Sunday September 25, 2011

I've Been Thinking:

Abbas returned home to Ramallah today. Thousands of Palestinians crowded together to cheer him on for taking a stand and moving them toward statehood.

What was not heavily covered in the Arabic press was that while on the plane, just as he departed New York, Abbas rejected the proposal put forth by the Quartet to jumpstart talks with Israel.

Abbas outright rejected the Quartet's plan. I have not seen the plan itself, only partial bits and pieces that have been leaked - but from that and from previous plans and historical precedent, I can pretty much surmise what is in the Quartet proposal.

Abbas set down two pre-conditions for talks. Negotiations will not begin until all Israeli settlement building stops and until it is agreed that pre 1967 borders will be the borders.

Last year at this time there was a settlement freeze. Israel gave the Palestinians ten months with absolutely no settlement construction. And after nine months and one week and no talks, the Palestinians woke up and said they want an extension of the freeze.

At that point the Palestinian objective became crystal clear. The Palestinians wanted a settlement freeze - not negotiations. For the United States and for Israel the freeze was a tool - not a goal. For the Palestinians the settlement freeze was the goal.

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