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Disillusioned Palestinians: US-Guided 'Peace Process' is 'Ridiculous'
JERUSALEM - Disillusioned by the collapse of talks and disappointed by the US administration, the Palestinians are turning away from negotiations and seeking international recognition for a Palestinian state.
In the days since the US administration acknowledged it had failed to chart a path back to direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, senior Palestinian officials have made clear that they think negotiations are dead.
"The peace process is in a deep coma," Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath told journalists Saturday night. "I don't think anyone wants to continue this negotiation."
"There is no more credibility to this negotiation process. This is an exercise in futility -- ridiculous."
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has pledged the United States will seek to push peace talks forward through indirect negotiations facilitated by Washington, but Shaath rejected talks without a frame of reference.
"I don't think we are to resume the negotiations soon," he said, echoing sentiments expressed by other senior Palestinian officials.
Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, the first for nearly two years, began in Washington on September 2. But they quickly stalled, when a 10-month Israeli settlement freeze expired on September 26.
The Palestinians refused to resume negotiations without a new moratorium, but Washington admitted last week that it had failed to convince Israel to renew the building ban, despite offering a generous package of incentives.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Sunday he could not understand how Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu had chosen settlement building over peace.
"He chose settlements over peace," Abbas told a visiting group of Israeli lawmakers and activists, including left-leaning members of the Knesset.
"I don't understand choosing settlements as more important than peace for us and for the coming generations," Abbas said, questioning Netanyahu's priorities.
Clinton has proposed resuming talks in an indirect manner, with the key issues of borders, refugees and Jerusalem all on the table.
But the Palestinians, supported by the Arab League, have signalled a lack of faith and patience, insisting they will not resume negotiations without a settlement freeze and pressing the United States to make a "serious offer."
"The negotiating process is totally useless without terms of reference," Shaath said.
The Palestinians have said they want any new talks to be explicitly based on the goal of ending the occupation and the creation of a Palestinian state along the June 1967 borders in place after the Six Day War, with east Jerusalem as its capital.
In the absence of talks, and unconvinced that a US administration with domestic problems and a looming election campaign, can deliver on its promises, the Palestinians are considering other options.
Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad on Saturday said the leadership would not unilaterally declare independence, even if they do not reach a peace deal with Israel.
"What we're looking for... is a state of Palestine, we're not looking for yet another declaration of statehood," he told Israel's Channel Two television.
"We're not looking for a Mickey Mouse state, we're not looking for some form of self-rule, we're looking for a sovereign state of Palestine, where we Palestinians can live as free people."
The Palestinian leadership is seeking international recognitions of statehood, and has already attracted support from countries including Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia.
"We have devoted ourselves to negotiations for nearly two decades and today we are trapped in a framework that thus far has not lifted the occupation," chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said on Friday.
"Unlike the Israeli government, which is comfortable with the status quo of occupation and continued colonisation, the Palestinian people must seek their freedom through any peaceful channel available to us."
Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia have already announced their recognition of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, and Uruguay has said it will do so next month. Several other Latin American countries are expected to follow suit.
On the European front, the Palestinian Authority is seeking to upgrade its presence to the level of diplomatic representation, and has already done so in France, Spain, Portugal and Norway.
The Palestinians also are set to appeal to the United Nations Security Council for a resolution to halt Israeli settlement construction, which is regarded as illegal under international law.
49 Comments so far
Show AllAnything necessitating some aspects of integrity and honesty and involving the United States is indeed an "an exercise in futility -- ridiculous."
The "peace process" in the eyes of the thieves is a process whereby the land of Palestine is peacefully stolen.
To object to the theft is to break the peace!
zionists are fascists. both are scum of the earth.
Sophie Scholl-The Final Days
The land of Palestine includes the Nation of Israel. Stop your hate filled language and embrace peace with the Israelis.
Zionism is a Global Cancer devouring anything it gains hold on - like the USA.
This stupid administration is too busy trying to go after WikiLeaks to do something that might actually help that region!
SavroD commenting from the Fascist States of America!
Israel relies on the US to be sure it continues to get an ever expanding "piece" process.
In 2010 the US donated a quarter billion dollars to the palestinians. Saudi and the UAE governments have given a scant $30M. It's time to embrace peace and stop the hate.
So? I see this all boils down to aid then - to you, at least.
Agree with White Rose's statement: The "peace process" in the eyes of the thieves is a process whereby the land of Palestine is peacefully stolen.
Obama, the Democrats and the Republicans are accomplices in the theft and ethnic cleansing and they get away with it because they've convinced voters that there is no other option but to vote for their two parties, knowing most voters won't cross over to the other party.
Divest, boycott, sanction and DISMANTLE
No, Lingum! That's NOT the way to go!
That's like saying Israel should liquidate their neighbors with the push of a button. Which is a horrible possibility that could occur if you push fanatics too far. I hope that's not what you are suggesting...
Time to embrace peace. The Nation of Israel is, by your own statement, legitimate. And we all want a nation for the Palestinians. Cooperation is not a dirty word...
You are quite correct, VP. Israel has absolutely no intention of leaving even one piece of the Occupied Territories in Palestinian hands. Everyone with even a modicum of intelligence has seen that for years. Why the Americans keep up the pretense of negotiations is beyond me. AIPAC will never allow them to broker a peace or a Palestinian state of any kind. The current increase in anti-Islamic rhetoric also contributes to making the U.S. government's lack of action acceptable to the ill informed electorate.
Dear "Visiting Professor":An excellent response.
After the purchase of the Louisianna Purchase, John Quincy Adams observed:
"Westward the star of empire takes its way, in the whiteness of innocence."
(Cited in FACING WEST... by Richard Drinnon,
Preface to the 1997 edition,p.vii,University of Oklahoma Press,1967).
A sense of victimhood among Jews guarantees in the minds of some a
divinely pre-ordained "innocence"
which accompanies their unquestionable right to take what they consider theirs
by force if necessary and exterminate any and all others.
All done with the sense of inherited supremacy and "innocence" of John
Quincy Adams.
In discussing these issues, note that Israel and the US are not "negotiating
PEACE" but seek unconditional surrender by Palestinians everywhere.
The House has already opposed the initiative in H.Res. 1765 (12/15). Whether
an agreement is made with the PA (Abass' term of office expired January 9,09 !!)
or with Hamas or with a combination (Hamas has already agreed after a
referendum). The US and Israel must remove the declaration of Hamas as a
"terrorist organization" even though it may be an organization with which
we disagree on some points (as we do with many nations which we recognize).
There are approximately 140 nations which have agreed to recognition of
Palestine outside of the so-called US-Israel charade. We must be prepared for
a long haul, not a quick fix. [Incidentally, Israel and the US are also
anxious about losing their puppet---Abbass and the PA--- to some negotiating
entities who they do not completely control.)
I'd like to quote your comment -approximately 140 nations have agreed to recognize a Palastinian state - Please give me a source. Vj
Agreed. There are only three countries... Iran, North Korea and Venezuela. This is what you get when you are pro terrorism!
The key to having the US beginning to act as an "honest broker" is to somehow diminish the power of AIPAC.
With every congressman living in fear that AIPAC will unleash its power on a candidate's primary or election if he or she is critical of Israel or perceived to be pro-Palestian, there is no hope of change.
Agreed. The following quote from the article is illuminating:
"but Washington admitted last week that it had failed to convince Israel to renew the building ban, despite offering a generous package of incentives."
The carrots didn't work, but due to the zionist stranglehold on Washington, sticks, such as cutting aid and ceasing to veto anti-Israel UN Security Council, are not even considered.
End all US Aid to Israel Now!
My question about AIPAC is:
How is it that they have garnered UNIVERSAL support among all other lobbies?
No other lobby in America enjoys the level of support that AIPAC supposedly does other than the military - not Pharma, NRA, Chamber of Commerce, etc etc.
IOW, AIPAC is more than likely a convenient excuse to hide deeper motivations amongst the power elite.
See two books about American Zionism by Professor Lowell Davidson:
1. "America's Palestine"
2. "Foreign Policy, Inc."
Both are brief books and easy to read.
[Davison's bogg address is: http://www.tothepointanalyses.com]
How could you all say such nasty things about Israel? Just because their government is a bunch of mass murdering thugs who would like to continue ethnically cleansing the holy land for the benefit of the arms manufacturers. One would think that they, like the USA, are not a real democracy going by what you people are saying.
Stop it! You're hurting my feelings by speaking truth to the neo-powerless.
Reminds me of - "Fighting for peace is like f**king for virginity."
The ongoing move to finalize and codify the 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence must be the right thing to do since the USA is actively opposing it. International Law expert Francis Boyle is in the vanguard of this process. The current status of this process is detailed here, http://international.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=65&Itemid=99
Excerpt:
"From a world-order perspective, the 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence created a remarkable opportunity for peace with Israel because therein the P.N.C. explicitly accepted the U.N. General Assembly’s Partition Resolution 181(II) of 1947 that called for the creation of a Jewish state and an Arab state in the Mandate for Palestine, together with an international trusteeship for the City of Jerusalem, in order to resolve their basic conflict:
"Despite the historical injustice inflicted on the Palestinian Arab people resulting in their dispersion and depriving them of their right to self-determination following upon U.N. General Assembly Resolution 181 (1947), which partitioned Palestine into two states, one Arab, one Jewish, yet it is this Resolution that still provides those conditions of international legitimacy that ensure the right of the Palestinian Arab people to sovereignty and national independence....
"The only thing that could save Zionism in Palestine is for the Palestinians to conclude any type of so-called comprehensive Middle East Peace treaty with Israel. It is for precisely that reason then that the Palestinians must sign nothing and let Israel collapse of its own weight over the next two decades."
At least the Palestinians at last have shown some spine.
I agree,
The "peace process" in the eyes of the thieves is a process whereby the land of Palestine is peacefully stolen.
To object to the theft is to break the peace!
also,
Washington admitted last week that it had failed to convince Israel to renew the building ban, despite offering a generous package of incentives."
The carrots didn't work, but due to the zionist stranglehold on Washington, sticks, such as cutting aid and ceasing to veto anti-Israel UN Security Council, are not even considered.
End all US Aid to Israel Now!
End all US Aid to Israel Now!
With every congressman living in fear on a candidate's primary or election if he or she is critical of Israel or perceived to be pro-Palestian, there is no hope of change.
Isreal has never had a true intentions other than to retake the land from the Palestinians.
"The Palestinians also are set to appeal to the United Nations Security Council for a resolution to halt Israeli settlement construction, which is regarded as illegal under international law."
Good luck. The term "international law" has no meaning anymore so long as the ones breaking it are the chosen ones.
Dear President Obama:
Since you did win the Peace Prize, and since you admire Lincoln so much, and probably since this will be your only term anyway, why not go for broke?
Send a cable ( on a secured line would be nice) to Palestine and tell them to send their paperwork asking you to regconize them as a state. You know, like what Israel did with Truman, and he only took a few minutes to decided that it was o.k.
Then, once you have recognized them, I bet that the rest of the world would fall into line right behind . That would really mean something that you, the Peace Prize President, really earned that gift. Americans do have a history of rooting for the underdog , especially in an unfair fight. Obama as Rambo; you could use the PR.
Israel would probably be very angry, but this might be a good time to remind them that our nation has been paying for their nation for so long, and it's really time for them to stand on their own. Besides, you might want to point out, that Palestine needs that money to rebuild.
Think of this act as being a reinactment of American history, like the first one to sit down at that Woolworth's counter. One person can change the world. It might as well be you, since you're the one with the award.
Good one, thanks for the laugh.
You know, thinking about the idea for a sec... Send him that letter, he might just do that after he loses his bid for re-election.
Dear karl dubhe:
I know it's sounds like a crazy idea, but logical ideas arren't working at all. Obama has gotten hinself into that "box" that people are always saying that other people should "think outside of.." ( sorry about that loose preposition)
Although I did vote for Ralph Nader because I wanted a non-box thinker and someone who would fight for the country by fighting for the "common good" of the people.
I do not understand why the world, ( although thank you Brazil and others for recognizing Palestine's right to exist.) that this world won't respond to the land grabbing and slow killing grounds of Israels' work upon the Palestinians.
At the moment I live in a nation that seems to be turning into the bully of the universe. A nation too, of intolerance of others' ideas and right to exist.
Israel, I'm about to be very rude, but this is what I believe. Your particulat "holocaust" was awful, unforgivable, and should never be repeated again ( although as i speak I know that injustice and torture is happening in the world, even in Quantico as I write. Please Israel, stop with the "Never foget" stuff, because it makes you such a hypocrite.
Israel, I don't think anyone denies your right to exist, it's the fact that you are denying others that same right. Sadly, your "holocaust ' is old news, but the one you are raging against the Palestinians has been going on for so long that it's getting to be old news with no end in sight. PLEASE stop acting as if the world hates you, although it is your continuing NEGATIVE belief that no one has the right to exist except you, that makes people doubt any past credibility that you once had.
President Obama, I really believe that you must do this; stand and deliver, or as Rosa Parks, sit down and deliver, either way works. You have tied your credibility to Israel and neither of you seem to have any credibility anymore. If ANY of the money, Israel , that my nation sends to you is used for bulldozers and land grabbing or for warfare, then I really believe that WE have joined and have become members, Mr. DOJ, of materially supportiung a "terrorist network,"
"Physician, heal thyself, " or to put it more plainly," USA, arrest yourself." This nation has no credibility, and so President . Obama, do the right thing, as has often been said. Israel, GROW UP, you are not the only people on this planet!
Palestine, if President Obama won't act. then PLEASE send to him yourself and ask that, as the U.S. once recognized Israel, that it is time for the U.S. to recognize Palestine. Send to every country in the world. PLease use America's Declararion of Independence, and if you receive no recgonition from this nation, then that also tells the citizen of my nation exactly where we stand too.
President Obama, as Shakespeare put it, " Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. " That last one pertains to you President Obama and you too Palestine. The world has had enough "surges, and it is time for this nation and the rest of the nations of the world to THRUST in the right direction. Please act, it's getting late.
That would certainly work wonders in the Middle East, stardust. Thank you.
You might also check out an interim plan from J-Street, the NEW Jewish lobby and think tank that wants peace in the Middle East -- but not without justice for the Palestinian people. Their idea is to forget the "process" that has gone nowhere but down for decades and, instead, to establish firm boundaries based on those existing prior to the 1967 war, to make it a war crime to violate those boundaries, and for the US and other countries to help defend them.
I've always been at a loss to understand how an occupied people can "negotiate"
exactly' the poor Palestinians are now led by donkeys and i notice how well fed and suited these Abbas people are, while the ordinary people have their land stolen from under them.
Abbas has no legal right to be called President as he has failed to get a mandate from all Palestinians,a message has to be sent from every Palestinian to Netanyahu that he is a theif and a criminal due to "Human Rights Abuses" from the occupying forces.
All that has happened is Netanyahu and Israel has marched further into Palestine, and its now time to get rid of Abbas and his bought and paid for fat men.
Who are the occupied people? The Palestinians are victims, but certainly NOT occupied!
They should have strung up Arafat. And there was no nation of palestine! The territory was trans jordan. Let the palestinians go back to Jordan where they belong!
The international community should force Israel to evacuate their settlers and troops from West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, to pull back to internationally-recognized borders, and to comply with international law....now, since the United States is clearly too incompetent and too pre-occupied with petty things to broker an honest peace process in order to facilitate an implementation of the safest, sanest, most sensible and most just solution for both Israeli Jews and Palestinians; the two-state solution, with an independent, sovereign Palestinian nation-state alongside Israel (NOT in place of it the way many people here on CD and elsewhere are advocating), comprised of West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem as Palestine's capitol. The time for such a solution is long, long overdue, and must be implemented now, if Israel is to survive!
Perhaps the Israeli's will withdraw when the terrorists stop blowing up fellow Muslims, Christians and Jews around the world...
Having the US stage a peace process is like having Lucy set the football so Charlie Brown can kick it, with the Palestinians being Charile Brown. If the Palestinians ever fail to try to kick the football they will be shown to be uninterested in the "peace process." If they do try of course the football gets yanked away at the last second and Charlie Brown lands flat on his back. ie. the Palestinians are frustated one more time.
It is totally beyond me why the parties absolutely insist on having the US - a most dishonest broker - play any role here. Remove the irritant and perhaps then there is a better chance at finally achieving peace.