Israel asks U.S. to prod Palestinians to continue peace talks
UN chief says it is Israel that must make next move.
By Barak Ravid Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu Mahmoud Abbas Middle East peace Quartet Palestinians UN Avigdor Lieberman Arab League Israel settlementsPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday asked U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to press Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to continue the talks with Israel that began last month in Amman.
The Prime Minister's Office said that the conversation with Clinton lasted 45 minutes, and quoted Netanyahu as saying, "Israel is interested in continuous talks with the Palestinians while preserving the security interests of Israeli citizens."
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a press conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah yesterday. Earlier in the day, Ban met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. |
| Photo by: AP |
Netanyahu conveyed a similar message in his conversations on Wednesday with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and Quartet envoy Tony Blair.
Ban told Netanyahu during their meeting that Israel must make confidence-building gestures toward the Palestinians to help them continue the talks in Jordan. Netanyahu didn't commit to make any such steps, but said he would consider them if he could be sure the Palestinians wouldn't break off the talks again in a few weeks.
During press conferences with Netanyahu and with Abbas, Ban supported the Palestinian position, saying Israel's creating facts on the ground through building settlements is not acceptable.
He also said the Palestinians had fulfilled the Quartet suggestion of presenting detailed proposals on borders and security. He called on Israel to do the same as soon as possible. If it does, he said, "it would be possible to return to negotiations."
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who met Ban separately, accused the Palestinians of not being interested in advancing peace talks, but wanting to sabotage them, in an attempt to justify further unilateral moves at the United Nations.
Earlier in the morning, Ban met President Shimon Peres, and told a joint news conference after the parley that he was "convinced" Israel could "improve its strategic relations with its neighbors.
Abbas is expected to meet with the Arab League foreign ministers on Saturday to discuss the talks with Israel.
On Wednesday, the PA president seemed pessimistic about the chances of talks continuing, accusing Israel of foiling efforts to restart direct peace negotiations and blaming it for refusing to recognize the borders of a Palestinian state and halt construction in the West Bank settlements.
During his press conference with Ban, Abbas said that during the talks in Jordan, Israel did not present "any encouraging proposal that we could advance with."
He also said "Israel continues to establish facts on the ground, to build settlements and take control of lands in Jerusalem and the West Bank. This is something we cannot accept, not today and not tomorrow."
Meeting Westerwelle in Ramallah, Abbas similarly laid the blame for the suspension of the Amman talks on "Israeli intransigence."
The official Palestinian Wafa news agency quoted Abbas as telling Westerwelle that he would return to the table once Israel committed on the issues of borders and halting construction in the settlements.
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After what Obama had said and what Congress did, there is no leverage.
Yes, this shows the true seriousness of Israel concerning the peace process. Prod the palestinians back to the talks because they will not accept the illegal settlements eating up their land.
Ban is not helpful by not demanding the vile genocidal paragraphs against Jews be removed from the charters of the PA and Hamas! How can anyone sit at a peace table when one side insists on maintaining its written call to wipe out the other side. Ban needs to try opening his eyes to the other side, not just make demands to one.
I think we have established that already!
Worked for 20 years, why stop it now.
is good for one side and one side only. Israel. Nethanyahu must be a very happy man. As we all know the situation in the territories is kinda fluid...what was palestinian a little while ago is now Israeli. All Israel has to do is keep building, keep building and bide more time. Someday the world will wake up and see that there's no longer a possibility for a Palestinian state. Israel being Israel will never grant the palestinians citizenship. It will continue to, shall we say, stimulate Palestinians to move elsewhere and it will keep on screaming to the heavens for the sporadic acts of violence from the Palestinians left in a few tiny totally disconnected and closed off palestinian enclaves.
At Netanyahu's demand the US told the PA and the PLO "go get screwed" and one diplomat shouted in Abbas face. The US Congress has cut aid to the PA and threatens more. What influence does Netanyahu think the US has with Abbas. Netanyahu should share that pipe or stop smoking it.
washed down with a nice Korean plum wine
Continuous..........................,,,,,,,,.......
for years Tel-Aviv proclaimed how important every hill would be, because it could be used to fire into the valleys
Netanyahu, He's just a war-monger , if he really wanted peace talks there would be peace talks ! How can u talk about peace when your actions are not peaceful ?
this is just a charade to cover up your crimes and evils and continue same of the old. i cant stand israel
Palestinian already have their state but Jerusalem and last border and recognition of the Jews state and they get it
Ain't that a hoot? Here's another one: Israel asks the ONLY country that protects it, the ONE country it has continuously slapped in the face, -to help it screw the Palestinians a little harder and a little longer. To have this attitude of arrogance and hubris, Israel must surely be a tribe of schizophrenic sociopaths. Or as they prefer to be known, God's chosen people.
Palestinian already have their state but Jerusalem and last border and recognition of the Jews state and they get it
Palestinian already have their state but Jerusalem and last border and recognition of the Jews state and they get it
All the proposed peace plans regarding the territorial dispute between Israel and the Palestinians stipulate stopping the settlement growth in the West Bank, especially the last peace plan, the Road Map of 2004. This is the least Israel can do and would demonstrate seriousness in resolving the impasse. If Israel won't propose at this time their borders between the two states, their obligation is to accept halting construction plans in the West Bank. The Quartet reiterated such a move and it's most worthy at this time, before negotiations begin.
Leave all occupied Arab lands including West Bank, East Jerusalem, Golan heights, Sheba farms and seize of Gaza strip, the largest open prison in the world and then blame Arabs if they do anything to you. The whole international community will be behind you and support you. Now, we don't care as your injustice and greediness is apparent.
The rest is commentary.
Moon knows if he insists on enforcing UN resolutions and calls for sanctions against Israel he is history. The US and Europe would run him out of town pronto. These are facts but nice try at the victim defense. But it just doesn't cut it anymore!
Prodding is for cattle. The Palestinians know and recognize when they see/experience genuine trends from Israel for reconciliation and justice.
The neighborhood kids say that, unless the pay is exceptionally good, they will avoid the brat and let him play with himself. That seems to be going on at the moment.
It is in their charters. So you sit at a table of peace when the other side calls for your death. In 1933 the mufti of Jerusalem called for the death of all Jews and worked with the nazis. 2 weeks ago the same call was made. Yesterday 7 rockets were fired from gaza at civilians in Israel. Your Jew hatred is showing through your rich brat argument.
If Israel and Palestine desire peace, they would have had it generations ago. America is broke. We can't take care of our own affairs, and we'll never solve the problems of dysfunctional zealots on the other side of the world. Time for America to withdraw, and focus on helping our own people.
Is there anything else they can take away from the Palestinians that they haven't already done? The world is watching Israel dig a deeper hole for herself.
US Presidents seem to love the challenge of Middle East peace, especially Democratic Presidents. Carter, Clinton and Obama spent a great deal of effort in trying to arrive at a peace agreement between Israel and its neighbors. And while Carter was the most successful (in getting a peace agreement with Egypt), he couldn't go beyond this, while Clinton was a general failure and Obama seems to be on the same road. The big problem is that the US Congress is under the influence of AIPAC, and the President cannot pressure Israel too much, so he is ineffective. The damage the US' deep involvement causes is that while the US is involved, it pushes the Europeans aside and does not let them weigh in. It will be best to reverse the roles of these powers. Let the EU be in the driver's seat on peace, let them develop their own peace plan, send their own ME mediator and apply their own pressure, which is considerable in the economic field, and let the US just encourage them (secretly) and go along with their plans. The Europeans are more neutral about the conflict, and therefore may be more effective, to say nothing about the fact that they don't suffer from an Aipac-paralysis syndrome.
the Palestinians. No one knows about it, but look up "Camp David Accords". Israel never implemented what they had agreed to, and Egypt never pressed Israel on it. Oh the good old days when Egypt was more concerned with not up setting US/Egypt/Israel apple cart and the Palestinian be damned.
I think this is a brilliant idea. And if for no other reason that it was the Europeans who were the creators of this mess. In particular England (the Balfour Declaration) and Germany (Shoah).
This is the Israel that the world has come to know and dislike. Everything must be their own way and when it is not, Israelis get hysterical and say immoraterate and inaccurate things. Most Israeli Jews consider it insullting for them to make a goodwill gesture to the Palestinians. When American troops go into any nation they often busy themselves in building and repairing infrastructure, building and repairing schools, and other projects that are strictly goodwill gestures. Even though it is also a PR thing, amny of the American soldiers so occupied enjoy the work. The IDF, on the other hand, has nothing but contempt for the Palestinians. They treat them like dirt and it shows. During the days of the Gaza occupation the IDF would choose whatever homes they liked and run the occupants out. When they finally left the home after days or weeks, they often went out of their way to trash it. Now we have Israel calling for America to exert pressure upon the Palestinians to do Israel's will. This is usually accomplished by promising or witholding aid money. American aid to the Arabs has many strings attached, some leading to America and some leading to Israel.
Every honest person of goodwill knows this. Why don't you. In Afghanistan and Iraq the US military needs to win the hearts and minds of the public, because they are there to liberate the public from dictatorial rule and need them on their side. Israel and the Palestinian are like two scorpions in a bottle. The IDF is not trying to get the Palestiain public to support them. That is impossible and makes no sense.
It is Israel that must be pocked .... pushed ... shoved.. into getting out of the West Bank ... NOW .... then the Palestinians will know that the US has become an honest broker and not a conniving snake. AND israel will be seen as serious about the possibility of a Palestinian state that can rightly be called a state.
The ONLY thing that will "prod" Israel to peace is the US's total withdrawal of all aid and cover to Israel. SBDs with teeth, no more foreign aid and NO military promised to "assist" Israel in all conditions. It is time to cut the cord.....for all nations' benefit.
The next thng we are going to be bombarded with is a rediculous claim that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is an anti-semite. This will be accompanied with a news release by Clinton and company that his remarks are "not helpful" to the peace process.
"Stop building illegal settlements and stealing land or we will demand our rights as Israeli citizens."
Nobody buys that shtick any more, Bibi. Everyone knows that you are interested in "continuous" talks only insofar as you can make them stretch out indefinitely. After all, while they are taking place you feel free to build, build, build, build....
makes me laugh everyday with the absurd garbage he spews. Continue the "peace" talks that have been going on for twenty years with zero results, no justice for the Palestinians and no security for Israelis. Israel needs to stop recycling these tired old fools and get some new blood in there. Real peace requires people with courage and vision, the current leadership has neither.
and accept the offer, unlike Israel!
No talks, no American interference, no surrender!
This constant begging, imploring, cajoling, bribing the Palestinians to get to this "Damn Table," has created a Palestinian leader like Abbas who couldn't care less for the so-called peace process. At the same time, the US, Europe, UN shower the Palestinians with billions of dollars. If Israel and the Palestinians would have managed to conclude peace all these endless billions of assistance would end. Nobody would invite Palestinian leaders anywhere. Now they get all "love" from the anti-Semitic world, all attention like primadonnas. If the whole world and Israel would stop humiliating themselves daily before the former terrorists and today's ministers peace would have been achieved decades ago. But anyone can make people like Obama, Bibi, Ban Ki-Moon , Hillary and Panetta smarter? Do they look into the mirror in the morning?
would you please compare the money that is given to the pa with the money that Israel is getting,...who's the big winner do you think....HINT it's not the pals my friend!
And beyond that he is crippling Israel's credibility.
(Likud party meeting at the Knesset, 26 May 2003. Speaker: Ariel Sharon)
and will continue to do so...learn to deal with it
however egypt syria libya and others like iraq are holding around 200 million arabs under occupation so its possible !
It amazes me that Israeli supporters have the nerve to blame the Palestinians/indigenous population for lack of progress on peace talks knowing full well that Israel is continuing to build and add thousands of Israelis to areas in contradiction of International law. If this isn't an unilateral move and a pre-condition to talks then what is it? You can't have it both ways: oppressors and thieves are not victims!
I don't understand if Israel is building settlements and the UN administration and Ban have repeatedly said they certainly violate international law, why is no action being taken?
Israel stands alone on settlements on Palestinian land beyond 1967 borders. Even the US has asked for a freeze but has been dismissed and humiliated. Realities on the ground mean the "reality" of endless conflict or one-state solution. "Greater Israel" means greater wars.
Fair enough. Palestinians are interested in continuous talks with Israel while preserving the right to a fully sovereign contiguous state with East Jerusalem as capital. Now both parties work out the details.
Yeah look at them go! This is their retort to the UN General Secretary, to US criticism and European disapproval. Prodding the Palestinians into what? Talks that have no relevance? About what? What for? You can fool some of the people Bibi & Yvet - but not all of us! Transparent as glass!!
Since Gaza has opted out peace is a fantasy. How stupid can these people be to push for peace discussions? Is Israel going to have peace with a dagger at its back. No way Jose. This entire comic opera is totally stupid.
Don't forget to switch back to "there can be no negotiations with Hamas" if Palestinian unity starts to look more likely again.
Yes, let's do that and convince the Palestinians that sitting at a table staring back at a government that has proven it does not want peace makes perfect sense. Poke them and prod them into becoming a partner for peace. Better yet, please continue to collectively punish, steal their land, imprison them, release them after serving 150+ life sentences and imprison them again in a matter of days, and then attack at will in any direction, starve, make them drive, walk and piss on separate roads and yes, again prod them to the peace process. Makes perfect bloody sense. Go ahead and make their day. Don't forge to steal some more land along the way.
Molcho made a big show of offering a verbal statement (without maps or quantitative distillation) of Israel’s vision of a peace settlement. Netanyahu hoped it would convince at least the Israelis that the failure of the talks was the fault of the Palestinians, and that the whole world will see that the Palestinians are at fault. It didn’t. The Israelis are beginning to realize that the world is not deceived either. So Netanyahu is trying again, from a different direction. But as long as he stresses Israel’s security needs (code for keeping the settlements and outposts) it is no go.
met all the Quartets requirements and Israel hasn't. Ban points out that the continuing building of settlements is unacceptable, etc. Bibi and Avi have the chutzpah to accuse the Palestinians not being interested in the peace talks! Bibi et al are probably right: Bibi and Avi want peace talks (and talks and talks and talks), while the Palestinians (and I rest of the world) just want peace.
when the Palestinian Media Watch has nothing to report. Their thoughts express their desires which speak to soaking the land with Jewish blood. How, can anyone in their right mind sit down with people who claim they want to destroy Israel and the Jews
Sorry Bibi. It's not time for Secretary Clinton or President Obama to prod anyone. It's time for Israel to get out of Palestine and back within its 1948 borders and time for the Palestinians to become responsible in their own affairs.
Because they sweep everything under that tag, including murder
No Moony baby,you have it the wrong way round. Did you not hear PM Netanyahu of Israel say? Israel asks U.S. to prod Palestinians to continue peace talks...........It is to them you have to address your question not at Israel.. .PM Netanyahu waited for TEN months for Abbas to sit down at the NEGOTIATING table to argue the pros & con's.HE{...} Abbas refused. I am amazed at your inefficient interpretation of the FACTS.. Move along there...wasting time and effort..
He's just announced his support for plans to increase settlement expansion and yet wants the Palestinians to be pressured into continuing talks? Insanity absolute unmitigated insanity!
I totally agree with your assessment of their interests
Maybe it was interested in peace the first years after its creation 1948 but the last 40 years or so it has only been after more land and ethnic cleansing.
Invented along the lines of the UN Partition Plan that carved out a Jewish State on Arab land that welcome the influx of Europe's illegal squatters to Palestine.
From a people who have suffered so much throughout history, it is difficult to accept such behavior. Israeli's should end the occupation and stop the apparent apartheid against all non-Jews in Israel. That would go a long way toward ending the animosity felt by Israel's neighbors. If you want peace, act peacefully.