Israel, Terrorist Release, New Israeli Building, and the Peace Process

The Israeli government just agreed to release the first twenty-six terrorist prisoners of the one-hundred-plus terrorists who are to be released as the price demanded by the Palestinian leadership in order to entice them to even come to the negotiating table. As a possible move to soften the distress and betrayal felt by many Israelis over these murderous terrorists, all of whom have blood on their hands and were serving life sentences, the government also announced tenders for building new housing in Jerusalem and areas in Judea and Samaria. Immediately after the announced tenders the Palestinian leadership, including lead negotiator Saeb Erekat, demanded Israel rescind these offers or else they would not return to the peace talks which they had agreed to hold in exchange for the prisoner release. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had offered Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas a building freeze in exchange for Palestinian participation in the peace negotiations but they turned down that offer instead demanding the prisoner release. Now they are backing in to also demanding a building freeze without forgoing the prisoner release. The Palestinians need to choose which concession it is they are demanding, the prisoner release or a building freeze, which one and not both. But this has been the Palestinian method of negotiating as we have pointed out before. They demand a concession, usually one that is very difficult for many Israelis to accept such as this prisoner release, in order to have them return to the negotiations and then as soon as the mood strikes they will demand yet another concessions in order to entice them to meet an additional time. Then down the road they will make another demand for another concession or they threaten to quit the negotiations. Eventually, when it appears that the negotiations are reaching a point where an agreement is imminent they make a string of demands which include certain known deal breakers such as Israel surrendering all of Easter Jerusalem along with acceptance of the pre-June 1967 Lines as the borders with the allowing five-million-plus refugees be given residence and citizenship within Israel and whatever else might strike their fancy for the moment knowing such a barrage of demands will be rejected by Israel. After Israel refuses to grant the final concessions the Palestinians claim Israel blew-up the negotiations by not meeting their obligatory commitments as demanded by the Palestinians.

 

This new demand for an imposed building freeze or else the Palestinians refuse to rejoin the peace negotiations is exactly what we had been expecting though some here thought it might have waited at least one or two more meetings before being rolled out. So, in review of where things stand, the Israelis offered a building freeze which the Palestinians refused demanding in its stead a prisoner release of pre-Oslo terrorist prisoners. Israel guaranteed to grant a set of staggered prisoner releases with the first twenty-six coming this week just before or at the same time as the second meeting is scheduled. Now, as Israel announced their intention to build on lands which Israel is expected to retain even after the negotiations, the Palestinians have demanded that they be granted an Israeli building freeze on top of the prisoner release or they will refuse to continue with the negotiations. One might curiously ask what exactly have the Palestinians sacrificed or contributed in order to show that they are negotiating in good faith and also showing their seriousness. Funny you should ask as the Palestinians would become very indignant should you ever ask such a question of them. You see the rules according to the European Union, many European governments, most of the Human Rights NGOs, the myriad of Palestinians rights and Palestinian peace NGOs, the Arab League, the Arab and Muslim Worlds, most of the nations belonging to the NAM (non-aligned Nations), the United Nations as well as its attendant Agencies, the United States State Department, United States President Obama, United States Secretary of Defense Kerry, European Union Foreign Minister Lady Ashton, Russia, and numerous other luminaries, the Palestinians are not  required to make concessions as they have nothing to offer as they are downtrodden and victims of cruel, oppressive treatment being ignored and condemned to misery by much of the world and must be treated as the forever injured party which is to be granted their every demand, especially and solely if those demands are for funding from the Europeans, United States and those organizations funded predominantly by the Europeans and United States or anything they dream or desire from the Israelis and must never be made to actually meet any standards or even be held to their promises because they are the Palestinians who shall never be challenged. Yes, that was a long and difficult thought string but after breaking it down and reading it two or three times it starts to become clearer. It basically says that the world had decided that the Israelis are supposed to give and the Palestinians receive, the Israelis get to bleed and the Palestinians get to dance and exchange sweets, just as the West and any nation not under the control and protection of Islam also gets to bleed while the Palestinians get to dance and exchange sweets just as they did in response to New York and Washington DC on September 11, 2001; Madrid trains and train stations on March 11, 2004; London underground and busses on July 7, 2005 then again on July 21, 2005; Mumbai from Wednesday, November 26, 2008 lasting until Saturday, November 29, 2008; and other past attacks no matter where in the world and they will likely celebrate such acts again in the future. The only way this will end is when Israel finally manages to place into the office of the Prime Minister a man with the fortitude, backbone, conscience and chutzpah to agree to one final negotiation without any preconditions or concessions and everything on the table and if no peace is forged then never again will Israel carry the burden of such humiliations and all of Judea and Samaria will be annexed to meet the definition permitted by the United Nations agreements assuring Israel be satisfied they have defendable borders and those Arabs who wish to leave will be compensated for their lands and given a generous stipend to assist their relocation and those who desire to be Israeli citizens will be given a stipulated series of requirements and after satisfying these prerequisites they will be granted citizenship dependent on a background and security investigation. The only other way this farce can end is in a final war where one side is thoroughly defeated once and for all. The other choice is for this insanity to continue ad-nauseum into the future for as far as human existence can endure. That is no future to look forward to for either side but is one of the options which will result if those of weak wills are left to decide the future. My main opinion is I am glad that I will never have to make these choices as I will never be placed into a leadership position of either the Palestinians or the Israelis and for that I am truly grateful.

 

Beyond the Cusp