P F Tinmore,
et al,
I'm not sure where you got this information. But, the current talks, which started last year, had something different.
PM: Recognition of Jewish state not precondition for peace talks
said:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he would be willing to launch direct peace negotiations with the Palestinians without preconditions in order to reach a historic agreement that would end the conflict.
Speaking to reporters in Warsaw alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Netanyahu said the time has come to end the "squabbling over preconditions" and resume negotiations.
SOURCE: Attila Somfalvi, AP Published: 06.12.13, Israel News
P F Tinmore,
et al,
I think you are a little bit behind the times. Forget 1937! Come back to the living and the current situation.
(OBSERVATION)
(COMMENT)
Today, a determination has to be made about the Palestinian demands they put forth just to enter into "good faith" negotiations.
The Palestinians have compiled a new list of demands for the continuation of peace talks, the list of demands are:
(Article: Palestinians publish new list of demands: PM must agree to East Jerusalem as capital, Elior Levy, Published: 04.03.14, Israel News)
- A written commitment by Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayahu that the borders of the Palestinian state will be along the 1967 'green-line' and that its capital will be East Jerusalem.
- The release of 1,200 Palestinian prisoners, including political heavyweights Marwan Barghouti, Ahmed Saadat and Fuad Shubkhi.
- An end to the Egyptian-Israeli blockade on Gaza, and the formulation of dealing allowing the flow of goods into Gaza.
- A halt in construction in East Jerusalem.
- The IDF will not be allowed to enter Area A – the area of the West Bank under autonomous PA control since the Oslo Accords – to conduct arrests or assassinations
- Israel will permit the PA control over Area C – currently under Israel's control.
- The Palestinians known as the Church of Nativity deportees – a group of terrorist who barricaded themselves in the Church of the Nativity on April 2, 2002 and were later deported to European nations and the Gaza Strip – will be allowed to return to the West Bank.
- The reopening of a number of Palestinian development agencies Israel shut down.
Are these legitimate demands as a prerequisite to "good faith negotiations" for peace? Or, is this some kind of devious means at subterfuge --- to break-down the negotiation process? There is a question as to whether the Palestinians ever wanted to employ peaceful means as a foundation for settlement.
Should Israel just step back from the process and allow the current path of events to unfold as they are? (Maintain the
status quo.)
If Israel does not meet these negotiation demands, what benefit does a break-down in the negotiations give the Arab Palestinian.
How do these demands help?
Most Respectfully,
R
Look at Israel's pre-conditions.
1)The Palestinians must surrender.
2) They must disarm.
3) No refugees.
4) No Jerusalem.
5) Settlements will stay.
6) Israel will control all imports and exports.
7) Israel will control all travel and tourism.
8) Israel recognized as a Jewish state.
OK, so who isn't serious?
(COMMENT)
These are not pre-conditions to the continuation of talks. I'm not sure where you get that from! All the Israeli pre-conditions were dropped last July.
The downward spiral on the talks was initiated when the last of the agreed upon prisoner releases was held-up because the Palestinians were planning to discontinue further negotiations. Israel wanted assurances that if the release was carried-out, the Palestinian would then terminate the talks. The Palestinians have been the "bad faith" partners in the talks from the beginning.
(SIDEBAR)
I
(personally) agree that Justice Minister Tzipi Livni has been handicapped by the limitations and directions placed on her negotiating team by some of the decisions coming from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But this is a domestic matter for the Israelis to consider and evaluate.
Time is on the side of the Israelis. The longer it takes for each side to enter into "good faith" negotiations with a willingness to compromise, the worse the situation becomes for the Palestinians. Neither Fatah or HAMAS are acting in the best interest of the Palestinian People. But, then one can say (similarly) that Likud Party (Chairman Netanyahu) is really not acting in the best interest of Israel and the establishment of peace.
The Israelis will have to decide whether they want to continue along this same path, or if they want to break the mold and try something different.
In any event, unlike Secretary of State John Kerry, I don't blame Israel for the breakdown in the talks. I don't believe that either side really wanted to make the hard choices in compromises that would be necessary for a peace settlement in the disputes.
Most Respectfully,
R