Israeli and Palestinian leaders have agreed to start to talk about negotiating everything for the creation of an independent Palestinian state. They are planning on meeting every two weeks starting December 12 until the end of 2008 – when they hope to wrap up an agreement.
A hopeful sign for sure but with a long way to go. The world has been here before so we need to have more details of what makes this time any different. A deep division exist within the two countries and amongst all the members of Arab world, but talking is much better than bullets and bombs.
A hopeful sign for sure but with a long way to go. The world has been here before so we need to have more details of what makes this time any different. A deep division exist within the two countries and amongst all the members of Arab world, but talking is much better than bullets and bombs.
This peace table is already wobbly so the last thing it needs is someone sawing off one of the legs. That's what this is all about, isolating and marginalizing Hamas - the party Palestinians chose to represent them. Abbas and his Fatah will probably bend over backwards to negotiate a deal, some deal, any deal - but they're already seem as sellouts by many Palestinians.
ReplyDeleteI doubt there can be any settlement with Israel until the Hamas/Fatah issue is resolved. That ought to have been a pre-condition of these talks and it probably would have been had the parties actually been intent on negotiating some lasting agreement for both peoples instead of merely advancing their personal interests.
My take - thumbs down.
Actually, marginalizing Hamas is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteIn a way, Hamas (& Fatah) is similar to the IRA or the militant Protestant groups on the other side of that great divide. Only when people on the street got tired of seeing their kin "knee-capped" and worse, did the two groups get pushed into peace talks. The difference with Hamas is that some of these guys really are deluded enough to believe they are doing God's will.
I really can't believe how many critics there are of these talks. I mean come on people, talks are good. Who cares who is leading them as long as they lead to some sort of solution? Why shoot them down before they have even started?