Sarkozy urges Abbas to renew peace talks with Israel

I wonder what. Let's hope.

...I fully agree. Our Indian wars are long over and nobody is keeping us in a fenced/walled in ghetto with armed watchtowers and all the other horrendous conditions that Israel treats the Gaza Strip to. We are Americans, it was not against international law what happened to us back in the day, but sorry for your luck Israel, it is against the law today for you to do to the Palestinians what happened to us. The world has evolved, it's time Israel grows up and joins or regress into... The Arab Peace Initiative is the way forward with a real Israeli leader, but since there is none, it's time Mahmoud Abbas simply declare Palestine according to the already accepted framework and let the chips fall where they may.

Your comment is a complete non sequitur. Your inapt analogy to Native Americans makes no sense. Neither the Saudi plan nor Pal peace proposals call for Israelis to leave Israel but instead involve recognition of Israel within its internationally recognized borders. My country horribly abused Native Americans, but today they are full citizens with some recognition of their unique rights. We dont abuse them, deny their legitimacy or demand that they accept as proper the wrongs we did to them. We all understand that, under Jewish history and religion, Jews have all sorts of rights and entitlements extended to no other people. That's fine within your culture, but demanding others to recognize them is ridiculous. The only legitimate demands are territorial integrity, mutual diplomatic recognition and peaceful coexistence. The Palestinians should not be expected to believe in Judiasm or its teachings any more than Israel should be required to adopt Islam.

There is even one in the very world's holiest place for Jews, in the Jewish state and anybody but Jews are allowed to go there. I therefore think the problem is the synagogue. Guess why.

There are many Jews and Israelis who support peace in the two state solution. The problem is your Hamas who do not want peace at all and prefer to continue fighting for the entire country called Israel. Netanyahu is elected and there will be others after him with the same issues whether left or right leaning. The settlements are one issue but not the only issue. Peace.

there are two main obstacles to peace. first muslim community is not willing to give up land.the land hasnt even got any important resources.sure there is a religious part but to be honest al aqsa for example may be of regional importance but not for the whole muslim community itself.to the jews it is both!now if peace was such a big issue as delivered over the past decades why are muslims not willing to give up a littel to reach somethiing great? second sure israel is a country build up mainly on millitary means. this country has to transformate into a country with honest civil aims. why is israel so much scared of a nuclear iran? nothing can happen cause the usa will interfere in any threat against israels right to exist. so does israel need to complain?no! instead the israelis should find a way to compromise! why not having a mosque and a synagouge standing side by side in a joint capital jerusalem? is that really such a big problem?no, it's the WALLS in our heads!!!

The Palestinians recognized Israel in the late 1980's and that is what began a U.S.- Palestine dialog with the U.S. ambassador to Tunisia. Excluding Hamas the PA has consistently stated that they recognize Israel within the June 1967 borders. Israel's response has been to steal more land, build more settlements, and generally make the Palestinian people's lives more difficult. The settlements are a blatant violation of International law and binding UNSC resolutions. Does anyone honestly believe that even if the Palestinians were always 100% angels that this would have stopped Israel from building more settlements and expanding existing one's or changed their true intentions of never allowing a Palestinian state? If you do than you are living in fantasy land.

Belal, you will find a bit of bias everywhere, honestly. Fortunately, you'll also find folks who are willing to try to understand each other and work out their differences for a greater good. I admire Abbas and hope he remains in his position.

I think #1 is on the right track with his comments. All the talk about the implacability of the Palestinians is simply a reflection of how little they have to negotiate with. Refusal to recognize Israel's right t exist is a very small bargaining chip and clearly would end with peace by definition. Israel, on the other hand, has all the power and has used mercilessly. If Israel were to really change their stance, there would be a genuine opportunity for peace.With a final peace agreement, obviously Israel would be recognized by the Palestinians just as Israel would recognize the agreed borders of the new Palestine. But Israel controls all the levers; Israel must change for peace to break out.

the saudi peace plan is not an offer to negotiate, it is an ultimatum. and in this wonderful ultimatum, are many loopholes, many traps, many unsaid subtleties...it has some potential, but it should never have been put forward as an ultimatum. I see you live in the USA, so tell me, if the indians said to you, you must all leave the USA, would you just go? it's their land after all, whereas the jews have always had legitimate rights to their land.

There is no reason to come to the table. It is a waste of time and money. Arabs will not agree to any settlement that would include real security guarantees for Israel. And Israel will never agree to a ROR as that would be suicide (and every nation knows it). The Pals muzzle their moderates so there will be no middle ground on anything tangible for ostensibly forever.

It was NOT an open city when it was under Arab occupation. That will never happen again. What does it take to get Arab states to admit historic facts and act in peace? They are implaccable. These so called Settlements are one of the only things that will enable peace. without them peace would not be possible, in its place would be aparheid Arab states. Jordan Palestine is living proof of that. Uproot all the Jews, destroy all Jewish rememants and write laws preventing Jewish landownership and citizenship. That is what you are advocating in creating another Arab Palestinian state without Jews in Judea and Samaria. That is appeasement, not peace.

israeli government is the one that didn't fulfil its obligations to peace process by its policy of construction of illegal settlements in the west bank and jerusalem, Abbas is the man of peace and the netanyaho government is the radical government that should be boycotted by the international community. i hope you could public my participation this time. i respect your website because it's somehow neutral.

with. Why has Israel rejected it? Lets be honest. Israel doesn't want to pay the price of withdrawing from the West Bank or reaching an equitable agreement.

There are some things you can always count on. The sun will rise in the east. Sarkozy leave the man alone have you not heared he is stepping downnnnn .Mahamoud Abbas is bluffing both his people and the west .In politics and all those like Abbas who cannot perform no matter who's fault it is for the delay in the peace talks should consider stepping down .The longer the peace talks are delayed the more the Palestinians have to loose . Abbas has been holding the position for too long and have not offered any meaningful contribution to his people other than cry wolf and played the game of bluff . It is a breath of fresh air that he is thinking of stepping down Most politicians like Arafat and now Abbas portray themselves as indispensable as if the Palestinians will come to a halt or cease to exist if they are gone. Have no fear Hamas will be waiting for the first oppotunity to replace him .

I agree with Sarkozy and Abbas spokeperson should be Norman Finkelstein. He is a Jew and I thing he could be approwed by Palestine people....

enough begging him - he wants out, let him. Let's all be honest, he's just a puppet to hamas and hezbollah. It really doesn't matter who is the leader of the palestinian people. They never did nor will want peace with Israel. All these peace talks are BS and go nowhere. I say to all arab countries that abandoned their people in Israel in 1948, 1967, and 1973 to come on over and pick up your brethren. oh but then again, you might not want them because then they might terrorize your country...... AM ISRAEL CHAI!

and what must the arabs do? would they recognize israel as the jewish homeland? would they recognize it's historical legitimacy? would they stop all incitement in their media and schools? hamas "non belligerency" is useless...they need to recognize all of the above... to date, the pals have not once suggested that they would do any of the above. if you remember yaakov, the PLO was founded in 1964...do you understand that significance? no, I dint think so...goodbye jerkoff, oops, I mean yaakov.

Can you imagine how the face of the ME would change for the better if Israsel were to agree to an end of their settlement enterprise. If Israel were to say it waas ready to return to the borders of June '67 or equitable agreed upon fair land exchanges, East Jerusalem as the captial of Palestine keeping Jerusalem as an open city with international administration of the holy places in the Old City, compensation for the reguees and open discussions on how to solve wht right of return for those refugees without agreement to take back all refugees after compensation. Agreement that Hamas enter into a binding state of non belligerency with Israel, that the Saudi Plan terms be immediately implemented and security agreements between Israel and Palestine creating peaceful borders.