Peres to Abbas: Resume talks or face new intifada
U.S. Mideast envoy Mitchell to meet PA President on resuming to peace negotiations with Israel.
By Barak Ravid and Avi Issacharoff Tags: Mahmoud Abbas Shimon Peres Israel news Middle East peacePresident Shimon Peres recently warned Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that continuing the deadlock in negotiations with Israel could lead to a third intifada and that in delaying, Abbas was "playing with fire."
On Wednesday, U.S. special envoy George Mitchell came to the region in another attempt to jump-start talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
At a meeting at the President's Residence on Sunday, Peres told Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store about his discussions with Abbas.
Store told Peres that Israel should take more steps to support Abbas. "Abu Mazen [Abbas] is vulnerable and feels hurt, and his position needs to be bolstered by American support," Store said, adding: "You have the best psychologists ... How do we read the personality and political mind of Abu Mazen? What will make him move?"
Peres told him about his meetings with Abbas and Saeb Erekat. According to Palestinian sources, Erekat comes to the President's Residence every few weeks for meetings with Peres.
"I am a friend of Abu Mazen. He says the Americans put him in a high tree and took the ladder away. Some of the mistakes were made by him. His expectations of Obama were created by him. He thought that Obama would take the Palestinian side. ... I can understand his feelings of disappointment," Peres said.
Peres said he told Abbas at one point that "postponing peace negotiations is playing with fire. He says that he has time. Something will happen to start an intifada and the two sides will have lost an opportunity."
Peres said he told Abbas, "Start the negotiations. What are you going to lose? It's impossible to have a happy end at the beginning."
Peres told Store that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had revolutionized his positions in accepting the two-state solution. "It is a historic step," he said.
Regarding to the Palestinian demand for a construction freeze in East Jerusalem, Peres said, "About the Old City there is no problem, because Israel prohibits building in the Old City. As far as the Temple Mount is concerned, there is no building there," suggesting that Abbas present this as an achievement. Peres told Store that Netanyahu could not freeze construction in Jerusalem because "Jerusalem is under the jurisdiction of the Israeli parliament."
Peres said he had told Abbas "to be reasonable, and once negotiations are started, then is the time to work out solutions."
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had invited Netanyahu and Abbas to a summit in Cairo to renew talks, the president told Store.
"Abu Mazen wants Netanyahu to declare the 1967 borders. He cannot. The 1967 borders are 40 years past. ... On the other hand, I do not think we have to take territory from them. More or less, we can give them the same amount of land while changing the borders due to of security considerations."
Peres said Israel had accepted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's plan in this vein, and "I told Abu Mazen to accept it too."
Store told Peres that Abbas has to feel that he has the support of the Arab countries to return to negotiations. At this point, Peres seemed pessimistic: "There is no Arab support because there is no Arab [unity]. I was informally approached by Saudi Arabia to accept their paper, which calls for us making peace with Syria on their conditions."
Special envoy Mitchell is scheduled to meet on Thursday with Netanyahu, Peres, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni (Kadima). In Ramallah, Mitchell will meet with Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
The prime minister's bureau is said not to have high hopes of returning to talks.
In a press conference for the foreign media yesterday, Netanyahu said Israel had to have an efficient way to stop the missile smuggling, and this would require an Israeli presence on the eastern side of the Palestinian state.
Mitchell's meeting with Abbas follows a round of meetings in Lebanon and Syria. Mitchell met with two Lebanese officials, President Michel Suleiman and Nabih Berri, speaker of the parliament, as well as Syrian President Bashar Assad. The results of the meeting have not been disclosed.
In his meeting with Abbas, Mitchell is likely to try to persuade the Palestinian authorities to renew negotiations on a final-status agreement. Abbas has refused so far to return to talks with Israel unless there is a complete construction freeze in the settlements, including East Jerusalem.
However, on Wednesday the Associated Press reported that Abbas suggested the American administration negotiate the borders aspect of the agreement with Israel on the PA's behalf. The agency quoted a Palestinian official as saying that Abbas made the offer in talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The official said the Americans would be given clear guidelines on the Palestinian position. However, other Palestinian sources told Haaretz that Abbas had no intention of authorizing the U.S. to conduct talks on his behalf. They said Abbas made a general statement to the effect that the U.S. must get Israel to agree to retreat to pre-1967 borders.
Mitchell reportedly is not carrying any guarantees or assurances from the United States or Israel that could persuade the Palestinians and Abbas to return to the negotiating table.
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President Shimon Peres and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas. |
| Photo by: (GPO) |
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It is false and immature to call Israelis liars. It may fall in with your world view but it is not true and does not add anything positive to this discussion. Your perspective only guarantees the conflict will continue indefinitely. The world needs brave thinkers who are willing to work as hard for peace as Hamas and Hezbollah work so feverishly toward war.
It is now up to the Palestinians to choose peace and a demilitarized Palestinian state, as proposed by the Prime Minister last spring. The longer Abbas delays entering negotiations the more likely he is to lose control of a new "intifada". That will be bad for everyone but worse for Abbas and Hamas since the IDF has the strength to defeat them.
Peres' threat is turning things around: previous Intifada's erupted because of anger that negotiations proved useles. After Oslo during the 90's Pals were happy that peace was coming. The result however was a intensified occupation, in which more and more land was taken. The present Israeli government shows no intention for peace. Instead of extending settlements they could have started voluntarily to evacuate. With this Israel government that still chooses "expansion" over "peace" (consistent with the Israeli line during more than 40 years) negotiations are indeed useles.
Israel desperately needs peace talks as a cover to protect them from Obama. Everybody, including the Palestinians, the Americans and Peres, that such talks are not sincere. If they were, Israel would give a pause to all settlement construction for the term of the talks. Why should the Palestinians continue to provide cover for a bunch of lying Israelis?
Now Israel is threatening Abbas with a 'new intifada'! "How do we read the personality and political mind of Abu Mazen? What will make him move?"- Jonas Store Abbas lived through the post-Oslo 'processing' where Israel stepped up building and stalled the talks towards a 'final status.' Now Abbas wants building halted BEFORE talks begin because of Israel's track record of using talks as a stalling tactic. Netanyahu has made it VERY clear that his 'freeze' is just window dressing. Israel is not serious and Abbas understands that. If Israel isn't going to negotiate seriously towards a viable two-state solution then why should the Palestinians help it avoid serious negotiations while building settlements?
What short memories some people have. We all know that no sooner Israel and a so-called moderate element representing some parts of Palestinian society start discusions, so will some extreme Islamic movement move to incure terror on Israelis. Oslo was and still is a massive failure.
Peres to Netanyahu: Resume talks or face new intifada
to miss an opportunity. This cheap jibe gets cheaper with each telling.
both sides lose as a result of an intifada,but the palestinians will lose more. Peres was not threatening he was pleading do not let an opportunity for another intifada to happen. Abbas is playing a dangerous game of betting that if he plays hardball and winds up getting nothing for it he will be seen as a true leader of the palestinian people and gain there respect but once again in reality gain nothing for his people the old saying once again holds true the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity
11:02 IAEA official: Iran rejecting nuclear compromise, must be sanctioned (Israel Radio) oh and israel may have 12k nukes?
Galahad - I think you conveniently forget that in actual fact Israel has already signed peace agreements with two of its neighbours. Sure the peace accords have been tenuous at times, but it still exists with mutual co-operation and consideration. Perhaps your article should read Peace is unattainable with the Palestinians who for the past 5 decades have been kicked out of as many Arabic countries for sowing chaos and revolt.
"Peres told Store that Netanyahu could not freeze construction in Jerusalem because "Jerusalem is under the jurisdiction of the Israeli parliament." Its good that Peres has made it clear that Netenyahu didn't really freeze settlement construction. Then, "Peres said he told Abbas, "Start the negotiations. What are you going to lose? It's impossible to have a happy end at the beginning." Why would Abbas start negotiations while Netenyahu is not giving any good gestures and he's actually feeding settlements and settlers with money, claiming Jerusalem to be the eternal capital of Israel!! I would ask Peres the question of What would Abbas and Palestinians get from 'useless' negotiations? So its not about losing its about getting. Abbas, most of the Pals including Hamas (which feels like they can change) want to negotiate to get their state. Therefore, negotiations without solid basis is useless. Perhaps destroying homes in Jerusalem would motivate us to negotiate!!!!
"More or less, we can give them the same amount of land while changing the borders due to of security considerations." More or less. With a definite emphasis on the "less". Has Israel ****ever**** publically committed to a 1:1 ratio for any exchange of land? No, I didn't think so.....
What country would give up the right to be able to defend themselves?Would Israel?Bibi wants a ?limited? Palestinian state but is unwilling to: 1. Limit Israeli weapons 2. Acknowledge you have nuclear warheads and are willing to dispose of them, followed by regular inspections. 3. Limit immigration of Jews to Israel within the pre-1967 boundaries. 4. Stop stealing water from the Jordan river and other aqueducts. 5. Abide by outstanding UN Resolutions. 6. Immediately cease and remove all illegal settlements from the West Bank and east J'lem. 7 Remove the illegal wall that has been erected on Palestinian land. Rather than joining the international consensus and leading Israel to peace,Bibi chooses to stay trapped in his old ideology.The timid acknowledgement that he gave to a two-state solution is useless.It is a non-starter and he knows it.Bibi is a coward, his ridiculous request is designed to continue the feud in the Middle East and and is not a courageous act of peace.
Israel will never allow there to be a peace agreement or the PALS to have anything, let alone a state. Israel is determined to drive them all out and ever since 1948 there has never been any other option in their minds! Blockade Gaza, kick the NGO's out, build settlements, erect walls, confiscate homes and land,deny human rights ... does that sound like a nation that wants peace with its neighbors? Forget it ... there will never be peace, PALS will always be foreigners in their own land, and Israelis will always live without safety and security. What a way to live for both peoples!
What kind of a peace invitation of this? I think all the Israelis, not just Ayolon or FM Lieberman, need to go back to school and learn the basics. If I where Abbas, I wouldn't even go shopping with this kind of arrogant "what else, another intifada" invitation. So, now everyone clearly understood that Israel was responsible for the previous ones as well.
So much pressure on this poor guy, how much longer can he take it...??? Well, at least Peres "threats" aren't probably that intimidating anymore, with 80 + you are no longer that much of a fearsome guy...:)
Peres: Bow your head subhuman Palestinians to us superior beings who are in direct contact with God. We do not need to obey international law. we are the chosen ones. So start the new intifada, we will lose as usual and claim victory!
the long run. Not that I feel sorry for the pals. Hey. it's a holy war for both sides, and you know the're only two cases in which everything is allowed, the other one is love... For all outsiders, in case you didn't know, holy war means to hell with modern diplomacy and win-win crap. It's we win AND they loose, read your history books!
That does not happen usually, but this time he is right. Palestinians will get nothing from Obama, and even less from the United Nations. The 67 borders do not exist anymore, but that does not mean that Israel will annex without paying with its own land. That means that the 48 cease fire borders will be redrawed accoridng to new population realties. For example, the Israel arab city of UmmEl Fahen could be trade for setlement corps. I am sure that Israel palestinians will be "delighted" to become part of a newly Palestinian state. Abbas should jump into the train. Obama's Middle East policy is dead. He is heading to war in Yemen Afghanistan and maybe Iran. In other words he is overwhelmed, and has no time to heed minor things such as palestinians demands.
Abbas to Peres: Resume talks or face new intifada.
We know that Abbas must be seen to be strong or he will be out on his ear. He definately should not resume talks without sticking to the desires of his people - 1967 borders and a settlement freeze. Nothing else will do. Putting the Americans in the firing line won't help him as they may well side with Israel as a result. Peres is wrong. There is far more liklihood of a 3rd Intifada if he starts talks without those two preconditions.