United States Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat during a meeting at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on July 29, 2013.
“I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales.” (Jeremiah 32:10)
The Palestinians were planning to torpedo the peace process long before its breakdown, according to a letter sent by Israel’s national security advisor Joseph Cohen to ambassadors to Israel from countries with diplomatic relations.
Well before the official deterioration of the peace talks, Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat sent a letter to PA President Mahmoud Abbas proposing the PA acquire independent state status through international organizations, rather than negotiations.
Erekat also advised that the PA reconcile with Hamas and refuse to extend talks past the April 29th cut-off date. (JTA)
Cohen described the policy statement as “a preparation of rejection of American proposals” in the letter he sent to the US ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, ambassadors from the EU countries, the Russian and Chinese ambassadors and Susan Rice, the US National Security Advisor.
Cohen described Erekat’s 65-page document as proof that the PA deceived US Secretary of State John Kerry, and urged world leaders to not blame Israel for the failed talks. (HaAretz)
Settlement children learn to weed a garden.
Over the past weeks many have pointed the finger at Israel’s settlements as the reason for the failure of the talks.
“Rampant settlement activity—especially in the midst of negotiations—doesn’t just undermine Palestinian trust in the purpose of the negotiations; it can undermine Israel’s Jewish future. If this continues, it could mortally wound the idea of Israel as a Jewish state—and that would be a tragedy of historic proportions,” top US Middle East envoy Martin Indyk said.
But settlements are not the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. The core is the refusal to recognize Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people.
“The conflict has been ongoing for 90 years,” he said. “It is not continuing because of the settlements, because of the territories—it exists and continues because of the ongoing refusal to recognize Israel as the national home of the Jewish People.”
United States Secretary of State John Kerry shakes the hand of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in March 2014.
This perception that Israel was to blame for the collapse of the peace talks also arose from statements made by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas who claimed that his decision to apply to the Geneva Convention and 14 other bodies was in response to Israel’s supposed reneging on the release of the fourth group of prisoners.
“We said that if they [the prisoners] are not released we will begin applying for membership to 63 international organizations, agreements, and conventions, and it was decided by consensus that we will sign several agreements that make possible the joining of the organizations and conventions,” he said. (JCPA)
But that announcement was made in the midst of negotiations between the PA and Israel to release this batch of prisoners.
It was actually the PA’s application to 15 international organizations for independent state status plus their announced plans to form a unity government with Hamas that convinced Israel to cease negotiations, Cohen stated.
Indyk said last week that by March Abbas had become more concerned about his legacy than making peace.
Others are saying that the PA checked out of negotiations as early as February, when Abbas met with US President Obama, who asked Abbas to get back to him on his proposals. Abbas never did respond.
United States President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden share a humorous moment with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Oval Office (May 2009).
The PA move toward unity with Hamas may lead to the loss of millions of dollars in US aid because the US government declared Hamas as a terrorist organization several years ago.
It has stated that it will not support any government that aligns itself with a terrorist organization.
Amid repeated calls by both Democrats and Republicans to cut off all support to the Palestinian Authority, a House subcommittee on the Middle East has now begun examining steps for suspending aid.
“Somehow the Palestinian Authority seems to have this attitude that we are somehow obligated to keep them afloat. Surely he [Abbas] can’t think that we can just disregard something that’s so basic and fundamental to our policy,” said Congressman Eliot Engel, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who also doubts that such a unity government will be formed.
