FM Lieberman recently wrote a letter to the foreign ministers of the Middle East Quartet members, calling on them to press for new elections in the PA. In it he contrasts much of what Israel is doing for peace and what Abbas is doing to thwart it. It is obvious that Israel really wants negotiations which of necessity means many painful concessions. He writes ‘the time has come to consider a creative solution, to think “outside the box,” in order to strengthen the Palestinian leadership.”. I wonder what he meant by that. He calls for “realistic” PA leadership. The purpose he writes is “in order to bring a serious change to the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians.”. Bottom line is that Israel wants negotiations but with a real partner for peace. Without such a change, negotiations, even if started, will go no where. Ted Belman
Haaretz reports Netanyahu distances himself from Lieberman’s call to oust Abbas
Baroness Ashton,
I appreciated the opportunity to meet with you July 24th in Brussels, on the occasion of the Israel-EU Association Council. We discussed many regional issues of importance; however, I would like to further share some key ideas with you, and hence, this letter.
I would like to update you regarding the current situation of Israel’s relationship with the Palestinian Authority (PA). As a preamble, I would like to emphasize that the purpose of this letter is to demonstrate Israel’s goodwill, desire to build trust and sincere desire to create a positive atmosphere vis a vis the PA, with the goal of bringing our neighbors back to the table of direct negotiations.
Unfortunately, we have encountered repeated Palestinian patterns of refusal and consistent attempts to turn to pointless activity, counterproductive to any constructive efforts.
Madame, it is important to provide this update to you, because in my opinion, the information herein is not properly represented or reflected in the policy of the European Union or the Quartet on this subject.
Israel has in recent months undertaken several significant gestures towards the Palestinians: Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Shteinitz and PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad concluded (July 31) arrangements with respect to the transfer of goods between Israel and the PA and related tax procedures. These steps, which were recommended by the International Monetary Fund, will improve the PA’s tax system, increase revenues and bolster the Palestinian economy.
In light of the PA‘s budget crisis, Israel transferred at the beginning of the month of Ramadan (July 27) an advance of NIS 180 million (approximately USD 45 million) of August tax remittances. The money was intended to help the PA pay salaries in time to celebrate the holiday. An agreement was concluded (July 14) to employ an additional 5,000 Palestinian construction workers in Israel; the number of roadblocks was reduced to 10, most of which are normally open; the remains of Palestinian terrorists were returned (May 31). In addition, Israel agreed to develop the gas field off the Gaza shoreline.
Israel is promoting infrastructure projects in Area C, including completion of a master plan. In 2011, 119 infrastructure projects were approved, 58 of them with international financing. Fifteen projects relating to the construction and renovation of infrastructures for schools and clinics have received “fast-track” approval. I won’t go into all the details of additional Israeli gestures that were made throughout 2012, all of them with the goal of assisting the Palestinian economy and easing the lives of the residents in the West Bank and Gaza.
Unfortunately, despite these steps, we do not see any willingness or positive attitude on the part of the PA. The opposite is the case: we see a rise in the Palestinian activity against Israel in the diplomatic and legal arenas, with attempts to accelerate illegal construction in Area C (including dragging the EU into this problematic activity), to encourage an economic boycott on the Israeli economy in the territories and to generate repeated negative statements against Israel. In addition, we have encountered a relatively new campaign, blaming Israel for the murder of Yassir Arafat, as well as the ongoing institutionalized incitement in the Palestinian media, attacking Israel and the legitimacy of the State’s existence.
Abbas’ Strategy
Mr. Mahmoud Abbas‘ unfortunate behavior indicates that he apparently is uninterested or unable — due to his standing in the domestic Palestinian scene vis a vis Hamas, and in light of the regional geopolitical situation — to reach an agreement which would bring an end to the conflict, including addressing all the core issues. Instead he is creating a culture of blaming Israel for delaying the process, while attempting to achieve advantages without negotiation via blackmailing and ongoing attempts to internationalize the conflict.
The situation as I have described it is supported not only by the facts but also may be corroborated by the Jordanians, who made a great effort to facilitate direct dialogue between Israel and the PA. Unfortunately, because of the attitudes of Mr. Abbas and his partners, these efforts did not lead to any progress. This situation is very clear to the Jordanians.
This pattern of refusal is not new. With the Annapolis process, under the previous Israeli government, former Prime Minister Ehucl Olmert offered the Palestinians far-reaching concessions and gestures of goodwill, more than any other Israeli government, without success. In this light, the relevant chapter on the subject in former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s recent book of memoirs is most enlightening.
Two additional matters should be taken into account: the historic Bar-Ilan speech of Prime Minister Netanyahu, which called for a two state solution, and the unprecedented step of the current government, which, in response to Palestinian demands, temporarily froze the construction in the settlements, in order to renew peace negotiations. As part of the Palestinian systematic pattern of avoiding bilateral negotiations, these steps were met with rejection and with unilateral steps by the Palestinians, under Mr. Abbas‘ leadership.
In a calculated manner, Mr. Abbas is focusing his dialogue with the international community on the subject of settlements. Unfortunately, the international community tends to accept this discourse lock, stock and barrel, without criticism or a nuanced approach. This is a damaging attitude, which does not reflect the reality on the ground.
I would like to recall several points on this subject:
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The entire area of the settlements constitutes approximately one percent of the area of the West Bank. The last settlement which Israel constructed was in 1991. In the framework of the peace accord with Egypt (1979), Israel took the painful step of evacuating all the settlements and military bases in Sinai. In 2005, Israel evacuated all of our settlements from the Gaza Strip, as well as four settlements in the northern West Bank, but instead of peace and security, we received the Hamas government in Gaza which opposes the existence of Israel, and is unwilling to live in peace with us, as well as 14,000 rockets and missiles which were indiscriminately shot at towns and villages in southern Israel.
Facts and history, as opposed to the simplistic stereotypes and political bias, contradict the idea that somehow the settlement enterprise is the main obstacle to renewing the negotiations. This premise simply does not stand up to the test of reality or the historic precedent of the peace process between Israel and our neighbors. Both peace accords, with Egypt and Jordan, were signed when settlements existed; the claim that settlements are the obstacle to peace is unfounded.
In recent years, we have seen that Mr. Abbas speaks with a moderate and pleasant voice to the international community, but in fact, has been personally acting to undermine attempts to renew the peace process, despite Israeli gestures and confidence building measures. He has continued in damaging behavior towards Israel, including extreme cases of encouraging a culture of hatred, praising terrorists, encouraging sanctions and boycotts, and calling into question the legitimacy of the existence of the state, as can be seen for example in his last speech at the General Assembly of the U.N. In my view, in his deeds and his behavior, Mr. Abbas does not represent the general Palestinian interest (for example, he has repeatedly postponed the democratic process of elections in the PA), nor even the interest of his constituents in the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority is a despotic government riddled with corruption. This pattern of behavior has led to criticism even within his own constituency. Due to Abbas‘ weak standing, and his policy of not renewing the negotiations, which is an obstacle to peace, the time has come to consider a creative solution, to think “outside the box,” in order to strengthen the Palestinian leadership. This is crucial, so that the Israeli gestures to strengthen the economy, stability and strength of the PA will not be turned into a boomerang against Israel.
Despite Mr. Abbas‘ delays, general elections in the PA should be held, and a new, legitimate, hopefully realistic Palestinian leadership should be elected. The PA elections were due to be held in 2010 and have since been postponed several times. As of today, no new date has been set for elections.
Only such a leadership can bring progress with Israel. We must maximize the holding of new elections in the PA, alongside the tremendous changes in the Arab world, in order to bring a serious change to the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians.
I would like to thank you for the ongoing open dialogue between us.
Please accept, Baroness Ashton, the assurances of my deep consideration.
Sincerely,
Avigdor Liberman
Dont see any point in writing anything to Ashton
She walks around holding a mirror up to her face
A blinkered horse has more vision
@ rongrand:
Correction: enemies likewise understand but will not acknowledge it.
please release me. Thx.
Lieberman is right to suggest that the time is long past due for outside the box thinking to seek a feasible and viable solution.
Unfortunately the outside the box thinking Lieberman is proposing is outside the realm of realities.
Since the Arabs of J & S adopted a new Palestinian identity, Israel has been giving to them in the vain hope Palestinians would appreciate Israel’s generosity towards them and Israel’s good and peaceful intentions, such that they would come to share the same hopes, dreams and values as Israelis, see that peace would bring them even greater prosperity and self sufficiency and would thus would seriously engage in peace discussions to assure them of peace, security and well being.
That has not happened over the past 40 years since Palestinians took on their new identity. Martin Sherman in an earlier article, citing a passage from the PA Charter that says the Palestinian identity is only a ruse necessary to be acted on until it no longer serves their purposes – ie. Israel is substantially weakened and made ready for the genocidal slaughter or destroyed.
History has shown that the Palestinians take all that Israel continues to cede to them including all the sage advice and aid, Israel has given to the Palestinians to improve their lot in life and then bite the Israeli hand that feeds them. Similarly, the Palestinians have become a welfare society for the world’s largesse thrown their way, but they have not changed their Jew-Israel hating ways, save to make those ways more sophisticated and effective.
Israel, like the world that fills the Palestinian outstretched hand with welfare Palestinians have come to see as their right to recieve,appear to have learned nothing that unless that welfare is made conditional, Palestinians will continue to bite the hands that feed them.
Lieberman must know that if Abbas is forced to go, the Palestinians waiting in the wings to take his place are all cut from the same Jew-Israel hating cloth. Nothing will change there.
Further, even if some great Palestinian might rise from Palestinian people who is not a Jew-Israel hater, is modern in thought, rational and sees the greater value in peace than in unremitting war, that leader would be at immediate risk of being murdered or unseated by Abbas’ political cronies who are many and who think just like Abbas thinks.
Even if this great new Palestinian leader survived such challenge from Abbas’ cronies and like minded Palestinians and could reach some kind of deal with Israel, that deal would be at huge risk of being destroyed by Hamas.
Unless Hamas is eliminated by the Palestinians of J & S and the Palestinians of J & S turn their back on all the Jew-Israel hatred that has been the operative factor in dictating Palestinian thoughts, words, deeds and policies to this time, there will be no chance of real peace.
Israel has given too much already for the sake of peace and has little to nothing to show for it. Israel however, is strong, powerful and thriving in spite of the Jew-Israel hating machinations of the Palestinians and her other Mid East enemies. The Palestinians have however, used the pretext of negotiations and wisely taken advantage of Western powers’ anti-Israel, if not anti-semitic views and their vulnerability to Arab oil and other threatening factors from the Muslim world to improve their position, not to become self sufficient, but to become more incrementally efficient as an existential threat to Israel.
Israel must no longer tolerate or play along with this situation which can only spell bad things for Israel, if not in the short term, certainly in the long term.
To conclude, I do not see prudence or realisim in Lieberman’s words to Baroness Ashton.
@ Laura:
Precisely, they need not answer to or convince the world of anything. They are a sovereign nation.
You don’t have to convince your friends, they understand. Your enemies likewise understand but will acknowledge it.
The leadership needs to concentrate and put their energy to securing the Holy Land and defending it.
Like I said in another thread, I’m tired of Israel’s leaders desperately trying to convince the world of how peaceful their intentions are, of how willing they are to surrender their land to terrorists. Israel’s true friends know that Israel isn’t to blame for the bloodshed in the Middle East and its enemies around the world are never going to be convinced that Israel is anything other than a “genocidal”, “racist”, “apartheid” state no matter how much Israeli officials plead their case.
@ Canadian Otter:
I completely agree. And this is the guy that the west considers to be far right wing.
@ yamit82:
The fact G-d returned His people to the Holy Land He provided for them in itself should be enough for even the clueless to recognize the Holy Land, land of the Jews cannot be forfeited by anyone.
He has shown through His intervention the enemies of Israel will not succeed in removing His people from the land.
If the leadership of Israel does not understand this, then they should step aside.
@ Canadian Otter:
How true… 🙁
If Lieberman really believes what he states in his letter (Replacing current Pali leadership) will change anything on the ground he should be disregarded as a serious potential leader. What he writes is pure obtuseness,ignorance or both bordering on political autism. If he really believes a change at the top of the PA will change anything on the ground then he has learned nothing in all his years in Israel and as a politician.
In the last few years Lieberman’s star has fallen and I believe he can only redeem himself if he is the one who topples BB and the Likud from power but the right set of star alignments must be first positioned.
Populist BB trying to blunt the populous demonstrations last year and this gave concessions like free education from age three costing Billions to the treasury. He wanted to pay for it by reducing the Defense expenditures but ran into the Israeli Holy Cow Lobby of the security establishment and choose to take it from business and the middle class in taxes and inflationary increase in VAT. Now we are seeing the beginnings of of mass layoffs as a direct result. Yes Europe and America are deep in the tank and yes ..BDS has had an effect overall but BB did what those accuse Obama of doing, MAKING A BAD SITUATION WORSE, out of political weakness and personal cowardice to stand up against political pressures and do the right thing however unpopular in some sectors. All he has done is to have everyone against him now rather than some. Lieberman’s chance is in sight if he has the guts.
Email received
It makes me gag.
Let’s remember that this is the aggrieved party, begging countries that only a couple of generations ago were murdering Jews by the millions, to please take note of how many concessions Israel has already made for that gang of depraved terrorists that has the blood of tens of thousands of Jews on their hands.
Does ANY OF THIS make any sense to you?
Let’s not debase ourselves analyzing the possible meaning of each of those sentences.
The people of Israel should be writing an official letter to their government to stop humiliating itself and waving the white flag, and take responsibility for their sacred job of safeguarding historically Jewish land for future generations of Jews instead.