Middle East Focus: Palestine: Futile Talks in Washington……….

Arabia Deserta

Palestine: Futile Talks in Washington……….

“Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced his bad faith as he began the first direct talks between Israel and the Palestine Authority in 2 years, implying that he would call off the 8-month freeze on new settlements in the West Bank. His negotiating partner, President Mahmoud Abbas, had made cessation of new settlements a prerequisite for direct talks, on the sensible grounds that you can’t really negotiate with someone who is actively stealing from you. After Netanyahu’s statement, Abbas is left looking like a fool for having agreed to come to Washington for this parley. Peace talks can be dangerous, and the ones President Barack Obama is more or less imposing on Israel and the Palestine Authority are especially perilous. Talks are dangerous because they can raise public expectations, and when they are dashed, can produce violence born of profound disappointment. ……” Juan Cole (08/30/10)

Also sprach Cole, and he is right about the futility of negotiations while the Israelis right-wing is expanding the settlements. He may be wrong about “raising public expectations”. Nobody in their right mind, public or private, expect these negotiations to get anywhere. Th Israeli cabinet knows they will get nowhere, the Palestinians strongly suspect it. I suspect that even the Obama administration, the career diplomats, know it.
Cheers
mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com