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The [Palestine Papers], Or Why The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword
AngelHedgie
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, it seems everyone wants to get into the whole "leak stuff, cause the geopolitical landscape to shift" game. And Arabic news channel Al-Jazeera , with the aid of the UK's Guardian, has managed to really kick off their WikiLeaksesque Transparency Unit with a bang - a release of over 1000 internal PA documents detailing the inner workings of Israel-Palestine peace negotiations. Some of the more interesting revelations have been Abbas ceding Palestinian right of return, Israeli intransigence to Palestinian offers, questionable US decisions, among others.
To say this has been a bombshell is like saying the Middle East is a bit sandy and hot. Already the impact of the papers are settling in, and it looks clear that Abbas is more or less done. The papers also do severe damage to Israeli claims of Palestinians being the roadblock to peace. The US may be in the biggest bind here - the revelations will definitely make the upcoming vote in the UN on a resolution to take a zero tolerance policy on Israeli settlements much harder for the US to deal with. And that's just for starters.
This story is going to be interesting.
To say this has been a bombshell is like saying the Middle East is a bit sandy and hot. Already the impact of the papers are settling in, and it looks clear that Abbas is more or less done. The papers also do severe damage to Israeli claims of Palestinians being the roadblock to peace. The US may be in the biggest bind here - the revelations will definitely make the upcoming vote in the UN on a resolution to take a zero tolerance policy on Israeli settlements much harder for the US to deal with. And that's just for starters.
This story is going to be interesting.
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If they are, well, it's pretty obvious who is the obstacle to peace (as if it already wasn't). I mean, Palestinians basically caved on two of the Big Three issues right there. Three of three if you count in settlements together on the East Jerusalem thing.
Those who want to make progress have their hands tied by the conservative and right wing sections of the Knesset. Reconcilation is difficult when your Government regularly has a slim majority and has to negotiate with hardliners.
Yeah, I know.. and it's depressing. It's frustrating to see such a vibrant, amazing country being driven into the ground by religious zealots and old-timers unwilling to change.
I doubt they will be shrugging if the US doesn't veto the upcoming resolution in the UN.
This is really just going to suck.
Honestly, that would probably be worse, if only because it means even the people have lost all hope of survival, let alone independence.
I'd feel worse if it wasn't their own fault.
Kadima might win. Ehud Barak went off to form his own party so Labor lost a few votes and it's most visible face and I think in the event of the elections he's going to go to Kadima's side. Yisrael Beiteneu and Likud kind of hate each other right now so that may effect things. Still a bit early to tell anything though.
I can't help but feel that the US is at least partly to blame. If we had been serious about settling this instead of bloviating about "reliable negotiating partners", then the fear and suspicion that has empowered the far right might not have become so deeply rooted within Israeli society.
Fear and suspicion are nut the sources of the hardliners' stances.
Really, all I'm trying to get across is the (no doubt earth-shattering) observation that the US is in many ways responsible for Israel's obstinacy in regards to the peace process, in its unqualified support for Israeli demands even as it presents itself to the world as an honest broker.
Yes, certainly the US's policies on Israel doesnt help. The insistence on supporting Israel no matter what doesnt help in negotiation situations where Israel is wrong. The other problem though is that nethanhayu's opinion on Obama is probably cold, since they are almost opposite sides of the coin.
Obama is stuck between a rock and a hard place. I'm quite sure he wants to be headline on Israel, but he has to work against a generally pro Israel America.
This is a situation where Israel is effectively playing for the other team due to their own idiocy. Nice.
Basically, this makes everyone look bad.
It makes the Palestinian Authority look bad because it makes them look like a bunch of spineless suck-ups who are willing to concede everything to Israel and don't actually care about the Palestinian people.
It makes Israel look bad because it makes them look like hardass douchebags who are unwilling to negotiate with Palestine, even when the Palestinian Authority is willing to make huge concessions.
It makes the US look bad for pretending to be a neutral party despite obviously supporting Israel and referring to Palestine with repeated disdain.
It proves what everybody probably suspected.