Whose Fault Will It Be?
I can’t decide if I’m grateful for this whole Annapolis thing or resentful. On one hand it displays the general incompetence of the “peace” negotiators, how many times can they rehash the same B.S. and expect people to rely on a peace process? After a while people wonder whats going on here, who’s really to blame for these failures and why does every nation on earth, with the exception of two, support a two state resolution (refugees, east Jerusalem and removal of settlements included)?
Picture borrowed from the Onion, click on picture for original article
I sometimes think the reason these peace negotiations materialize only once every other presidency is so that earlier generations don’t notice that its the same crap polished and re-delivered. I mean really, how hard is it to understand? If the offers were no good 10-15 years ago, what chance do they have now considering that the problem has gotten worse and more frustrating?
I’ve read a non-stop flow of headlines leading up to and following Annapolis guaranteeing the Arabs would be blamed for its short comings. Then this happens…
Israel has issued a tender for the construction of some 300 units at Har Homa, one of several residential districts that have been built on land captured by Israel in the 1967 war and now home to a substantial Jewish community.
The United States fears the move could scupper peace talks launched last week at a U.S.-hosted conference in Annapolis, Maryland. Peace negotiations are due to begin on December 12.
Thats right, you didn’t know that did you? Annapolis is a conference that leads up to negotiations beginning on December 12th, thats just a couple weeks. Israel couldn’t wait till after the conclusion of negotiations to start building illegal and occupying housing and its on 1967 land!? Goodness gracious sakes alive!
What a waste of time this whole Annapolis junk was, what a disgrace. Here’s my short term prediction, hardly any public figures will acknowledge these new occupying homes as a deterrent to peace but they will remember this…
Abbas told Palestinian lawmakers on Thursday that during the summit in Annapolis, Maryland, the idea of a provisional state was brought up, but he turned it down – though it is a key part of the internationally backed “road map” formula for creating a Palestinian state…Abbas said that at the Annapolis summit presided over by US President George W. Bush, “There was talk about a state with provisional borders. We reject provisional borders, because these (borders) will be final.”
I wouldnt take that deal either, its like if you asked your boss for a well deserved raise in pay and he said, “we’ll sure we might be able to work that out in the near future but I’ll give you a 10 cent increase until then, what do you think?” You would have to be mentally handicapped to take that offer, its hard enough getting your boss to talk about a raise, what are the chances that he’ll negotiate again and whats to stop him from saying, “You want what? I already gave you a raise!”?
I have absolutely no anticipation for the results of the negotiations, but I’ll be writing to give you my perspective anyway.
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Its like banging your head against a freaking brick wall… I hate this world!!!!
Im not a member of either palestinian or arab community. the misleadig propaganda machines of both IRI and US make it really hard for me to get a thorough picture of what is underway in Arab Community in general and Palestinian one in particular.
Few questions:
Does Lebanese Hizbollah’s tactics mean anything to palestinians? do their acts influence palestinians’ decision? Stephen Zunes once said that Palestinians learned a lesson from Hizbollah. if yes, is it still on the table? the 33-days-war, what did it mean to Arabs?
Maybe the new construction is housing for the 400 plus prisoners Israel released?
More seriously, this would only matter if East Jerusalem was on the negotiating table. is it?
peanuts for all peanuts peanuts get your peanuts….
MyTwoCents
East Jerusalem was one of the three main topics the Arabs wanted to discuss, that and right of return for refugees and the future of the settlements. Israel in the early going said they would not attend Annapolis if those 3 items were discussed. Thats why the Arabs initially threatened to boycott. So while its not a topic at annapolis it is one of the largest issues of contention.
Mohammed- Hezbollahs involvement is seen as solidarity to most palestinians however Hezbollahs main concern is the defense of south lebanon and lebanon as a whole. They are viewed as brothers in the fight with a common enemy but not exactly members of the same fight. I would say that any groups battle against israel is considered the same fight to the Arabs though.
What the palestinians may learn from Hezbollah is organization, Hezbollah is a through outfit, actually presidential candidate Mitt Romney once said the U.S. should be more like Hezbollah, lol.
As far as the 33 day war the Arabs consider it a collective victory and definite loss for Israel. I dont quite agree, just the other day though I was watching Fox News (as i do regularly for comic relief) and they called the 33 day war a loss for Israel, now thats something. Hope that helps
Annapolis is a success shobrawy, even if not a great one. The fact is that the Arab world was there together with Israel, they had views being exchanged, it means this region is striving for peace, is sick and tired of war and it is ready for a good resolution, the good resolution might not be the best, it should be applicable to the region. I am very happy that the extremists were not invited to take part, because they are not the ones who represent a nation, and the far reaching needs and prospects of a nation. I hope all the best for the region and I hope one day we have a unified Middle East, where each part of it could be for all, countries repecting each other, at the same time having open arms for the children of all the neighboring countries, to come and work and study and visit and marry and make a fortune, not the region, but the world.
Elinor.. A success? Based on what? If you measure success by opposing sides sitting in the same room then yes its a success but the rest of the world measures success by having all the issues out on the table and concessions and compromises being made.
Lets say I punched your mom in the face, raped your daughter and stole all your money and you were angry at me about it and wanted an apology. Lets say an intermediary came in and asked us to meet at a neutral location and talk over our differences and I said, “fine but we cant talk about punching her mom in the face or raping her daughter and we cant talk about the money or an apology”. Why would you participate in the meeting, would you even show up? Would you protest? Would you call it a success if you came over and we starred at each other from across the table and you werent compensated for your losses. Is that a success to you? You’re a very forgiving person if it is.
LOL Hey, DB, I got some beachfront property in Utah I want to sell you.
D.B. I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts on that.
On a totally unrelated note, the President has the same model cell phone I do!
To many Israelis, Annapolis was indeed a failure. A bunch of Arabs got together to snub Israel (yet again!) and avoided talking or even shaking hands with any of the Israeli participants. Palestinians were even offered a state within a year, yet the Arab side is still not satisfied.
Essentially, the Arab message was this: We hate you, and there is nothing you can do about it. Even if you withdeaw from the West Bank and Gaza and create a Palestinian state in those lands, we will continue to hate you. We want a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, and a binational state in Israel proper, to which the Palestinian refugees can return and together with the Arab citizens of Israel elminate the Jewish character of the Israeli state. We will settle for nothing less, despite the potenitally high cost to the Palestinian livelihood.
Israelis can only conclude that the “peace settlement” the Arabs want is one in which Palestinians have a state and half while the Jews have half a state. The Arabs refused to talk of any type of normalization of relations as peace develops in the region. Instead, they condition any relations on the establishment of a Palestinian state, knowing that the Palestinians don’t have any functioning national institutions, and that if Israel withdraws from the West Bank the power vaccuum will lead to a Hamas takeover. So the Arabs are asking the impossible of Israel before offering them nothing in return. Kind of like when Israel is asking the Palestinians to reform their security apparatus before granting them anything in return, except with the roles are reversed.
Shobrawy:
thanks for ur hints, informative indeed.
levylevthuglife:
really? I didnt know!
PeacefulVanguard
Lets look at some facts here, Israel occupies 3 (arguably 5) surrounding countries, the Golan Heights in Syria, Palestine, and the Shabba farms in Lebanon. Of those occupied lands the only one inwhich Israel has been unable to build settlements is Lebanon. Thats because of Hezbollah. The 33 day war started when Hezbollah kidnapped soldiers on that land. So while I dont agree with at least 60% of Hezbollahs intentions, I do see that the serve a very legitiment purpose in defending South Lebanon from the buildin of occupational housing.
And about that beach front property in Utah, I’ll take it
DB, Hizballah is a bigoted, Ayatollah-run front group whose intentions are to forward the agenda of Iran, not Lebanon. After all, who do you think ordered them to start a war with Israel at the beginning of Lebanon’s tourist season, just as Lebanon was recovering and ready for an economic boom? And do you think it was done for the sake of upholding the integrity of Lebanese sovereignty?
If Hizballah cared about Lebanon, and if they were really interested in upholding Lebanese sovereignty, they’d fly the Lebanese flag. They don’t, and won’t, and there is a reason for that.
Those are Lebanon’s defenders? I’m imagining a man in a boat shooting a hole in the bottom to kill a rat.
Mohammad,
If even just 1 or 2 Arab foreign ministers (from say Tunisia or Qatar or Oman) shaked Olmert’s hand, that would have given the Israeli peace camp a tremendous boost in public opinion, and people wouldn’t be so apathetic as they now are. Olmert and Livni are very weak, and chances are that they will be replaced by some crazy right wing party who is much less willing to give the Palestinians anything. So yes, this is another example of how Arab pride is hurting the Palestinian cause.
PeacefulVanguard (and others):
With regards to Hizbollah, a new feeling is emerging in Iran which believes that Hizbollah will betray Iran one day, i.e. if Lebanese interests happen to be in conflict with Iranian ones, Hizbollah will back Lebanon.
The root of such pessimism in Iran back to Iran-Iraq war: Iranians (people as well as government) donated a lot to late Arafat, immediately after Islamic Revolution. But He, as expected, supported Saddam in that war and (its said that) even some Palestinians fought in Iraq’s side.
My take on the whole Annapolis thing was that GWB woke up one morning and throught, “Hey! I’m not gonna be president soon! Better do some statesman-like stuff!” So he calls up all the relevant players who still bother to pay attention to him and ordered them on down to Annapolis for speeches, photo-shoots and canapes. From what I’ve read, Olmert doesn’t stand much chance of delivering on anything that will actually mean something to the half of the Palestinian nation that was there, who in turn have no authority in the half of the territory that is doing most of the real fighting with Israel. I personally think that the whole thing was an excuse for Abbas to keep his position and do nothing when the IDF razes the Gaza Strip, then march the Fatah boys back in to reclaim power, claiming that not only was he the “peace partner”, but also the “unifyer”. There was certainly something going on there, but it had NOTHING to do with peace.