Coming back to the occupied West Bank to a hero’s welcome after seeking independence on Friday from the United Nations Security Council, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced a “Palestinian Spring” and his support for the resumption of peace talks.
Those talks, according to Abbas, would be conditional on Israel halting all expansion of the settlements into the West Bank, a condition which Palestinian officials have often repeated and Israeli officials have repeated rejected.
The peace talks between Israel and the PA halted last year in September when the last partial settlement freeze expired. Since then, the expansions have come fast and the Obama Administration’s efforts to restart the talks have been entirely fruitless.
Though some Israeli officials agree in theory to an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank, there is virtually universal opposition within the current coalition for halting settlement expansions, leaving the question of how the borders can be negotiated if settlements are constantly growing deeper into the territory being discussed.
That's it Mahmoud, give 'em hell.
This time the Israelies are on the backfoot, they have found out that preconditions to talks hurt and are counter-productive,
Just like we will not talk until the Palestinians agree to A Jewish State, why will not the Israelies ask the Palestinians to agree to an Israeli State?
When our legislators get trips to Palestinian Authority in Equal amount as they do to Isreal we might think of equality. When presidential candidates go to the Palestinian authority beforehand like they go to Israel we might think of equality. Of course there is an easier solution, albeit dreamland, stop kissing this current right wing spoiled-child-of-a nations rear end and be neutral.