Western Policy on Israel-Palestinian Peacemaking Will Only Produce Humiliating Failure

By Barry Rubin

It’s truly remarkable about how international diplomacy on the Middle East, especially Israel-Palestinian issues, is so out of touch with reality. Consider the Quartet’s response to the mess at the UN. The proposal is for Israel-PA talks to start within a month, both sides to present proposals on borders and security within three months, and to reach a final agreement by the end of 2012.

This is insane. The premise here is that the PA is really eager to negotiate a compromise agreement with Israel. Everything that’s happened in the past three years—indeed the last 18 years since the Oslo agreement was signed—shows the exact opposite. The PA spent a year building its campaign for unilateral independence at the UN precisely to avoid negotiating with Israel at all.

Why then create a Western policy that is not only doomed to fail but certain to fail in the most obvious and humiliating way? The Palestinians won’t negotiate in a month, they won’t rush to present any proposals in three, and they certainly won’t reach a peace treaty in a year. It looks like the PA will reject the whole proposal—a step for which they will pay no penalty but in fact will get more rewards and concessions, and thus will be encouraged to ignore the West even more.

The dumbest possible thing to do is to put a strict time limit on talks when your spoiled and rejectionist “client” doesn’t want to cooperate. The outcome will make the PA look very bad but “fortunately” the media and Western governments won’t point that out. Instead, the PA will run out the one-year deadline, then complain that Israel is at fault and doesn’t really want peace. and then urge speedy Western concessions to the PA and pressures on Israel.

Could anything possibly be more predictable? Perhaps the only possible explanation is that the U.S. government, UN, and EU (I doubt the Russians do so) believe their own propaganda. They really think the PA can’t wait to make a deal if only Israel is forced to negotiate and some more concessions are offer. Haven’t they learned anything?

In addition, perhaps in a time when claimed victimhood is the only measure of what is just, morale, and proper for foreign policy, the Western governments can’t get out of the rut of seeing the Palestinians only as victims. This requires the West to “help” them escape victimhood as fast as possible. Instead, the Palestinian leadership’s goal is the “old-fashioned” concept of total victory and turning their adversaries into total victims.

They don’t want to cease being “victims”; they want to start being conquerers. Consequently, the Western governments think the Palestinians are in a hurry to improve their lot while, in fact, they are patient in seeking instead to grind Israel into the dust.

Meanwhile, veteran Fatah leader Abbas Zaki has openly explained that the whole UN gambit is an effort to get an independent state as a step toward wiping Israel off the map. If Western journalists, experts, government official, and various “peacemakers” understood how this truly represents the Palestinian position a lot of money, time, and lives would be saved.

Since Friday's Statehood Request, Palestinian Actions Show They Have NO Desire To Make Peace

(Note there are two videos in this post...if you can't see them please click here) 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas got a standing ovation from the UN General Assembly after his speech asking the body for a unilateral declaration of Statehood on Friday. Since the mission of the United Nations is to maintain peace throughout the world, the members of the UNGA must be convinced that the Palestinian Authority, President Abbas and his ruling party Fatah are ready to make peace.

Sadly, just about every action the PA President and his Party has taken since Friday morning indicates their continuing lack of desire to negotiate a peace settlement. Even worse the mainstream media is reporting none of it.

• Action One: Abbas' request for statehood did not ask for a return to the 1949 armistice lines commonly known as the "pre-1967 borders," he asked for a return to the original 1947 UN Partition Lines.  

This is what the Abbas request letter said about borders:

This application for membership is being submitted on the Palestinian people's natural, legal and historic rights and based on United Nations General Assembly resolution 181 (II) of 29 November 1947 as well as the Declaration of Independence of the State of Palestine of 15 November 1988 and the acknowledgement by the General Assembly of this declaration in resolution 43/177 of 15 December 1988.

The only one of those documents he refers to which speaks to geographic boundaries is resolution 181, the original UN Partition plan.  In that document the boundaries looked like this: 

A man serious about peace would not have made that demand.

• Action Two: Obama and Netanyahu are Scumbags. Continuing the Palestinian Tradition of saying one thing to the non-Muslim world and another to everyone else,  when Abbas was speaking to the UN, a  trusted adviser and member of the Fatah Party central committee was saying something else (note Abbas is also the head of the Fatah Party). On the Al Jazeera Arabic language network Abbas Zaki not only expressed his hatred for the American and Israeli leaders, but explained that a return to the 1967 boarders was just a first step.

The settlement should be based upon the borders of June 4, 1967. When we say that the settlement should be based upon these borders, President [Abbas] understands, we understand, and everybody knows that the greater goal cannot be accomplished in one go.

If Israel withdraws from Jerusalem, evacuates the 650,000 settlers, and dismantles the wall – what will become of Israel? It will come to an end.

(Source: MEMRI)

• Action Three-"Abbas high-tails out of Dodge" In one of the more dramatic parts of Netanyahu's UN Speech, he offered to begin negotiations right away:

In two and a half years, we met in Jerusalem only once, even though my door has always been open to you. If you wish, I’ll come to Ramallah. Actually, I have a better suggestion. We’ve both just flown thousands of miles to New York. Now we’re in the same city. We’re in the same building. So let’s meet here today in the United Nations. Who’s there to stop us? What is there to stop us? If we genuinely want peace, what is there to stop us from meeting today and beginning peace negotiations?

And I suggest we talk openly and honestly. Let’s listen to one another. Let’s do as we say in the Middle East: Let’s talk “doogri”. That means straightforward. I’ll tell you my needs and concerns. You’ll tell me yours. And with God’s help, we’ll find the common ground of peace.

Rather than run to make peace, Abbas "high-tailed it out of Dodge" and went home (and when he got home there were demonstrations of love and peace).

Source 0f and More Pictures at Challah Hu Akbar

• Action Four-No Quartet Talks! The International Quartet (The EU, UN, Russians and Americans) made a new proposal to resume peace talks:

the Quartet proposed the following: a “preparatory meeting” between the parties within a month to agree to an agenda and a “method of proceeding in the negotiation.” The two sides will commit that the objective is to “reach an agreement within a time frame agreed to by the parties but not longer than the end of 2012.”

Israel said yes, the Palestinian Authority said NO

Today is just the third day since the Palestinians asked the UN for a unilateral non negotiated acknowledgement of Statehood.  Unfortunately everything they have done during the past three days indicates they have no desire for peace. None of this will ever be discussed in the mainstream media, or recognized by the UN.  Their interests are described in this video from Latma TV: