With Americans preoccupied with our November 4th election day, life goes on for Israel, the most dangerously situated democracy in the free world. Israel faces new leadership - will it be up to the task of keeping Israel safe - and the infamous peace plans that seem to hover over the area, securing desirable concessions for everyone but Israel. These peace initiatives come and go - and once we think they're gone or forgotten, they pop up again. For information on recent peace plans, final status plans and initiatives, visit the MidEastWeb. For what is happening this very minute, read the following from Holger Awakens: Palestinians All Excited About Israel's Interest in Saudi Peace Plan By Holger Awakens
Israeli President Shimon Peres last month called on Saudi King Abdullah to "further" a land-for-peace proposal endorsed six years ago by the Arab League, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak said last week Israelis were reconsidering the plan. "For the past week Israel has started speaking in a new and positive way about this initiative. We note this change of language and we place a lot of hope in it," Palestinian chief negotiator with Israel Ahmed Qurie told reporters in Paris. "Peres has said that it's a good and positive initiative and it is a base for a global negotiation between Israel and Arab countries. Barak has spoken in similar terms. I think Barak and Tzipi Livni are in agreement about that," Qurie said.Here's the issue with Israel right now. With the fact that Livni is a prime minister designate and is not yet wielding power, we see Shimon Peres' grubby little hands all over these initiatives. Peres, would need to have lily white feathers to be more of a dove and this guy is seizing this opportunity to act like he is Prime Minister. Throw in the fact that Barak is brain dead at the moment and you have set up for failure. I restate here. Israel loses big time under this peace plan. The plan was put forth by the Saudis - a group of people that literally will not sit in the same room as Israelis. If Israel honestly believes that the muslims of the Middle East would honor a peace when all is given back to the muslims, they will be sorely mistaken and will most likely pay a price they cannot afford.
Palestinians welcome Israeli interest in Saudi plan PARIS (Reuters) - Palestinians hope Israeli calls for the revival of a Saudi peace initiative could lead to progress on a diplomatic track that has been dormant for years, their chief negotiator with Israel said Wednesday. Israeli President Shimon Peres last month called on Saudi King Abdullah to "further" a land-for-peace proposal endorsed six years ago by the Arab League, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak said last week Israelis were reconsidering the plan. "For the past week Israel has started speaking in a new and positive way about this initiative. We note this change of language and we place a lot of hope in it," Palestinian chief negotiator with Israel Ahmed Qurie told reporters in Paris. The Saudi plan calls for full Arab recognition of Israel if it gives up "all of the territories" occupied in the 1967 Six Day War and accepts "a just solution" for Palestinian refugees. Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab countries to have signed full peace accords with Israel. "Peres has said that it's a good and positive initiative and it is a base for a global negotiation between Israel and Arab countries. Barak has spoken in similar terms. I think Barak and Tzipi Livni are in agreement about that," Qurie said. Livni, Israel's foreign minister and prime minister-designate, has been Qurie's counterpart in the most recent round of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Qurie said Livni, who is busy trying to put together a new coalition government for Israel, had said nothing to him about the Saudi initiative and he did not elaborate on why he thought she shared Barak's views on the issue. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said Tuesday he hoped Livni would follow Peres' lead when her government is up and running. Qurie said Barak's comments were positive although they should be put to the test of real diplomatic negotiations. "This Arab initiative is the bravest and the best for finding a complete solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict," he said, speaking through an interpreter. Livni has said she would pursue U.S.-backed bilateral peace talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that were launched a year ago by outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Disputes over Jewish settlements in the West Bank and divisions among the Palestinians have thwarted Washington's hopes of clinching a bilateral peace deal by the end of this year. Echoing comments by other senior Palestinians, Qurie said there was "objectively no chance" of meeting that goal.
|