Abbas refusal to meet Netanyahu could scuttle tripartite talk plan

Their business is terror against not only Israel but the world. Maybe that's why you live in london? Seems I recall a 'tube '' terror act also there. People are the casualties of failed efforts towards peace, and the result is war. Abbas wont talk, Abbas is irrelevant. Pals refuse to make peace, they wont talk, they are irrelevant and prove the point of the words, "We don't negotiate with terrorists." They are irrelevant. People who support terrorists are also terrorists, they aren't relevant because we know their only job is terror, no any attempt at a peaceful end. The people would have more true value if they valued their children more than they value terror. They become relevant when they seek a true peace instead of true terror. Everybody loves a winner. that's relevant.

Tell the world.. The Pals refuse to make peace under any circumstances.

If the Obama administration had not repeatedly publicly berated Israel about settlements instead of privately talking to Israel first, Abbas wouldn't be on his high horse. After all he negotiated in the past with other liberal Israeli administrations without demanding a settlement freeze.

what need is there for "buying"? aipac's got plenty in their hip pocket already... all it takes is a call(or an email...as long as it includes instructions for removing headers before forwarding. hmmmm? AND for removing the instructions). meanwhile, even though your intention might not have been what "S" has interpreted it to be; the implication DOES sort of stand out. though lost to me initially, it became obvious once he drew attention to it. a lesson learned for me... on the profound affect that sensitivity has on persepective.

It means the Republicans are bought and owned by the highest bidder. And mostly they stay bought. Surely Bibi can find some resources in the US to buy 10 Republican Senators if he tries. Dick Armey, who's now in the buying-of-Congress business can tell him who's for sale. He seems to have bought several recently.

Since I am a Zionist who advocates a just two-state peace, to me President Abbas` reluctance to meet, as reported here, is the most distressing news in a long time. I hope that this report is incorrect or that this reluctance is only a trial balloon floated by Ramallah. I urge President Abbas to have faith in President Obama`s sincerity and in his determination to push through to a just and cooperative two-state peace.

... I might decide on a false flag position, choose a nifty Jewish-sounding name, like Esther in TA, and cut loose. Does this poster sound anything like any Jewish Israeli citizen you have ever heard of???

Obama has made a great mistake by demanding to freeze all settlements with no preconditions and now he is going to pay the political price and lose face, compliment of the people whose butt Obama kissed. This clown, Abbas will do us all a service if he keeps being such a great martyr and refuse to talk as there is nothing to talk about until all terror, enticement to terror, indoctrination of children to hate Jews, claims to Jerusalem and other parts of Israel stop. Peace for peace and nothing else.

... stop the illegal occupation of our neighbor's territory... ... curtail the illegal settler enterprise... ... choose worthy citizens to occupy government posts...

please post my response to Swiss (Dino) thank you

And will the moratorium on construction last indefinitely until some kind of accord is signed w/Abbas? In other words, the creation of the Palestinian State?

You seem to always poo-poo anything your government does....yet you never open your mouth to give ideas. Tell me and all of us here on Haareatz ...what is it that you want your government to do to end this Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As an advocate of a just two-state peace, President Abbas` reluctance to meet, as reported here, is the most distressing news in a long time. I hope that this report is incorrect or that this reluctance is only a trial balloon floated by Ramallah. I urge President Abbas to have faith in President Obama`s sincerity and in his determination to push through to a just and cooperative two-state peace.

So you think the Palestinians have become irrelevant. So human-beings are irrelevan t. The right-wing are such humanitarians ... not!

What does your "If Bibi won`t offer a settlement deal, maybe he could offer 10 Republican Senate votes on some other issue important to Obama. Call Emanuel and ask, Bibi." say about you? Well, it means: Bibi, call the Jew and ask him to make Obama do what you want him to do... !!!

These "negotiations" and "peace treaties" have been going on for YEARS. Where have they gotten us? Nowhere, they just continue they're dialogues while there are innocent lives being killed on BOTH sides. Less talk, more action.

and that's all her enemies have ? While Israel takes care of business, her enemies wait in line for their monthly welfare check? Stop funding terrorists, save your money, they'll always lose. They are meant to lose and that's all they have is loss. And some factless blah blahs for their talk backs? If brains were part of their make up, they may have a chance. Maybe their best and brightest were the ones carrying strap bombs? Or, the ones w/ brains moved and call themselves Jordanians? As there is no Palestine, there are no Palestinians. It doesn't exist. And neither does any victory for them. Repugnant cowardly losers. The world wants them gone or dead.

"60 years of neurotic self deception is a hard pattern to break." How true! This conflict is only a small part of the birth pangs of the Third World in which both Israel and Palestine are caught up. Each nation must learn to detach itself from its own narrow minded dedication to an isolated past and learn to become a part of a larger world. In this new context, what was practical policy 2000-3000 years ago (defense against one's neighbors) is now paranoid neurosis (offense against one's neighbors). Nations of the world now accept each other's existence. Those who do not are left behind. Like it or not, we - all of humanity - are becoming a Third World. Those who bend with the wind and go along with this historical trend will survive. Those who fight against it are doomed to extinction.

"Obama should also refuse to meet Netanyahu until the settlements are stopped/" Agreed! And freezing the settlements is only the first step. The main issue is to withdraw all settlements from Palestinian land as specified in the Geneva Accord. Israel will do anything to avoid talking about that. Abbas might send a copy of the Accord to Netanyahu in New York, and another to Obama's advisors in Washington. who seem to be dedicated to hammering compromise down Abbas' throat instead of Netanyahu's where perhaps it might do some good.

Israel's favorite excuse for avoiding talks has been that there was no one to talk to. Well, Abbas has always been there. Now he will not talk until Israel completely freezes ALL settlement construction in the West Bank. So Israel has someone to talk to and knows the conditions. Why should Abbas talk when his adversary's only goal is to halfheartedly negotiate a partial and temporary freeze which changes nothing and thus upholds the current status quo? If Israel wants to negotiate (which I doubt) then she can go the extra mile and compromise by accepting Abbas' condition. That has been the problem all along. Israel always wants someone else to compromise but is never willing to do so herself. Israel wants Palestine to capitualate. That she will never do! Obama and his advisors should understand that and begin thinking in terms of what Israel may GIVE instead of TAKE. Else there will be no talks.

I'm with 100% the Palestinians should stop their illegal building. Are they building in Tel Aviv or Petahtekvah?

....a bit too much with your "right-wing" friends lately...:) It clearly seems to have an affect on your posts.... That you are putting so much faith into a man, who led the campaign of hatred and incitement against then PM Rabin 14 years ago, is rather stunning..... A man, whose main purpose as a politician was over the past 2 decades to "sabotage" any efforts for a just peace in the ME..... ....a man, who was even regarded as too extreme for Ariel Sharon a couple of years ago. Already forgotten...???

refers to arabs as"palestinians" ? you have a president who cant remember where he put his birth certificate ? castigating ajewish state is not anti semitism ? give it up eric and take avacation in the artic ! illegal schmegal and they still get all the infrastructure and utilities installed!!!

I read these and laugh..First israel Stop building settlements(good Faith),but dont leave any unless you..Israel, get something in return..Peace is Peace,not what the "world ,Palestinians,Hamas, Hezzbolah ,the U.N and last but not least The U.S.says you should do..."Jew fight fair" has always been their cry well tell them all to go to hell..Obahma is Thru..Hear me thru he is a joke to most of America..He only got in because of racial voting.. Saturday in washington there is a march..all grass roots,there will be 100-200-300 thousand..i hear they are flying in busing in and coming by trains, all paid for by the People.not unions or orginizations like Acorn(george Soros)..By the way Acorn just lost their illeagal contract (billions)to do the census,as too many folks would have just told acorn and the census bug off Also his minions were caught wanting to run pimping scams(undercover) operation..anyway Obama is "melting fast" so tell them F -off and kick some butt.thats what the world

then how come israel refers to them as illegal?

I almost feel sorry for you. For years, you babble on and on about the impending demise of Israel. Perhaps your longest-running yarn was the incessant "Time's Up" which was the hallmark of every one of your postings for months on end. Another 'good one' was about how Netanyahu was going to get 'smacked down' by Obama during their meeting a few months ago when, lo and behold, the exact opposite happened. Nowadays its all about how Iran is going to get nukes, Israel will not attack Iran, "The jig is up", "wingnut" this and "wingnut" that, etc., etc., etc. Don't you ever tire of being wrong? It's absolutely phenomenal that you have NEVER been right about one single prediction regarding Israel. It's almost as is you enjoy making a complete fool of yourself. You've got to be one sick, twisted individual, Michael. Get help.

Unity talks have totally failed and Abbas is trying to buy some more time. Roadmap was meant to deliver peace and it can never deliver peace without Gaza included. Israel shouldn't even bother with it until the Palestinians get their house in order. It's like buying a house subject to

the Netanyahu government will eventually abide by the Road Map's stipulation that all settlement construction will freeze in the West Bank, perhaps with some exemptions here or there, but the Obama administration is following-up the Bush administration and Quartet's Road Map proposal. Ariel Sharon would have done the same. Not everyone is happy about this, but the road to peace starts with obstacles. Supposedly PM Netanyahu wants to lead the nation towards a peaceful solution with the Palestinians and the remaining Arab states. So we'll believe that and take his word.

Not one more brick should be layed. The world has seen enough thievery and double speak wrapped in holy edicts. Obama will stand his ground and he too should refuse to meet with Israeli officials. How we possibly stop those contractors,plumbers and framers from doing their work? If the financial subsidies to settlers and vis a vis the military subsidies to Israel from the US the settler movement would wither. Throw 50 - 100 Yesha leaders from Itamar and Hebron into administrative detention for 12-18 months. Remove the fianancial benefits, security forces and subsidies and 30-50% of the 500,000 settlers will immigrate to "Israel". I think Yvet calls it transfer.

...there has been successive diplomatic insults to sitting US Presidents and a former US President just in the last decade from Israel. Israel has finally overreached. The jig is up.

Michael, according to your reasoning a Jewish state can be established by moving the entire Jewish population in Israel to Tel Aviv-Jaffa. The arabs need not be made citizens of Israel. that theory is nonsense from the git go. They would be considered illegal immigrants. That's no different than they get in your democratic stste of lebanon, Jordan Egypt, Iraq, the emirates etc.... There is only one solution period. thats to make the arab League take them in as citizens of the arab League. Israel should not be negotiating with this worthless faction of the arab League. It should negotiate directly with and only with the arab League. the negotiation should be about resetlement of the Pal Arabs and for reparations by the Arabs to Israel for all the murder and killing of their own Jews and for wars with Israel. That is what Bibi should be discussing with the Quartet, and with Obama. Liberman understands that. we don't want any Arabs in Israel. They must go live in the Arab league.

Hey, Salient. Don't be so smug. Peter wrote the best post on this thread. The "Palistinian" - Israeli problem is simple if you can get past the Megatons of BS. The Arab World cannot accept a Jewish presence on its block. Everything else (especially home building) is a red herring.

Offended by saying "Pal" instead of "Palestinian"? Has anybody made the mistake of calling you "Stu"? There were no Arab Palestinians before 1967 when young Arafat coined the term for political reasons. Why not just call them "Arabs"? It is shorter, and more accurate.

Georges says: "You have no right to ask the oppressed to defend themselves. How dare you!" We didn't ask them to defend themselves. We just suggested that they move to Jordan or someplace where they would be happy.

How droll. What cynicism. Folks, having sent the Palestinians, Obama, and the World undeniable notice that his government would not be negotiating seriously or making peace with the Palestinians, Netanyahu is using their response to his actions as an excuse to blame Abbas. Any intelligent person understands that the Netanyahu government was the product of an open and honest election. All honest people must admit that the Netanyahu government has made it VERY clear it has no intention of divesting Judea and Smaria, or even halting Settlement expansion while negotiating. Any rational person must also understand that as with every act of defiance and every arrogant move Netanyahu's poll numbers have gone up in Israel. Those of us who are still capable of remembering yesterday also know that the last time Prime Minister Netanyahu made moves the least conciliatory towards peace he was brought down and expelled from office by the Israeli right. Abbas does not matter. The dove is dead.

Bibi, At the right moment at the UN, while Abbas is holding a press conference parting about not meeting with you, anounce the construction of 100,000 more housing units in E Jerusalem and the WB. Build into Nablus, Hebron,and all over the WB, down the Dead Sea shore all the way to Elat.

Whats the point of a settlement freeze? Freeze Jerusalem and freeze the WB settlements effectively concedes to the 67 borders. there will be nothing left to negotiate except another retreat, this time to the 48 borders. Bibi and Israel must stop deluding themselves. the rest of the world, including the US is on the side of the Arabs, they always were. whats happening now is that they are dismembering Israel's victory of 1967 and giving the arabs everything they want. Israel must immediately increase construction in e Jerusalem until the entire city is inhabited and surrounded on all sides by Jews. morover Israel must cese all negotiations with the PLO or whatever else they call themselves. Israel must expel them from the WB and from Gaza. Unless Israel takes strong and effective action there is no hope for its survival. Nobody will come to its aid. The more it depends on the US the less the US will help. nobody wants to be associated with weakness for will only drags one down.

Obama is the only party upset by Abbas' stand. Since the Pals are not willing to compromise on anything, any meeting is just a photo op for Obama, and a total waste of time. I hope Abbas sticks to his guns.

eric as usual you post total garbage , the outposts were never illegal nor are the settlements ! abbas never had the slightest intention of reaching an agreement ! he remembers what happened to anwar sadat !

If both, ceasing incitment and freezing settlements, are in Phase 1 then why is Israel's obligation not void when the Pals refuse to comply with their obligation to cease incitment ? Explain if you can.

... and/or the most ridiculous demand of all, that the Pals show some 'reciprocity' for nothing-at-all... as if Bibi is playing some of game-with-mirrors, where one thinks one should see something, but actually there is nothing at all... ... the Pals were prepared to play along even with Olmert's worthless promises... but Bibi's deliberate deviations are an affront...

Abbas has every right to refuse to meet Netanyahu. Not that there is anything new in this as the Arabs habitually say No to any and every proposal. Nu Obamele, yes we can eh.

A NY dweller you might have never been to Israel nor gazed south from the edge of Ofakim town. Open your GoogleEarth, situate yourself somewhere 300m above southern fringe of Ofakim. Now tilt the ground plane with the middle button of your mouse. You will have before you an immense empty land of austere dream-like beauty stretching until the horizon - a real heart pleasure, indeed a shot of adrenalin for any settler, that is if somebody told them that was a panorama of the Judean Desert and not Negev. Now contemplating this beauty answer yourself if this is enough space "to grow".

netanyahu's little pretenses are enough to make you throw up! he has literally thrown the doors wide open on settlement expansion, he's taken little to no action on the removal of illegal outposts(although some reports suggest that many will be made "legal" retroactively), and has authorized the building of hundreds(or is it thousands?), of living units in the west bank and jerusalem. then he has the selfrighteous GALL to express disappointment over the lack of "goodwill" gestures from arab nations in response to his meaningless little "intention" to "temporarily" freeze settlement construction? oh...and of course it's the palestinians as usual, who are holding up progress! so once again, it's "israel" who has no partner for peace; right bibi?

all things being equal, why should there be any building anywhere? I say stop Gaza and W. Bank building if Israel must stop it's natural growth. That's the real gesture.

What does Abbas have to offer Israel? His presidential term has expired and he does not control Gaza. The hardline positions taken by the recent Fatah congress make it almost impossible for him to sign a peace treaty with Israel but even if he does, he will not have the power to implement it. The Prime Minister is wasting his time trying to negotiate.

It seems that Abbas does not understand - one simple way of explaining to him why he needs a meeting is to put up a new settlement every month until peace talks start. Peace talks cannot start until he recognizes that 2 states for 2 peoples means 1 each. Meanwhile we should insist on a freeze on building in the settlement of Ramallah.

what you will need to talk about soon if the settlements do not stop is making another 3.5 million arabs citizens of israel. are you going to give them the vote or will you set up an apartheid system like south africa? this will be the end of the jewish democratic state of israel.

in ramle or latrum(sic)? the palestinian israeli problem is as vast as the pacific and atlantic oceans put together.your approach to the problem is like using a cup to empty the two oceans.may i suggest a touch more humility?

A couple of pro-zionist posts above use the term "Pals" for "Palestinians". Noting that the use of terms such as "Paki" are deemed pejorative, may I humble suggest that your respondents desist from such usage. This, of course, also extends to other pejoratives such as "Yids".

Strategic miscalculation number one thousand and something. Now is the time for Pals to support Obama. It seems however that they still haven't given up on their almost pathological need to remain the outsider-victim / heroic martyr forever. If Abbas takes Obama's hand and act like he believes everything Obama promises, the pressure on Obama will only increase to deliver. This way Obama can drop them with the best excuse if needed to get the hell out of his 'peace-push' and save his health-care push.

then are the palestinians themselves.no point in running faster then they want to run johnboy. at ease for the moment.

The real negotiations is between the U.S. and Israel. What Abbas Et. Al. can offer, they already did 20 years ago. Mr. Abbas may as well go like a good little puppy and lick Obama's shoes. Mr. Netanahu is a master at delays and peripheral issues, he can easily make Abbas look like the one who does not want to make peace.

Roadmap Full Text: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2989783.stm Israel's roadmap reservations: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=297230

in our affairs.yet minds its own business elsewhere.hilary clinton has promised india america would not "interfere" in indo pak relations.the west let the rwandans kill each other .the final death numbers were horrific. five million congolese were killed since the mid nineties. all ignored. all all ignored.but with us the world takes a microscopic interest.

we want to stay in judea and samaria.they want it for themselves.what is there to talk about?

Build Bibi Build - That is the fastest way to a solution, one way or another.

A clever psychotherapist will help a patient see the hidden benefit they think they are getting from seemingly self destructive behaviour. So, what do the two sides of the Arab Israeli conflict get by not meeting? Israel keeps the illusory process of growth and annexation alive while the Palestinians keep avoiding the reality of the hard work of statehood. Israelis maintain the onesided violation of international and Halachic law by continued usrurping land to expand the zionist dream beyond reasonable limits. . The Palestinians avoid dealing with the profound inability of Arab society to function like a democracy. If it's not Israel, then Palestinians will fight amongst themselves, and deny each other rights rather than face the hard demands of buidling a modern democratic state where granting women and minorities full participation is a prerequisite for a viable economic computer age state. 60 years of neurotic self deception is a hard pattern to break.

... and who would that "all" be, apart from FOX TV News?

and the Pals will have to 'settle' their scores soon, if ever. They will never get any more land than Gaza. They've proved they can't stop terror. No wonder they're becoming irrelevant. Israel is living in peace now and the Pals don't seem to matter any more.

loved it.

The Palestinians met their obligations following the "Roadmap to peace" Israel doesn't. It continues in building sttlements. So Israel is violating the "Roadmap to peace" It is typical jewish chutzpah to demand gestures of goodwill from the Arab states. So the Palestinians are right to refuse entering negotiations. What negotiating about: The facts are clear. Israel has to withdraw at least de westbank, East Jeruzalem, stop the siege of Gaza and has to allow the fugitives of the Nakba to return to their homes. Aswell to have to obey resolution 181 of 29 th November 1947. If not. Impose a siege on Israel Not difficult . Isn't it ?

perhaps public scrutiny of Israeli financial institutions as off-shore tax dodging havens... ala the caribbean, swiss, luxembourg banks.

has the PA carried out under Abbas? There is none, it's the reverse, he's the one arresting Hamas and Islamic militants! Were you thinking of Arafat or Hamastan perhaps? Or do you mean the PA school textbooks don't lavish praise on Jewishness? Can you give a reference link for these so-called 'incitements'? I don't imagine you can because it's just one of the things zealots like to say when they've run out of ammunition. Admit it.

"We have wanted this meeting for five months now," Netanyahu asserted. "It is the Palestinians who are posing preconditions to a meeting." Er......You are violating one of the key points of the roadmap dummy. What do you expect??? Stop building settlements!!

E: "he should not give Bibi the opportunity to declare on the international scene: 'Nu, you see, we told you so... it`s the Pals who are umpeding peace-on-earth...' ". Abbas can point out that "the international scene" insists on sanctioning Hamas because it will not abide by prior agreements. He can then point out that the ONLY reason that he is refusing to meet with Netanyahu is because Likud refuses to abide by prior agreements. At which point the "the international scene" should become very sheepish indeed..... And if they aren't willing to be contrite then it really doesn't matter what Abbas says, or does, does it? He'll be shafted no matter what.

abbas was the first person obama called when he became president. abbas, like all others, have just told obama to keep his hand.

Stop raping, murdering, ID checking, stealing, robbing, starving, maiming the Palestinians before they can even consider putting down their arms. You have no right to ask the oppressed to defend themselves. How dare you!

D: "Maybe if the Palestiians had honoured hs written agreement to stop incitement to terror as a pre-requisite to Israel meetng ts obligations, Bibi would take different position." Pardon me? Stopping incitement was a PRE-REQUISITE for Israel to meet its obligations under the Road Map??????? It might pay you to read that Road Map for yourself one day, David, because it very clearly says: "In each phase, the parties are expected to perform their obligations in parallel, unless otherwise indicated." Ceasing incitement was in PHASE 1. Ceasing construction was in PHASE 1. Neither can be a pre-requisite for the other, because THE ROAD MAP SAYS YOU CAN'T DO THAT. It says something different in the Hebrew version, does it?

"He [State Dept Spokesman] also said that the efforts now are concentrating on creating the right atmosphere between Israel and the Palestinians so that they can sit and resolve the ongoing conflict" The "right atmosphere" requires a full construction freeze, with Obama determining what happens when the (6-month / 9-month / 12-month) freeze runs out. Anything less gives Netanyahu only *one* incentive: to sit on his hands until the clock strikes midnight, whereupon he will don the hard-hat, grab the shovel, and then bolt for the door. Q: What is the point in "creating the right atmosphere" for that? A: It is the very definiton of "pointless". The Israelis have managed to convince themselves that Mitchell and Obama are clueless yokels, and they are in for a rude surprise.

What is the point of a meeting if Gilad Shalit is not free, Hamas isn't a partner, and the Palestinians don't freeze their illegal building.

Who needs who more? Does Obama need Israel to do his bidding, because he is losing credibility at home like a sinking ship. You only have to look at his polling. Or, does Bibi need Obama. Look at his polling since the elections. I think I know who is on the down and who is on the up. With that in mind, who needs to talk to the Arabs, and what can they (each littler murdering faction) offer to make it worthwhile to talk to them?, i.e. besides more rockets, mayhem and murder.

Maybe if the Palestiians had honoured hs written agreement to stop incitement to terror as a pre-requisite to Israel meetng ts obligations, Bibi would take different position. But we are faced with a typcal Middle East shop. I promise to do x - abd after that will you do y? I don't do x, but still expect you to do y. hmm...

well, the only way to move things in the right direction are sanctions until Israel gets the message and stops playing games on the Palestinians and the world community.

Obama should also refuse to meet Netanyahu until the settlements are stopped/

... maybe Abbas is not aware that probably a trap has been set for him... he should not give Bibi the opportunity to declare on the international scene: "Nu, you see, we told you so... it's the Pals who are umpeding peace-on-earth..."

I hope you are right Ben. Build as many empty apartments blocks as you can and then watch the Arabs out bread you and move into nice lavish appartments from their refugee camps.

....with the extremist Hamas. So why would Israel expect the moderate Abbas to negotiate with the extremist Netanyahu/Lieberman...??? Everyone who didn't support Israeli peace negotiations with Hamas in the past, should better refrain from complaining about Abbas sticking to his principles now....

He got that strong message from the young gaurd at the Fatah conference. ealistically what as abu Mazen got to gain from meeting Bibi? Is Bibi really going to have a Damascene conversion to a two state solution? So abu Mazen says "no, not until there's a real settlement freeze" and becomes a nationalist hero, Fatah becomes more popular and hopefully corralls Hamas into a national unity government on favourable terms.

Under Bush Abbas was much less hardline in his demands. Since Obama came along and went on his arab goodwill tour and been taking arab side that changed Before his problems over welfare started every chance he got he would look to pick a fight with Israel and had very little criticizm of palestinians. Since then the arabs think that Obama is going to back any demands they make and so they are getting more and more hardline because they think they have an ally backing them. Neither Bibi or Livni could deliver Obama all the things he wants. The Israeli coalition system & the power of the settlement movement makes it impossible. Even the left can't put together a coalition will agree to freeze all settlement building or building in east Jerusalem. The Gaza pullout alone was a hard sell & thats the area the Israeli public care about least This is a no win situation because neither side can back down and Obama doesn't understand this conflict he just likes to pretend he does for image.

Here we have Bibi point-blank refusing to honour a written agreement to freeze all settlement activity. And the response in these talkbacks? Why, that's only right an proper and, anyway, what else can Bibi do? So stop sulking about it and get on with it, will ya'...... Now Abbas is refusing to meet with anyone until Israel ABIDES BY ITS PRIOR AGREEMENTS. And the reaction? Who the hell does he think he is?!?!?!???!?! Why does he think that ANYONE can spit in the eye of the Americans and get away with it!?!? Johnboy: Chutzpah, anyone? Netanyahu: Why, thank you, don't mind if I do.

Abbas has "shutzpah" and he is totally right. There's nothing to negociate with Netanyhaou. This man does not want any peace. End of story. Palestinians ending in Jordan ? stop dreaming Ben !! or perhaps you can go and bring some friends ?

him down to size... Israel should stop all talks and build double time until Palestinians end up in Jordan.

Maybe Bibi can deliver something Obama wants so Obama will pressure Abbas to meet. If Bibi won't offer a settlement deal, maybe he could offer 10 Republican Senate votes on some other issue important to Obama. Call Emanuel and ask, Bibi.