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Special Report
A Precarious Peace Offer
(Page 2 of 2)
Hamas has said that Abbas's term expires in January 2009, and has vowed to appoint a replacement at that time. But Fatah has argued that his term actually extends until January 2010, thus coinciding with parliamentary elections. Either way, it's not an issue that is likely to be resolved quietly, and Hamas is going to remain a major player.
While Hamas officials have made various head-fakes about offering a ceasefire with Israel in exchange for a return to the 1967 borders, Areikat explained that Hamas was merely playing "good cop, bad cop" in an attempt to "open channels of communication" with Europe. Given that Hamas is part of the Islamic Brotherhood, he said, the group could never truly recognize Israel.
"Hamas is offering a Hudna, a truce," Areikat said. "A longterm truce, but then maybe in 10 or 15 years they'll say it no longer applies. But we [the PLO] are offering a long-term peace."
In other words, Israel is expected to sit down at the bargaining table and offer concessions to the Palestinians even though the Palestinians cannot make peace among themselves, even though the Palestinian president has a tenuous grip on power, and even though there's no reason to believe that such concessions would mollify a terrorist group that is dedicated to Israel's destruction.
One can only wonder how the international community would react if Israel declared that it was offering a long-term peace, but that it had no control over the actions of the Israel Defense Forces.
Philip Klein is The American Spectator's Washington correspondent.
Comments
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Jason| 11.21.08 @ 8:39AM
One can only wonder how the new Obama administration will react.
http://rightklik.blogspot.com/
Alan Brooks| 11.21.08 @ 10:36AM
Good thing Israel has enough firepower to destroy Gaza-- they will probably need to use it some day.
Alan Brooks| 11.21.08 @ 12:41PM
America can't do much about Palestinians, Israel is stuck with them, yet having secstate Hillary do something about Iran-- sending many Iranians to be with Allah-- sounds like a conceivable plan.
It just might work.
Daphne Kenward| 11.21.08 @ 2:18PM
No escuse should be found for not having peace. Peace should and must be the solution. Both groups are engaged in violence, one group cannot decide on peace it must be both. It is important for the future of the people of that area.
Israeli children are being raised on a diet of violence and hatred. It's no good for the future.
Palestinians being raised on violence and hatred.
All sides needs to engage into dialougue, for the future of their country and their people.
It's very important, for people to forget their differences and look towards a better future for their citizens on both sides.
If Palestinians are raised on seeing their people imprisoned, killed gun down, and blown up, you create the terror of the future, it is true for both sides.
The IRA gave up aftyer years of Terror and violence and it can happen in the West Bank and Gazza, and Israel if they choose it.
Many will dissagree because they think violence is a solution. Violence has never been a solution to anything, if one starts a fire, and you think the only way to put it out is to start a bigger fire, then in my view you end up with fires. To acheive peace you have to introduce peace.
Alan Brooks| 11.21.08 @ 9:01PM
Hamas is NOT comparable to IRA.
But okay, maybe something can be worked out, perhaps warring factions can be invited to a Love-In, with Ben and Jerry's ice cream served as refreshment.
You think?
Thomas| 11.21.08 @ 9:47PM
Let's see here. Israel concedes everything that Yassar Arafat wants at Camp David. All it asks in return is recognition of its right to exist. Arafat refuses. Palestinian attacks continue. Over the ensuing years, Israel cedes the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to the Palestinians, forcibly removing Jewish settlers, in exchange for peace. The attacks continue. Israel builds a wall to stop the Palestinians from attacking them. The attacks continue. The only thing that Israel has not done is drive the Palestinians out of the territory and kill any who remain. Yet, that is the avowed goal of Hamas, Fatah and Hezbollah with regards to the Israelis.
Just give peace a chance...riiiight.
Alan Brooks| 11.22.08 @ 12:53AM
For peace we need men to be less nationalistic and violent-- in short we need men to be WOMEN.
I'm going to go to the clothing shop first thing tomorrow and buy some bell bottomed trousers.
polemicscat| 11.22.08 @ 5:16PM
Walid Shoebat, born in Bethlehem, grew up under the influence of jihadists. As a young man, he was a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and participated in acts of terrorism. He has abandoned that life now and has written a book "Why I Left Jihad." Anyone who wants to know the difference between Jews and Muslims should read his book.
Daphne Kenward| 11.22.08 @ 5:51PM
It's unfortunate for many Americans who for no fault of their own have no real clue what is really going on in Palestine, because it is largely covered up for obvious reasons.
I am convinced it will be disclosed in the coming years and it will be one of the most imbarrassing thing since slavery and the massacre of the native Indian population.
The thing that surprises me many people who do not read much or watch educated materials on the subject can only rely on what the Isralis want you to know. But they still make statements on a subject they have no real understanding of.
Some do not even realise that a small group have terrorised and committed genocide against the Palestinian people for 50 years, and are told about succide bombers, but forget to say why people would resourt to such desperate measures.
Much of what is going on in Palestine is far worse than in Nazi Germany, but many people in America is not aware of it. So if any one speak of the Genocide, it is thought they are Anti- Semetic.
Strange as it may seem, how many people are anti Muslim, and Anti -Christian because they are not important enough to demand the same respect of their Religion. How many are willing to lose their culture and tradition protecting a group who do not even respect Christians let alone Muslims.
To invent laws to protect one group, to deny another group of their basic human rights is now a wisew move at all. For all groups to come to the table and openly discuss the real issues oppose to cover up and lies is better told befor the shock and horror come before us and people say only if we knew, the information is out there if people is curious enough to look and find the answers, oppose to playing ignorant. Genocide is a very serious crime, and it is going on in Palestine and people should wake up to it.
Alan Brooks| 11.23.08 @ 4:14PM
I might as well admit it, Daphne: I'm a Mossad agent-- real name David Moe Greenberg.
My first project was with David Ferrie and Guy Banister in the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963.
My latest project is 'Operation fluoridation', to fluoridate the precious bodily fluids (Purity Of Essence, P.O.E.) of Palestinian children by feeding them chicken and matzoh ball soup laced with fluoride.
Alan Brooks| 11.23.08 @ 5:54PM
Daphne,
genocide isn't caused so much by politics, security issues, social conditions, ethnic conflicts...
genocide derives from the male urge to kill, mutilate, torture, to
bite and fight
to slice and dice
to bash and smash
to mush and crush
to chop and slop
to punch and crunch
to waste and baste...
it will be a long time 'til peace in the Mideast, a VERY long time.
Daphne Kenward| 11.24.08 @ 6:02PM
Tony Blair is Peace envoy to the Middle East, Prince Charles will be leader of the world soon. And the Pope will be leader of all faiths worldwide, and one world government. Anything is possible Alan.
Daphne Kenward| 11.25.08 @ 1:22PM
My God is your God, lets submit to him.
The Land of Canaan, it to be the crntre of world peace, for Christians, Jews, Muslims. Under One God.
Some one does not want it to happen, I won't go into why no one on this page will understand it it's too big for them.
Daphne Kenward| 11.25.08 @ 1:46PM
Much of our problems is based on greed, and if men are the source of violence in the world, they can also be the source of peace in the world. To understand what love is and what it means, it is not about the love of one's self but the love of others.
If a man truely loves his children, and his grand children he would want a safe and peacefull world to leave them to live in.
If we look at the Canaanite problem, it's vengeful its full of hate, and it creates no stability, to create a florishing society. We have what is right in the world, and what is wrong in the world, and both sides want's to right and wrong at the same time, overwhelmed with hatred they kill the love and peace, trying to promote hatred of one another. It cannot last. The forces of good and evil one will overcome the other.