WarSclerotic

The Palestinians want to buy time, Israel Hayom, Dr. Ronen Yitzhak, March 23, 2014

(They apparently want to buy time at Israel’s expense for their own purposes, a strategy reflecting the Obama Administration’s own strategy. “Peace in our time” would help President Obama politically; since the Palestinians won’t make concessions, Israel has to be forced to do so. — DM)

[I]t seems as though the Palestinian purpose for extending negotiations is none other than releasing prisoners, and that’s it.

At the beginning of March 2014, during one of his interviews with the Israeli press, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat admitted to having suggested to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to abandon the negotiations.

“I won’t do it,” Abbas replied, “until Israel completes the fourth round of prisoner releases.” The fourth round is due to be executed at the end of this month. Israel is supposed to release the 26 prisoners left on the list of 104.

The negotiations were designed to continue for nine months. They were meant to finish with a ratified agreement declaring the end of the bilateral conflict. But even though envoys to the talks have maintained total secrecy, it’s pretty clear that no significant breakthrough has been achieved, despite U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s ample and vigorous efforts. The core issues have not been resolved and it seems as though there is no willingness to show flexibility. At the same time, the U.S. has failed to show creativity or the powers of persuasion.

Given the circumstances, the negotiations are probably going to be extended beyond their allotted time. Abbas’ trip to Washington was meant to get his consent for that. It doesn’t seem as though Abbas would protest prolonging the talks with Israel — even if progress is not predetermined — because he already declared that he would agree to it in exchange for releasing additional prisoners serving sentences in Israeli prisons.

And indeed, it seems as though the Palestinian purpose for extending negotiations is none other than releasing prisoners, and that’s it. Their insistence against progress and compromise on core issues, such as the issue of recognizing Israel as the state of the Jewish people, reinforces the belief that their interests have nothing to do with resolving the conflict, rather drawing it out while getting Israeli concessions.

Because of internal Arab political considerations, the Palestinians cannot declare an end to the conflict, such as Israel has been demanding, or relinquish the right of return, an Israeli demand to which the Arabs have never acceded. There are probably other considerations, however, hiding in the Palestinian refusal either to make progress or achieve the coveted peace. The reality in the territories is comfortable for the Palestinians and serves them well. Israel has been working day and night to uphold Abbas’ authority at the helm of the Palestinian Authority, resolutely battling Hamas’ attempts to overtake the Authority in the West Bank as it did in the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007.

Making diplomatic progress and providing the Palestinian Authority — under Abbas and Fatah — with full control of security in the West Bank means the Palestinians will have to take responsibility for their own fate. Given that various people’s uprisings have determined the fates of Arab leaders much stronger and more impressive than Abbas, such as Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak or Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi, it’s hard to believe that Abbas could continue to survive alone without any of Israel’s help — especially given the surrounding, complicating challenges of a growing Islamist opposition in the territories.

This entry was posted on March 23, 2014 at 4:47 PM and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.