‘Israel offering us nothing more than mini-state of cantons’
Palestinian Authority officials said Monday that Israel was offering the Palestinians nothing more than a “mini-state of cantons” in parts of the West Bank.
Olmert meets Abbas to discuss border and security issues
The officials told The Jerusalem Post that Israel’s proposals were “completely unacceptable” and “provocative.”
They also claimed that the US Administration was supporting the Israeli position.“Today it’s clear to us that Israel has no intention of withdrawing from all the territories that were occupied in 1967,” said one official.
“If the Israelis and Americans think that they will ever find a Palestinian leader who would accept less than the 1967 borders, they are living under an illusion.”
Another top PA official said that maps presented by the Israeli government to the Palestinians in the past few weeks showed that Israel is planning to retain control over nearly half of the West Bank and large parts of east Jerusalem.
The Israeli maps, he said, “turn the Palestinian communities in the West Bank into cantons surrounded by Israeli military bases and large settlement blocks.”
The official added: “We have made it clear to both the Israelis and Americans that they should throw away these maps. No Palestinian will ever agree to the presence of settlements or Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. This is in violation of [US President George W.] Bush’s vision of two states living next to each other in peace.”
snip
“The Israeli government is not serious about the peace talks,” said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior PLO official closely associated with Abbas. “We don’t believe that we can reach an agreement [with Israel] before the end of this year.”Abed Rabbo accused Israel of “deceiving” the Palestinians by continuing to build settlements while talking about the need to reach a peace agreement. “Israel does not want to change its policy,” he added. “Israel wants to continue settlement expansion and the construction of the separation wall.”
snip
Erekat said Monday’s talks focused on the final status issues. He said Abbas demanded an end to construction in the West Bank settlements and the reopening of closed PLO institutions in Jerusalem.He said Abbas also demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, especially those who have been in prison for more than 20 years, as well as women, minors and political leaders such as Marwan Barghouti.
According to Erekat, Israel has agreed to grant residency status to 10,000 Palestinians who entered the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the past decade.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1209627019177&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1209627019177&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
I am sure Israel retains all the water rights.
It sounds remarkably like the last generous offer. A big fuck you to the Arabs.
You get your precious “statehood” we get your land.
Witness the power of the Jewish settlement movement over the United States. Who will dare speak up for the Palestinians?
What is Israel saying to us? Take out Iran, and we might sweeten the offer a tad. Maybe remove one or two minor colonies?
This offer is worthless, it’s status quo. The IDF will still guard Jewish colonists, and the Jewish Only roads will still create a prison colony for Arabs.
Meanwhile on my On Demand I can now see programs like this:
–Israeli Network Series, “Fighters,” on Men and Women of the IDF, Added to Shalom TV Lineup
http://shalomtv.org/pdfs/ShalomTV_Fighters_PR.pdf–Jews Worry Barack Obama is Another Jimmy Carter, Asserts Former AIPAC Executive Director Neal Sher
–Shalom TV Panel: Accepting Intermarriage Threatens Jewish Future
–March 3, 2008
Alan Dershowitz calls Jimmy Carter an “Anti-Israel Bigot,” saying He Has No Sympathy for the Jewish People
Divisive at best. Prove me wrong. It would be great.
