Palestine/Israel Talks

JP5 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-27-2007, 10:54 AM

Condoleeza Rice is making some headway in the Middle East:

Israel, Palestinian leaders agree to regular talks
By Arshad Mohammed
1 hour, 32 minutes ago

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli and Palestinian leaders have agreed to hold confidence-building talks every two weeks that could eventually lead to discussions on a Palestinian state, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070327/...ns_israel_dc_8

JavaBlack · #2 (**permalink**) 03-27-2007, 11:02 AM

Good news definitely...
Let's just hope it works out this time.

ashleykennedy · #3 (**permalink**) 03-27-2007, 11:12 AM

"Political horizon is not about specifics," the official said, appearing to rule out discussion soon on core issues such as the future of Jerusalem, the borders of a Palestinian state and the fate of Palestinian refugees.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...1-1702,00.html

It's only confidence talks every two weeks and the core issues are not being discussed. But dialogue is better than occupation and intafadas.

JP5 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-27-2007, 11:36 AM

Yep. Gotta start somewhere.

Johnderondon · #5 (**permalink**) 03-27-2007, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP5";p=&quot

Yep. Gotta start somewhere.

I agree JP, however I am not very optimistic. Any lasting agreement will require painful concessions on both sides. I don`t believe that Olmert has enough domestic credibility left to deliver them (even if he had the will).

Quote:

A poll last week by Israel’s Channel 10 television showed Mr Olmert’s popularity at 3 per cent

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/be6c6ca6-d18...b5df10621.html

Ironically Hamas and Fatah between them probably do have enough popularity at home to carry their people with them (if they had the will).

We can hope all the same.

merjoem32 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-28-2007, 07:33 AM

I hope they can work it out. I expect that the discussions will be heated since both sides are quite stubborn.

Mack · #7 (**permalink**) 03-28-2007, 01:31 PM

Good start, any engagement is good engagement when it comes to Israel and Palestine.

justabubba · #8 (**permalink**) 03-28-2007, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas flew to the Arab Summit in Riyadh today leaving behind angry Palestinian comrades in his wake. Abbas wimped out on them, they say. Before U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived last Saturday in the Middle East, Abbas was coached by Fatah's governing Central Committee on how to talk tough with the Americans — not a specialty for Abbas, who is convivial but evasive.
One Central Committee member told TIME that Abbas was prepped to remind Rice that most Palestinians opposed his meeting the U.S. delegation and to say: "You've come to me with a list of Israeli demands. Where is your list of our demands for the Israelis?" Abbas supposedly agreed. It was only after TIME published these remarks as we admit here, and the State Department denied that Abbas had confronted Rice, that the influential Fatah chiefs learned their boss had not followed through. "Frankly, I'm not surprised," one angry committee member remarked afterwards, "Abbas doesn't respect us. He's too busy bowing to American demands. He's become Condi's office boy."
But Abbas may not be telling Rice everything that may inform U.S. policy considerations either. Many within the military wing of Hamas, the Islamic militants with whom Abbas now shares a "unity" government, refuse to recognize Israel or renounce armed resistance. Advisers to Abbas say he was tipped off by intelligence reports recently that Hamas may quit the unity government and resume attacks against Israel. These sources say Abbas was supposed to pass this information on to Rice, but State dept. officials deny that the secretary was informed of the Palestinian government's possible break-up and of the Hamas threat to resume attacks.
Indeed Hamas militants are not happy with the new unity government since it will abide by past accords signed by the Palestinians with the Israelis. Nor is Hamas putting down its arms. Exiled Hamas' leader Khaled Mashaal warned from Algeria on Tuesday that Hamas has not halted its armed struggle against Israel. He added that Hamas was bracing for another intifadah or uprising. These are not necessarily empty threats: Israeli intelligence officials say that in recent months Hamas and other militant groups smuggled dozens of tons of explosives and weapons through tunnels into Gaza in preparation for a future battle with the Israelis.
Meanwhile, Fatah insiders say that Abbas' pro-U.S. stance has led to his estrangement from his own Fatah party, and to the defection of many field commanders to more radical groups, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. And these commanders have taken their fighters with them. "It's not a secret that anti-U.S. feeling within Fatah is increasing, and Abbas is ignoring this," said a committee member.
At the Arab summit in Riyadh, Abbas is backing a revived Saudi initiative that offers Israel peace with all Arab nations if it returns to its pre-1967 war borders and allows thousands of Palestinian refugees to return home. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he is open to some aspects of the plan, but not the "right of return" for Palestinians since they would swamp the Jewish state. The Saudis urged Israel to accept, or else. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said, "If Israel refuses, that means it doesn't want peace. Then [the conflict] goes back into the hands of the lords of war."

http://www.time.com/time/world/artic...603930,00.html
israel better decide to get real ... time is not on its side
the house of saud cannot allow itself to be found a pawn of israel ...

superbadbrutha · #9 (**permalink**) 03-28-2007, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP5";p=&quot

Yep. Gotta start somewhere.

How many times have when been this far?

Peace.

sebbysteiny · #10 (**permalink**) 04-27-2007, 04:11 PM

We have been here many times before. But this time, there is even less hope than any of the last times. The key difference is Hamas is the head of the PA.

How can there possibly be peace with Hamas in power? Hamas will not even recognise Israel. People often confuse what that really means. Some people argue that it's almost like a diplomatic starting point for negotiations. "If you give us something, we will recognise you" type thing.

Couldn't be more wrong. It is a fundamental block against all dialogue.

Israel: , Hamas, we Israel want to make the following concessions. Hamas: who's that talking to us, is there sombody in the room. Must be wind. US: erm, Israel is in the room, you know, your neighbour, the people you must make peace with. Hamas: who are Israel? No such entitity. Only Palestine. Israel: We are Israel and if you want to make peace you must give us your demands. Hamas: [fingers in ears] la la la la la, can't hear anybody, la la la la la.

Now until somebody can get past the fundamental problem that the Palestinian leadership will not recognise Israel I really cannot see how any process no matter how inventive can be anything but stillborn from the very beginning.

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