citizen. Hmm Eitan---what you gonna do. I just hope your posts are on their records---you will probably be getting a visit from the Syrian shin bet. That thought pleases me---given your blatant arrogance toward those from whom you stole.

to exist as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Historically and to this day the only matter that truly prevents peace between Arab and Jew, between Israel and its Arab neighbors is the Arab categorical refusal to accept Israel's right to be, to exist as the nation-state of the Jewish people. This right of course is based on League of Nations decisions of 1922 and 1923, United Nations resolutions of 1947 and 1949, and of course on the universally accepted right of all peoples, including that of the Jewish people, to national self-determination and independence, Israel being the Jewish people's exercise of this right. To date, not only have the Arabs refused to accept this right but they have also attempted, through full-scale war campaigns and full-scale campaigns of terror, to wipe Israel off the face of earth and with it erase any trace of Jewish existence in the Land. It is time they make the required move...!!!

To cowardly to take on the occupiers all the American Administration can do is to try and force the occupied to give in -again and again and again. Talk about the tail wagging the dog!

suggest? What's their vision? It must go beyond talking and general guidelines.