Posted on 02/01/2007 7:08:30 PM PST by Iam1ru1-2
A member of PM Ehud Olmert's Kadima party proposed transferring control of Judea and Samaria to a European task force until the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Following the establishment of the state, the strategic territory would be handed to security forces associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
The proposal comes after WND broke the story earlier this week according to top European and Egyptian diplomatic sources Israel has been conducting behind-the-scene negotiations to hand over most of Judea and Samaria to Abbas' security forces. The sources said the transfer of security control to Abbas would be coordinated by the European Union and Jordan.
Judea and Samaria encompass Jerusalem and are within rocket-firing range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport.
At Israel's prestigious Herzliya Conference, Knesset Member Shlomo Breznitz, reportedly a close confidante of Olmert, said the Judea and Samaria should be temporarily transferred to the Europeans and that most of the territory's Jewish communities should be evacuated.
"The only way to get out of the impasse is to transfer the territories, for a limited time, to an international mandate, that will run them until the establishment of a Palestinian state," said Breznitz at the conference.
The Herzliya Conference is attended by Israel's top leadership and regularly maps out the country's agenda for the coming year. In 2004, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his plan to withdraw from Gaza at the conference.
Breznitz told Israel's Maariv daily newspaper the territories should be transferred to the European community and not the United States because, he said, after the invasion of Iraq America "lost its status as an honest broker in the view of the Palestinians and the Arab states."
Breznitz said his proposal received a warm reception from European and Palestinian officials.
"I have reason to believe, and I don't want to expand on this, that the Palestinians will support the proposal. Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from European countries who were shown the proposal also believe that without international help it will not be possible to resolve the conflict," said Breznitz.
According to the Israel Resource News Agency, Olmert regularly consults with Breznitz and is known to spend vacation time with the Breznitz family.
The Knesset member's plan comes after WND quoted top Egyptian and European diplomatic sources stating Israel and the Palestinians have been conducting behind-the-scenes negotiations in which Israel agreed in principal to hand over most of the West Bank in a deal with Abbas.
It also comes after WND reported the E.U. is in the process of expanding its offices in Israel, including in the PA controlled areas, in anticipation of an increased security role here following what European diplomatic sources say is new momentum regarding an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria.
They sources, who said they were directly involved in behind-the-scene negotiations, said one proposal being considered is for the E.U. and Jordan to supervise the transfer of northern Samaria to Abbas' security forces, which reportedly are receiving aid, weapons and training from the U.S.
The sources said major changes in Israeli-Palestinian affairs are expected within a few weeks to two months.
According to an aide to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, speaking on condition of anonymity, there will be a "historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000."
During the Camp David talks, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a state in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, as well as eastern sections of Jerusalem.
According to the diplomatic sources, still being debated in the purported West Bank negotiations is the role of Hamas, which leads the PA and maintains the majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament. Negotiations between Abbas and Hamas leaders for a national unity government have mostly fallen through.
Hunnerd dollas whoever knows where that's from.
The "Road to Morocco"
Starring Der Bingle and Ski Nose
We can call the EU occupiers the "Peoples Front Of Judea or the Judean Peoples Front or The People Back From the Judean Front or..."
OMG Ping!
Splitters!
OMG is right. You took the words right out of my mouth.
My best friend and I were discussing Revelations tonight. We're both Jewish but are really beginning to wonder if what it says is coming true.
EVER!
You already have the French led peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon. How is that working out? Didn't they shoot some anti-aircraft missle at an Israeli plan doing a routine overflight recently?
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel, WOT
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