Reject Peace Talks
with Israel While 'Colonization' Proceeds
"To the great chagrin of the pro-Israeli lobbies, Barack
Obama committed the 'error' of calling for a halt to colonization of the
Palestinian territories. It was obvious: If one wants to negotiate seriously with
a neighbor, one cannot continue to steal his land. Barack Obama, under heavy
pressure from the Zionist lobby, has retreated - but his statement remains."
Negotiation over any conflict,
and all the more so in the Middle East, is a normal outcome. For a liberation
movement, this is no shame or betrayal. At a time when the Palestinian Authority
is preparing to respond to American pressure at the "invitation" of The Quartet and enticements from the Arabs, it's
necessary to underline that what is at stake is not the principle of
negotiating with Israel, but the very possibility of doing so. Since the Oslo Agreements signed in
September 1993, the Palestinians have been participating in talks with a nation
that has been ramping-up the colonization of their land, with the undisguised
goal of rendering impossible the erection of a Palestinian State within the 1967 borders.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Direct or indirect talks with
a state that colonizes with the consent of the presumed godfather of the
discussions is pointless. It has only one purpose: to weaken the spirit of
resistance. It is meant to create a cast of Palestinians with an improved
status - caught up in a negotiating process without end or purpose, and who can
be contrasted with "the terrorists." It is an approach that has succeeded
well. The Palestinians are divided.
The Palestinian Authority finds
itself in an awkward position when, logically and to the great chagrin of the
pro-Israeli lobbies in Washington, Barack Obama committed the "error"
of calling for a halt to colonization of the Palestinian territories. It was
obvious: if one wants to negotiate seriously with a neighbor, one cannot
continue to steal his land. Barack Obama, under heavy pressure from the Zionist
lobby, has retreated - but his statement remains.
A remnant of decency brought
the Palestinian Authority to demand a secession of settlement building as a precondition
for negotiations. But even this modest demand is about to be swept away. The
eternal Palestinian negotiators of Ramallah are about to enter these unending negotiations
"without preconditions," as large sections of what is left of the
Palestinian territories are swallowed up by settlers of a racist, theocratic state.
With the latest news, it
appears that under American pressure, the statement that the Quartet should release
to both protagonists will replace the phrase, "a cessation of settlements"
with "a cessation of provocations" (!). And one can bet that with the
approval of the Americans, opposing settlements will become a provocation!
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
If Mr. Mahmoud Abbas and the PLO
Executive Committee accept this formulation, which openly insults the intelligence
of the Palestinian people, they must understand that have agreed to pretend to
negotiate. They have agreed to repeat the same process that followed the disastrous
Oslo Agreements: futile discussions on one side and aggressive, colonial
expansion on the other.
The Palestinians, including
those who identify themselves with Islamist organizations, are ready for serious
talks. They do not, however, accept having their leaders, in their names, participate
in a farce that has lasted far too long. They rightly see that one cannot
compromise on the minimum demand of halting colonization.
