Needed: More than gestures
Netanyahu has not even begun to prepare the Israeli public opinion for the possibility of an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank.
Haaretz EditorialThe package of confidence-building measures that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to offer the Palestinians raises questions. At first glance, it suggests a change in direction. It includes removing roadblocks, transferring to Palestinian control a parcel of land in order to build a road to the Palestinian city of Rawabi and, above all, transferring the responsibility for security in several West Bank towns from the Israel Defense Forces to the Palestinian Authority. The proposed measures are aimed at bolstering PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's control of the West Bank. But in practice it more closely resembles camouflage netting whose purpose is to conceal Israel's avoidance of any responsibility in the peace process.
Had this offer come a year ago, shortly after Netanyahu declared his adoption of the two-state solution, it could have been viewed with seriousness and credibility. But the gap that developed between Netanyahu and PA President Mahmoud Abbas, the move to proximity talks after years of direct talks and especially the fact that the latest offer is a response to American pressure make one suspect that Netanyahu is still trying to cling to his old policy. In other words, that he is willing to offer confidence-building gestures and measures so long as he does not have to talk about any issue of substance.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on July 8, 2010 |
| Photo by: AP |
Abbas and the PA are wise to the wiles of Israeli governments, and we can assume that they will not fall for offers that lack purpose and content. But it's not only the Palestinians' trust that Netanyahu must gain; the Israeli public, too, is far from convinced that he and his government are willing to do what is necessary to progress toward serious negotiations, not to mention peace.
Israel has not declared its willingness to discuss the core issues such as determining borders, the status of Jerusalem, a fair resolution to the refugee problem and the status of the settlements. Netanyahu has also not made clarified his position on extending the freeze on construction in the settlements, which he must do by September. And he has not even begun to prepare the Israeli public opinion for the possibility of an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank.
The steps Netanyahu is proposing are not policy nor a substitute for it. He cannot ignore his commitment to the peace process and attempt, once again, to portray the Palestinians as the ones refusing peace.
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It seems to me that the main thing that the Zionist Jews and Zionist Christians have in common is an obsession to bring about an apocalypse on themselves?
Netanyahu's regime cannot survive a withdrawal from the West Bank or even a whiff of peace, much less serious peace talks. There is NO WAY Israel will make peace with Palestine during the Netanyahu Coalition. As any future Coalition will be even more extremely right than Netanyahu's (There is NO Israeli Left, left), there will be no peace, no way. The overwhelming majority of Israelis are determined that there will be no peace and there will be a Greater Israel including East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. Haaretz, impotent as it is, makes it self seem senile by publishing such unreal twaddle as this article.
when he was elected i thought its probably the right wing givin the peace to ME cause they are easier to ensure its ppl. that ist safe. the ultra rightwing and their actions let me doubt on this....
Arabs never had intentions of honoring OSLO and were violating OSLO before the ink was even dry.
They lost every war and they continue to make hostile demands as if they won. They do not offer peace and they want land? So what are the actually offering? More terrorism!
The reason they are not readying the Israeli public for a withdrawal from Judea and Samaria is because we all know it will never happen. There is already an Arab Palestinian State, by International Law granted by the League of Nations, the Jewish Homeland, Palestine, was to extend to the Euphrates - or nearly - to Iraq. Great Britain, in their infinite wisdom and typical anti-Semetic way (Tishe B'Av also demarks the expulsion of the Jews from England in the 11th Century) cut off the largest part of OUR HOMELAND beyond the Jordan River and gave it to the Arabs. Now (Trans) Jordan is mostly populated by Palestinian Arabs. This is their "STATE". They do not need another! The King of Jordan recognizes this problem and he therefore takes away citizenship from those born west of the Jordan River in what should all rightfully be Israel. The Arabs do not want Judea and Samaria, they want Tel Aviv, Haifa and of course Yerushalayim! Just like a child who sees the candy (the blossoming desert) and wants it they need to one day hear the word NO!!!
If Israel were to declare openly that they are Not going to give the Palis.anything & Israel will stay put wherever she is, In due course.like water that finds its own level,the Palis will come to the conclusion that they will have to find other alternatives............. Why should they want to live among the Jews ?.. Isn''t it better for them to live among their own people ? Same Language. Same Culture Same way of sharing a plate of Humous & wiping it dry with pita ?
In America there aren't any videos of the US Calvalry slaughtering the Indians. You guys are a hundred years too late. Fringe groups like "Oathkeepers" here are a joke. But in Israel the IDF would face a true dilemma in enforcing the removal of the settlers. Will they follow orders or conscience? We are told they are the most moral Army in the world. We may find out in the next five years.
It is a shame that the majority of Israeli's want peace and a two state solution, even if it means giving up settlements. It is a shame that the majority of american people want our president to push Netanyahu to end settlements and establish a two state solution. It is a shame that certain individuals with enough money can buy off both our politicians and your politicians so that they can steal the whole land of Palestine. It is a shame that Americans will be fighting Israeli's when the next war comes, because many of us trained Americans soldiers will be supporting the Palestinian side. It is a shame, but the decisions of the Israeli government have put Israeli's and Americans on a collision course.
The only way to coexist with the Palestinians would be something like North Korea and South Korea. Their prophet allows for a 10 year hudna. Stop demanding that Hamas accept Israel because they never will. The flip side of that is that we will never accept Hamas.
Bibi is a true politician. He is playing with the words. No concrete promise just talk. May be he was able to fool Obama. But who care Israel can always get from America what they want.
Israel gets its way by faking cooperation, digging in its heels, and doing nothing of substance. American politicians are so greateful for the fake cooperation, because it acts as cover for them as well as Israel. When all the dust settles will anybody notice that nothing has changed? It has been gotten away with time and time again. Netanyahu will ride this pony until it drops.
Can ANYBODY here point to ONE measly thing the Palestinians have EVER done to meet Israel even part of the way in the "Peace" process. Why do you only and always demand of Israel when, in reality, the Palestinians have BSed all of you and have NEVER taken one step in reciprocity. Let the Arabs make ONE gesture to Israel (please don't point to the bogus Saudi plan). They can't, because it is only, take take take, whine whine whine. And all you have drank from the cup of Arab propaganda.
The Palestinians have notning left to concede They have only the core issues. Since the Palestinians are not currently building villages on Israeli land, then that's out. Since the Palestinians are not entering Israeli towns and arresting the people there, then that's out. Since the Palestinians are not blockadig Israel or restricting the movement of any Israelis, then that's out. What exactly do you want the Palestinians to do to "meet Israel half way"?
Who are they ?
Ya simple stop the creation of two contradicting sets of laws for refugees One which is for every person in the world except Palestinians and one which was set by Arabs for Arabs why should that problem be responsibility of anyone else but Arabs
...the kind that have progressively smaller ones inside bigger ones--not unlike peeling back the layers of an onion--one has to ask ones self if the Prime Minister's commitment to his "commitment to peace" will ultimately depend upon his commitment to his "commitment.?"
That depends on what your definition of the word "is" is.
... so there'll be something to discuss... with Obama et al, with the refusenik settlers, with the powerless Pals... but Israel doesn't actually more an inch... this is called strategy...
Bibi is going to insist that (a) he can not continue the freeze but (b) the Pals must now go to direct talks. Abbas will say that he can not sit in a room with a man who insists on slicing and dicing the West Bank. The ball is then in Obama's court, because *he* will have to decide who to blame for that particular impasse. If he blames ABBAS then he has decided he wants a pointless political pantomine. If he blames BIBI then he has decided he wants an *outcome*, and not merely a *process*. The choice is his to make, no matter how much the lobby thinks it can make that decision for him.
what is obvious. America cannot and will not put the blame on Israel. However, Bibi will do more to help Obama not to put the blame on him. He will declare the end of freeze, however, at the same time, for different bureacuratic reasons, construction will be postponed. Be sure of that.... Israel will not resume building. Bibi will let the palestinians blow the whole issue. It is crystal clear that palestinians cannot deliver even if Israel stop building.
Along with its continued large scale investment of money and resources into settlement expansion and infrastructure. Why bother to prime the public when in fact he has absolutely no intention of withdrawing from the West Bank?
Why not have the Arab occupiers withdraw instead?
It is so simple: he will not extend the freeze, they will not want to talk with us. Who is to blame? See? Your premises about Netanyahu's commitment to the peace process are simply wrong, while the camouflage theory has proved right not once.
If Netanyahu is willing to pay for direct talks, he shouldn't be discouraged. Of course then, the easy part will be over. Netanyahu will have a hard time even continuing the freeze on settlement construction. With this, Abbas will stop the talks, Labor will quit the coalition, and the Netanyahu rule will be doomed. Covering up his lack of sincerity can take him only that far.