Friday, March 04, 2011

                          Offering a New Plan for Palestinians
Nadene Goldfoot
Probably the reason the Palestinians haven't sat down to talk about making peace with Israel is that they already had it in mind to go to the United Nations Security Council to create a Palestine and thus avoid having to make a fair deal with Israel.  Here are the countries who are permanent members: China, France, the Russian Federation, UK and the USA.  There are 10 other non permanent members that are appointed:  Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Columbia, Gabon, Germany, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Portugal and South Africa.  Looking at the makeup of this group, I can see that Obama's veto  was the only single voice speaking out for Israel, although I would have expected better of Germany.   The first time Netanyahu said he'd accept a Palestinian state next door was in 2009.  He said that a prerequisite was that they lay down their arms and that they refused to do. 

Israel is opposed to such as move saying that there must be negotiations to end the conflict and establish a Palestinian state.  To me, there are just too many conflicting goals here, and Israel is standing to lose every right and line of protection that they may have.  Such things as creating a Palestine according to Palestinian wishes will be driving every Jew out of Judea and Samaria.  It would allow millions of Palestinians in that are living in other locals and overwhelm the population.  This would be a shift in population only designed to drive Israel into the sea or extinction.  The question will be resting on the Security Council's shoulders.  14 of the 15 members sided against Israel over the building issue. 

Netanyahu has come up with a proposition that will be unveiled in May.  He is proposing the creation of a Palestinian state "within temporary borders with guarantees about talks on final status issues".  He would put a partial freeze on construction in some smaller towns,  but building in the major cities in Judea/Samaria as well as East Jerusalem would be  allowed.  This matter is the bone of contention with the Palestinians. 

Palestinians have been busy talking in Brussels with the Quartet.  The Quartet is the Middle East Quartet of peacemakers.  The four groups are the United States, Russia, European Union and...the United Nations.  To me this looks like the whole world's representation and not a foursome.  Their decisions will be announced in Paris.  The Quartet has been trying to get both the Palestinians and Israel together to talk about a peace pact.  Palestinians walked out and refused to negotiate when they couldn't get their way.    It turned out to be a case My Way or the Highway. 

Next week Quartet representatives will talk with Netanyahu's team in Jerusalem. 

Reference: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110304/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestinianspeace/print Israel eyes diplomatic initiative to end isolation by Hazel Ward
http://www.un.org/sc/members.asp
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526222,00.html

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