A peace summit would boost Putin’s image as a growing force in the Middle East at the expense of US influence.
The Australian/The Times: Russia’s Vladimir Putin offers to host Middle East peace talks
President Vladimir Putin is pushing to host peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians in the latest sign of his ambition for Russia to replace the US as chief powerbroker in the Middle East.
Mr Putin made his overture to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, who said that it would involve a meeting at the Kremlin between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.
“Putin has told me that he is ready to receive Abbas and Netanyahu in Moscow to carry out direct talks to find a solution,” Mr Sisi told the state-owned newspaper Al Ahram.
Read more ....
Update #1: Vladimir Putin offers Middle East peace talks for Israel, Palestinians -- UPI
Update #2: Netanyahu phones Putin to talk Middle East peace -- The Times of Israel
WNU Editor: I had a heads up that this was going to happen when I read this .... Putin wants to be Middle East peacemaker, Egypt's Sisi says (Middle East Monitor). Will these talks produce results that push the peace process forward .... I have my doubts .... but someone has to step up to push it.
3 comments:
The only way this can work is going to be to either eliminate all foreign aid to the Palestinians or at least to make the aid they receive highly conditional much like the aid Israel receives. By doing this the parties will be on a much more equal footing. As it is right now, the parties are not on equal footing and as long as the Palestinians continue receiving these vast quantities of unconditional aid they are getting these Palestinians have no real incentive to negotiate in good faith.
If Mr. Putin understands this and is willing to apply serious pressure to the Palestinians that is at least similar to what is routinely applied to Israel, this may have a chance of working. If not and the same old policies are continued just under the leadership of someone else, this someone else (in this case Russia) will have no more success than those that have tried this before (the United States.) In other words, prepare to be even handed and equitable to both parties to the dispute as opposed to the Palestinian errand boy.
YC: If I'm reading you correctly, you have the oppressed and the oppressor backwards. As long as the Palestinians are allowed to oppress the Israelis there can be no equity.
"Without foreign aid Palestine and Gaza are set to die." The current Palestinian leadership is on the same level as ISIS and deserves the same treatment. Think ISIS along with one of the best media machines in world history along with the unconditional financial backing of the world's top nation tate powers and you begin to realize just what the Israelis are up against. As long as the Palestinian people continue to support death to Israel and refuse to act in good faith, for them to receive the same deserved as their leaders may not be entirely unwarranted.
Without this aid the parties are on a more equal footing which makes fruitful negotiations more likely. Given the current state of affairs, they have no real incentive to negotiate in good faith. Besides at least as it pertains to the United States we cannot afford to unconditionally support a bitter enemy and such is stupid policy to boot.
You have criminal backwards as well. Continuing to support the PA is criminal and ineffdctive. Such support needs to be cut until such time as they can demonstrate a level of behavior consistent with ddsiring an equitable settlement with Israel. To continue such support will only ensure continued bad bebavior on the part of the Palestinians and their leaders.
As I've discussed elsewhere on this site, cutting ALL aid to BOTH parties would be preferable to the current situation. The current "aid" Israel recdives from the US, has so many conditions and strings attached to it that it actually has negative utilitg for Israeli national security.
I will reiterate, if Mr. Putin approaches this even handedly, real progress can be made. Continuing the pokicies of playing errand boy for the Palestinians will only yield, at best, more of the same. At worst, things will get worse.
Putin will have battlefield results that he can parlay into even more advantageous position at the negotiating table.
Obama will be playing gold with occasional brave forays to the microphone whence the MSM will manufacfture good poll #s for him. Mission accomplished
Post a Comment