Obama softens Jerusalem stance in bid to appease Abbas
Move meant to resolve crisis between PA and U.S., remove Abbas's threat to resign from political life.
By Akiva Eldar Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu Mahmoud Abbas Barack Obama Israel newsPresident Barack Obama has promised the Palestinian leadership that there will be no change to U.S. policy on the issue of Jerusalem, and that East Jerusalem does not constitute part of the State of Israel. As such, any Israeli construction in East Jerusalem, like in the West Bank, is illegal. This promise was meant to resolve the crisis of confidence between Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and the U.S., and remove his threat to resign from political life.
Two weeks ago the U.S. administration asked Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to stop the reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas. The Americans announced that if a Palestinian unity government is set up that would include Hamas, the U.S. would have to cease it financial aid to the Palestinian Authority.
In view of the absence of an agreement with Hamas, Abbas was forced to announce elections for next January, under the assumption that by then Obama will be able to impose on Israel a complete freeze on settlement construction and announce the resumption of negotiations on a final settlement based on the borders of June 4, 1967. In private talks, Abbas did not hide his disappointment from the lack of real progress on both the reconciliation with Hamas and the freeze on settlement construction.
A diplomatic source told Haaretz that the decision to clarify the U.S. position on East Jerusalem was made as a result of the dissatisfaction Arab leaders expressed following statements by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that a freeze on settlement construction is not a precondition for the resumption of the negotiations on a final settlement.
The American position is meant to bridge the stance of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is strongly opposed to publicly committing to such a freeze in East Jerusalem, and the determined position of the Palestinian and Arab leadership that a freeze would also apply to East Jerusalem. The U.S. has not recognized the annexation of East Jerusalem, and U.S. ambassadors avoid visiting ministries in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarra. Obama has been the third president to use his powers to reject the law passed in Congress, demanding that the U.S. recognize it as the united capital of Israel.
The law, passed 14 years ago, initiated by Republican congressional leaders with the encouragement of the pro-Israeli lobby in Washington and the leadership of Likud, who at the time were in opposition to the government of Yitzhak Rabin, also called on the transfer of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem no later than May 1999.
The American plan will include inviting Abbas and Netanyahu to the White House, where the resumption of negotiations will be announced. This remains conditional on Abbas lifting his opposition. Subsequently an international conference will be held in Moscow, similar to the Madrid Conference of 1991, with the participation of Arab leaders, the UN, the EU and Russia. At the conference it will be declared that the negotiations aim to bring Israel's occupation to an end and the establishment of a Palestinian state within 18 to 24 months.
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S: "Palestinians have nothing to gain if President Abbas resigns" And Abbas can do nothing if he stays. Netanyahu thinks of him as less than a doormat, and Obama has shown that he will not *only* abandon Abbas in a second but will *also* blame Abbas for then being left as the odd-man-out. Abbas doesn't need that sort of disrespect, and so he should show two fingers to the both of them and walk out the door.
His true colours shine out.The idiotic obama wants to devide Jerusalem
"God is not happy with any Country who try to give away His land to the Palestinians" Who are you to claim to know what God thinks? Do you have his phone number? There was never a country called Israel but it was established but there were Arabs living in historic Palestine for generations under The Ottoman Empire and British Mandate. They might not have had a 'country' but the people existed with their own heritage and culture so yes they deserve their own country and sovereignty and a dignified life. I doubt that there's any God that finds it moral to oppress a whole people under occupation. Also, no one opens their mouth when the US IS supporting Israel unconditionally but when they oppose their complete rejectionist stance then you say 'who are they to tell Israel what to do'. Maybe because they give Israel BILLIONS of $$ every year for military aid? among other things.
...through our noses. Until when do we have to pay the enormous cost of Likud's extravaganzas? Or does Likud think that Obama is lying?
....a pure "waffler administration". Mr. Obama, I'm afraid you still have to learn one thing: A president, who always says what his interlocu- tor wants to hear at that specific time, will in the end not be taken seriously by anyone....
Obama has become opposed to the jewish state nothing evidences this clearer w/ his approach to jewish peoples spiritual and national capitol. Israel must reject this form of klepto-diplomacy COMPLETELY!
Well maybe you should express your fine words with action - so far I don't think the real world has been too impressed, other than the Israelis who continue their settlement building unabated!
Our President calls himself a Christian then he should refresh his Bible knowledge of God's chosen people and the land of Israel.Bibi will never give up Jerusalem there eternal Capital. God is not happy with any Country who try to give away His land to the Palestinians. There was never a country called Palestine, PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!! Plus who gave the USA as care takers of Israel anyway? We have our own problems here in America. How would we feel if Canada started to give us orders and advise like America gives it to Israel? We would tell Canada too go to H*ll. God is watching and His clock started to click on May 15th 1948.
jerusalem is a holy city to the three major religions. Untill it becomes like the Vatican, a state in itself, controlled by the three religions, I fear no real peace is possible. Its time to internationelize Jerusalem and declair it the holy city for all.
the only solution is to withdraw from illegal Jewish settlments in Canada and give back the land to the natives
Obama told Abbas that East Jerusalem is not part of Israel? Really? Wow--he just doesn't get it: he is going to get schooled by Bibi once again.
and the Israelis would also be at a disadvantage since it is with his leadership that some advancements have been made with talks in 2008. The critical issue now is for negotiations to proceed as planned and for a final agreement to become a reality of two states alongside one another. The settlements must halt eventually their construction and relocate settlers. With international support and encouragement, there seems hopeful conditions to reach such agreement.