In comments in Palestinian newspaper al-Quds today, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas termed Secretary of State John Kerry’s framework plan “madness,” detailing some terms which hadn’t come out before.
According to Abbas, Kerry demands he recognize Israel as a “Jewish state” and accept that Israel will keep virtually all of occupied East Jerusalem. He suggested the tiny neighborhood of Beit Hanina, in East Jerusalem, could be kept as a “capital” for the Palestinian state.
Kerry reportedly also demanded Abbas accept Israel keeping 10 distinct settlement blocs, more than had been previously discussed, and said it was possible Israel would keep the entire Jordan Valley as well, meaning “Palestine” would have no borders with any other nation.
Abbas threatened to walk out of the talks at that point, but was placated by a promise to get an unspecified future invite to the White House. He still opposes the framework, however.
Calling the framework plan "utter madness" is an understatement. Negotiations are always to some extent a moving target but this one makes no sense if one is seeking a solution that incorporates the body of UN law since 1948, and especially since 1967. Moreover, recognizing Israel as a Jewish State not only institutionalizes discrimination (and not just the type that we are seeing with the current LGBT distractions) it also sanctifies further expansion into what the religious Jews consider their eretz Eretz Israel. Recognizing Israel as a nation, and upholding the terms of a fair and just peace treaty is what the U.S. should be encouraging, and it should make clear that Israel should respect and uphold human rights of every one of its citizens equally regardless of race or ethnicity. We have no business forcing the Palestinians to accept the ideology of an inherently discriminatory Jewish state, nor should we be funding or facilitating such a State or ideology.
See how easily it is to bribe Abbas with an invitation to the White House at the expense of the Palistinian people. This fool should step down and allow a ‘MAN’ to represent the people.
Kerry`s "framework"is woe to the vanquished.
Kerry is just following order He proposed madness and the they call the Palestinians as unreasonable. The USA budget has huge cuts in military manpower. The reserves and national guard have been used up so it is long overdue for the powerful realize since Israel will not provide manpower and we are out of men that we cannot fight anymore wars for profit. We are broke also.
Tightening the noose around the necks of the Palestinians: that is the 'peace process' and even the 'breakthrough' talks with Iran are headed for a breakdown. The Israelis are still in charge in the backrooms of Washington. And they are out for vengeance. And war is the ultimate vengeance.
The Israelis will do everything they can to delay any sort of land agreement with the Palestinians- in doing so, they would have to formally declare their own borders and that would shut off the tap of lands to be annexed and illegally occupied.
As for Jerusalem, it should be declared an "open city" under the jurisdiction of an equal partnership of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian agencies with equal housing opportunities available for all wish to reside there.
In all the talk of borders and such, where does the Gaza Strip come into play? Will it be physically joined with Palestine proper, or a corridor (a la cold War Berlin) opened for travel and commerce? Palestine will need access to open water for growth and viability in the region.