Israeli, Palestinian delegations meet in Washington for iftar dinner, July 29, 2013. Photo: REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
Arc Of A Failed Deal: How Nine Months Of Mideast Talks Ended In Disarray -- Jodi Rudoren and Isabel Kershner, New York Times
JERUSALEM — There were late-night video conferences with Secretary of State John Kerry, including one from beneath mosquito netting in an Indonesian hotel. Mr. Kerry met a total of 34 times with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, and about twice that with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.
Israeli and Palestinian representatives were summoned for talks in Amman, Jordan; Davos, Switzerland; London; Munich; Paris; Rome; and Washington. And Mr. Kerry’s peace envoy, Martin S. Indyk, trekked with a Palestinian leader to ancient ruins in Jericho.
In the last few weeks, even as both sides took steps that undermined the process, Mr. Kerry and his team produced a new package of incentives, including Palestinian autonomy for planning and zoning in Israeli-controlled parts of the West Bank. All sides left a meeting last Tuesday optimistic.
Read more ....
Update: How Secretary Kerry's Bid For Peace Ended Up In Tatters -- Christa Case Bryant, Christian Science Monitor
My Comment: This "peace process" was more focused on the process of the talks .... not on the issues that needed to be resolved. I understand that a process is important .... if done right it will create the momentum and pressure to come to an agreement. But in the Middle East .... having and/or making a deal when it is under pressure has never resolved anything .... if anything it usually made the situation worse. As to what do I expect next .... a time-out is now necessary .... but expectations have been raised and it would not surprise me if the more extremists elements in the West Bank may use the excuse of this failure to start-up another intifada .... or worse.
1 comment:
Mr WNU Editor, I think your assessment is spot on.
I don't agree with the articles you have presented, if I had more time I'd pick apart the various inaccuracies - word phrasing etc..
Let's leave it at: they are not in the pro-Israel camp!!
However, I am open to other narratives and willing to read them, even change my position if presented with reason and facts.
How else are we going to achieve peace hey?? Only through compromise and relaxing of our hardened positions.
One thing I will mention is the ICC - this is being held at Israel's head as the 'so called' biggest threat.
What most people forget is that it is a two way street.
Whilst Israel has not signed the Rome Statute and can not file a complaint. The ICC can receive it from an NGO - specifically Shurat HaDin.
Shurat HaDin has been working on this for some time. They plan to bring the leaders of the PLO up on 'War Crimes' charges for supporting Terrorism and aiding Terrorist organisations.
They have extensive source material to call upon and some of the best lawyers in the world and have started doing so already in preparation.
The ICC prosecutor is unlikely to indict Israel just because the PLO insists it do so.
The PLO fully realises this, hence why they have not used it.
Also, as it's their supposed ultimate weapon, once they use it, there is nothing left.
What do they do then, especially when it comes back on them from the other side?
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