This week Secretary of State John Kerry enthusiastically welcomed a proposal by the Arab League, led by Qatar’s prime minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, to revive Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
The proposal calls for Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders, which were characterized as indefensible by two major American military studies and dubbed the “Auschwitz borders” by former dovish Israeli foreign minister Abba Eban. It was widely reported that Al-Thani “cited the possibility of ‘comparable,’ mutually agreed and ‘minor’ land swaps between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”
Al-Thani thereby took an even less forthcoming position than the one taken by President Obama in a speech on May 19, 2011, when he stated: “The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps….” That speech aroused such protest and fears for Israel’s security and survival that three days later on May 22, in a speech to AIPAC, Obama appeared to somewhat amend his words:
the parties themselves—Israelis and Palestinians—will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967. That’s what mutually agreed-upon swaps means. It is a well-known formula to all who have worked on this issue for a generation. It allows the parties themselves to account for the changes that have taken place over the last 44 years. It allows the parties themselves to take account of those changes, including the new demographic realities on the ground, and the needs of both sides.
This was taken to mean that, if such a deal were reached, Obama would support Israel retaining somewhat more substantial territory, including settlement blocs.
Yet, with Kerry’s endorsement of Al-Thani’s proposal, the administration takes a stance even less favorable to Israel than Obama’s original, May 19 position, which Middle East analyst Robert Satloff called at the time “a major departure from long-standing U.S. policy.”
Qatar—a backer of radical Sunni movements—is of course a strange champion of “peace.” Last October the Emir of Qatar visited Gaza andpromised major financial aid to Hamas—committed by its charter to Israel’s destruction and officially designated a terrorist organization by the United States. This week the Wall Street Journal reported on Qatar’s active support for a Muslim Brotherhood takeover of Syria.
As an Israeli diplomatic source told Haaretz:
The prime minister’s advisers are not keen about the Arab League’s announcement. Netanyahu and his advisers believe it would have been better had this announcement not been made…. The fact that Kerry stood beside Qatar’s prime minister while he was reading the announcement increased Netanyahu’s aides’ suspicions toward Kerry.
Is this new push to pressure Israel into perilous withdrawals coming from Kerry himself, or from Obama? According to veteran Israeli journalistShimon Shiffer:
the Israeli side sees some tension between the White House and the State Department. In other words, they understand that Obama has expressed no interest in resuming the negotiations. The American president, my sources tell me, does not believe—as opposed to Kerry—that solving the conflict will solve all of the region’s troubles.
That account is consistent with a statement quoted earlier this week from a “senior Israeli diplomatic source” that “Obama understands today that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is not interested in reaching an agreement with Israel.”
But even if Kerry is freelancing, it is little short of grotesque that the administration—or whatever part of it—is orchestrating another pressure campaign on Israel, against the will of its elected leaders, precisely as threats are mounting on its northern and southern borders and from Iran.
The ultimate responsibility, of course, is Obama’s—not least for letting his May 22, 2011 words to AIPAC be exposed as so much smoke and mirrors.
The Pal will not accept a compromise that does not undermine IL.
The Jews are not beholdened to the Arabs. The Arabs are beholdened to the Jews. Why don’t Arabs pay a sum to Jews as and for reparations for 1300 years of Jew’s property and land being stolen by Arabs?
That would be a nice goodwill gesture.
Poll: Likud Beiteinu and Yesh Atid 30 each Livni Party 0
Poll: Likud Beiteinu and Yesh Atid 30 each Livni Party 0
Dr. Aaron Lerner Date 3 May 2013
Smith Research poll conducted apparently the week of May 3, 2013 for the
financial newspaper Globes and published on 3 May 2013. While the write up
in Hebrew and English is hundreds of words long Globes didn’t see fit to
report either the size of the sample, the dates of the survey or the
statistical error of the survey.
If elections held today (expressed in Knesset seats)
Current Knesset seats in [brackets].
Please note: There are 120 seats in the Knesset. Parties must receive a
minimum of 2% of the valid votes cast in the elections to be included in the
Knesset – this comes to 2.4 seats. After elections are held the coalition
forming a government must receive 61 votes in a vote of confidence in the
Knesset.
30 [31] Likud Beiteinu (Likud & Yisrael Beiteinu)
30 [19] Lapid “Yesh Atid” Party
13 [12] Bayit Yehudi
12 [15] Labor
10 [11] Shas
07 [07] Yahadut Hatorah
07 [06] Meretz
00 [06] Livni party “Hatnua” Party
00 [02] Kadima
11 [11] Arab parties
Are you satisfied with the performance of Yair Lapid as minister of finance?
Total: Yes 37% No 35% Other 28%
Among Yesh Atid voters: Yes 61% No 20% Other 19%
Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
Poll: 54.8%:17.3% Do not expect negotiations with Palestinians to be renewed in the wake of Arab League initiative
Poll: 54.8%:17.3% Do not expect negotiations with Palestinians to be renewed
in the wake of Arab League initiative
Dr. Aaron Lerner Date 3 May 2013
Representative sample 504 adult Israeli Jews surveyed 2 May 2013 by New Wave
for Yisrael Hayom. Statistical error +/- 4.4 percentage points
Pubilshed in Yisrael Hayom 3 May, 2013
Do you think that US President Obama will take military action in Syria?
Yes 18.3% No 61.0% Don’t know 20.7%
In the wake of the Arab League initiative do you believe that the diplomatic
negotiations will the Palestinians will be renewed?
Yes 17.3% No 54.8% Don’t know 27.9%
Economic measures are planned for the next two years, do you think that your
economic situation will improve after these two years?
Yes 18.4% Will worsen 31.0% Unchanged 38.9% Don’t know 11.7%
Are you for or against reducing the child allowance?
For 35.8% Against 53.2% Don’t know 11.0%
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Poll: 54.8%:17.3% Do not expect negotiations with Palestinians to be renewed in the wake of Arab League initiative
Poll: 54.8%:17.3% Do not expect negotiations with Palestinians to be renewed
in the wake of Arab League initiative
Dr. Aaron Lerner Date 3 May 2013
Representative sample 504 adult Israeli Jews surveyed 2 May 2013 by New Wave
for Yisrael Hayom. Statistical error +/- 4.4 percentage points
Pubilshed in Yisrael Hayom 3 May, 2013
Do you think that US President Obama will take military action in Syria?
Yes 18.3% No 61.0% Don’t know 20.7%
In the wake of the Arab League initiative do you believe that the diplomatic
negotiations will the Palestinians will be renewed?
Yes 17.3% No 54.8% Don’t know 27.9%
Economic measures are planned for the next two years, do you think that your
economic situation will improve after these two years?
Yes 18.4% Will worsen 31.0% Unchanged 38.9% Don’t know 11.7%
Are you for or against reducing the child allowance?
For 35.8% Against 53.2% Don’t know 11.0%
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Poll: Likud Beiteinu and Yesh Atid 30 each Livni Party 0
Poll: Likud Beiteinu and Yesh Atid 30 each Livni Party 0
Dr. Aaron Lerner Date 3 May 2013
Smith Research poll conducted apparently the week of May 3, 2013 for the
financial newspaper Globes and published on 3 May 2013. While the write up
in Hebrew and English is hundreds of words long Globes didn’t see fit to
report either the size of the sample, the dates of the survey or the
statistical error of the survey.
If elections held today (expressed in Knesset seats)
Current Knesset seats in [brackets].
Please note: There are 120 seats in the Knesset. Parties must receive a
minimum of 2% of the valid votes cast in the elections to be included in the
Knesset – this comes to 2.4 seats. After elections are held the coalition
forming a government must receive 61 votes in a vote of confidence in the
Knesset.
30 [31] Likud Beiteinu (Likud & Yisrael Beiteinu)
30 [19] Lapid “Yesh Atid” Party
13 [12] Bayit Yehudi
12 [15] Labor
10 [11] Shas
07 [07] Yahadut Hatorah
07 [06] Meretz
00 [06] Livni party “Hatnua” Party
00 [02] Kadima
11 [11] Arab parties
Are you satisfied with the performance of Yair Lapid as minister of finance?
Total: Yes 37% No 35% Other 28%
Among Yesh Atid voters: Yes 61% No 20% Other 19%
Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
NormanF Said:
HALLELUYAH!
the best thing for Israel, other than annexation, is the status quo. In any peace deal which is final, and allows sovereignty to the Pals, there will be a couple of million Pals immigrating to their state. This would be like a boiling kettle. Hostilities and war might be a better choice. Israel must allow no new arabs west of the Jordan river and must seek Jews from the diaspora to settle YS. State lands should be allocated and free grants given to settle the land in C.
Laura Said:
How does Kerry conn so many wealthy women to marry him uuuuuuuuuugggg@ Janette W. Cantu:
Are you related to the Cantus’ of Placido,TX?
Lurch Kerry is a vile creature.
NormanF Said:
Now again “What is the Deffinition of Insanity” Doing the same action over, over, and over expecting a different result.
The prime minister also bluntly pressed Kerry to try to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which collapsed in 2010.
Peace is not going to happen because the Arabs reject peace with Israel – no matter how much Kerry and the Israeli elite collude to give away the Land Of Israel to them.
@ Dean:
Better still, don’t call us, we’ll call you (when hell freezes over).
Once and for all, Jews have G-d given rights to the Holy Land they were led there by G-d before (thousands of years ago) and now, a land for them to dwell.
Sorry, Arabs were not included then or now and not in the future. The Arab world is vast and has plenty of room for them to dwell.
You don’t see Israelis claiming any Arab land, hell no, they are satisfied with the small area, the Holy Land G-d has provided for them, from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean, including the Sinai, Gaza, Judea, Samaria and the Golan Heights.
It is what it is.
Don’t you all know, as the Obama administration believes, that all Israel has to do is commit national suicide and all will be well in the Islamic word. No more terrorism – peace on earth goodwill to men. Bye, bye Israel, hello peaceful new world order.
If Israel starts up a peace process they would be crazy. As the expression goes and as Laura said in a previous post, “just say no.”
None of these characters can be trusted and you can be sure what they are peddling is not good for Israel
I would like Wallace Brand, Bernard Ross & Yamit to weigh in on this.