Posted on 09/07/2010 7:46:08 AM PDT by bsaunders
First, we need to identify what the Palestinian demands will consist. The extension of the building freeze is probably the most obvious. Many of the other demands are a rehash of long standing demands including Right of Return, total control of Jerusalem’s Old City, return to the Green Line (pre 1967 borders), release of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, free passage between the West Bank and Gaza, end of the blockade of Gaza, removal of all IDF troops, checkpoints, travel restrictions, and other prohibitions imposed to prevent terror attacks. The truth is that even should Israel concede and meet every single demand initially raised by the Palestinian negotiators and that would simply allow for new and even more ludicrous and outrageous demands. Eventually, Israel would have to eventually have to refuse a demand, any demand. But by refusing any of these demands will result in Abbas and the rest of the Palestinian “negotiating team” to walk out of the talks blaming Israel for their inflexibility and lack of desire for peace. Their absurd claim has already been supported by Time magazine cover article titled “Why Israel Doesn’t Care About Peace” which is a hit piece against Israel. It takes little imagination to predict how quickly and totally the major news outlets will fall in line condemning Israel.
Abbas and the Palestinian Authority are not in negotiating with Israel to reach any sort of peace or even to reach any agreements on final status items, they are simply meeting to demand and demand of Israel hoping for the Obama Administration to pressure Israel into meeting as many demands as they can get before everything falls apart as usual. This has been their operating manual from the very first talks even before Oslo. One would hope that the Israelis would have figured out the total insincerity of the Palestinians and refuse to give in to their game. Every negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians has followed the same formula. Before the negotiations start, the Palestinians demand the negotiations start exactly from where the last ones broke off, thus ensuring they retain every concession they have squeezed, cajoled or forced with the help of world powers. Once they have established the starting point, the Palestinians start making a new set of preconditions to eek out every single item possible before the negotiations have started.
After negotiations have begun, the Palestinians will continue to demand that every precondition be met before any real discussions are held. Then, and only then, will the Palestinians agree to hear and debate any items with the Israelis. Since the Palestinians have yet to make even the most rudimentary conditions that were set forth at Oslo, again at Madrid, as part of the Wye Accords, included in the Roadmap and from any other negotiations. This allows the Palestinians to use the same concessions to gain new and deeper concessions from the Israelis. Of course, the Palestinians have never had the smallest of intentions of meeting any of their promises and agreements, they simply play the game to receive concessions, not give any. When the Palestinians feel they have gotten everything possible and that further negotiations might actually mean actual expectations would be made of them, they make the last and most insane demands and when rebuked, leave cursing Israeli intransigence. Then they wait for the next push for new peace talks. Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat.
The Palis will go with the same negotiating playbook as they had for decades simply because it works.
What does Israel have to gain?
That is what makes it all the more difficult, Israel actually hopes for real peace. Why or how escapes me. Many in Israel are giving up on peace talks out of plain old frustrations.
Attack Syria & Iran?
Israel wants peace. Palestinians don’t. Israel will make all the concessions and the Palestinians will still try to destroy them. Waste of time.
1400 years speaks rather loudly for itself.
What Does Israel Do About the Coming Palestinian Demands?
“NUTS”
My apologies to all non Battle of the Bulge fans.
Peace. Peace.
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing!
Say it again!
Exactly. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
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