[AND NOTHING IN RETURN]
Obama has demanded a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria.
By: Yori Yanover, JEWISH PRESS
In anticipation of U.S. President Barack Obama visit to Israel at the end of this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a significant package of gestures to the Palestinians, Maariv reports. The security system has submitted to Netanyahu its recommendations for goodwill gestures, with the stated proviso that these would not endanger the PM’s own political future.
Sources in Netanyahu’s circle explained that the gestures are of a political nature, intended to ease the hardships the Palestinian Authority is facing, generating a positive public image for Israel at a relatively low political cost.
A similar package has previously been discussed at least in part in talks between Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair and Netanyahu. At the time, the Prime Minister refused these ideas.
One of the gestures in discussion is a specific transfer of land from Area C in the West Bank (which is under full Israeli control) to an Area A status (full Palestinian control). This concerns the transfer of the access roads planned to serve the new city of Rawabi, the first Palestinian planned city under PA rule, near Birzeit and Ramallah, with 10,000 homes, with a population of 40,000. Another road that would be turned over to full Palestinian control serves the industrial park outside Tulkarm.
An additional gesture under review is the approval of master plans for ten Palestinian settlements in the Israeli-controlled Area C. These are all Palestinian neighborhoods which today are considered illegal and concerning which the Civil Administration has issued demolition orders.
If these master plans are approved, these settlements will be connected to the infrastructure and all construction there will be approved.
Two additional gestures are the release of a significant number of Fatah prisoners, arrested before the signing of the Oslo Accords; and the transfer of light ammunition to the Palestinian security forces.
The Israeli political system is expecting that Obama will be pushing to be able to announce the resumption of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians during his visit to the Middle East. One view holds that the President will only make this announcement in Amman, following his meeting with King Abdullah.
The Prime Minister’s circle fears that Palestinian expectations of the Obama visit are too high, compared to what can be gotten immediately following the renewal of direct talks, especially when those expectations are compared to what the Israeli side is ready to give. In such a case, Palestinian disappointment may result in another deterioration of the security situation.
According to the World Tribune, Obama has demanded a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria.
“Obama has made it clear to Netanyahu that his visit is not about photo-ops, but the business of Iran and a Palestinian state,” a source in the PM’s office told WT. “The implication is that if Israel won’t give him something he can work with, then he’ll act on his own.”
The sources said the White House warned that Obama’s forthcoming visit could characterize U.S. relations with Israel over the next four years. They said Obama aides stressed that Congress, which approved $3.1 billion in military aid to Israel for 2013, supported the establishment of a Palestinian state as a U.S. priority.
“The Obama people are making this a litmus test of Netanyahu’s leadership and credibility,” the Israeli source said. “Obama supporters in Congress have sent Netanyahu a similar message.”
@ Laura:
It does seem to smack of the same knife-in-the-ribs, hit-&-run quality, doesn’t it?
Only, as bizarre as it reads, I don’t perceive anything of “rambling” in it at all.
This has the foul stench of the agent provocateur about it — and one who knows exactly what he/she is doing.
And you may be quite right, Laura, about it being produced by the same agent as the “Goldblatt” posts.
@ Laura:
Excellent comment Laura. Woe to anyone unaware that the combina has been since about 1967 a user of people and Heritage as well as resources for their personal gain only. Netanyahu is one of the worst.
And to think that Netanyahu is portrayed in the western media as a ‘rightwinger’. I think Bennett needs much more exposure to the world. And also some more exposure to the boys at Otzma. That should provide the journos with a better reality check….and hopefully adjust EU/WH expectations of what they can ‘negotiate’ for. In business it’s all about “managing expectations ” of your partners, clients, etc….surprisingly, Bibi the ‘businessman’ never learned this.
@ catarin:
And if he doen’t,I hope you have a beer bottle handy,use Lone Star,they have longer necks!!!!!!!!!!!
@ Caren Levinson:
Hmm, Caren Levinson sounds strangely like Sam Goldblatt.
Is our old and dear friend up to his old tricks using different identities to post his bizarre ramblings?
So the concern here is the danger to Bibi’s political future, not that of Israel. Good to see that the security system really has its priorities straight.
What will really make Obama look good is the promise of a peace treaty from the Arab Muslims, the return from Egypt of the records of the Jews living in Egypt over the millenia, the transfer from Turkey of the plaque from Hezikiah’s Tunnel.
Why shouldn’t Arabs have to post a bond of several millions of dollars if the Arabs cause further uprisings in our Holy Land? Arabs do not belong in the Holy Land of Jews and Christians unless they live in peace with these People of the Book.
What are you smoking Darlin.
@ Caren Levinson:
@ Canuck Frank:
It is one of backside kissing. I didn’t say ASS,because I am a Lady Bee.
Caren Levinson Said:
well, what the hell is it now?!!!
@ steve geiger:
The only peace they seek is a good piece of Israel, the land they cannot have.
Steve, the Israeli leadership should keep this in mind, especially before they give anything away, besides G-d did not give anyone authority to give away what He provided for His people.
@ Yidvocate:
Great comments! I would like to add a bit of my own.
Freeze, freeze… now what does that remind us? AH! Netanyahu has already frozen construction, frozen the Judge Levi report, frozen legislation to set limits to foreign NGO’s, frozen legislation to free to scrutiny the secret elections of judges and guess what?
He has again frozen construction, which anyway was never defrosted totally.
Drop don Netanyyhu out, he is bad news all around.
I also have a gesture for Obama!!! This bull shit has been going on for 65 years. I just turned 65 last week. In 1956 when my parents and I escaped from Hungary my father who lived in “Palestine” from 1932 to 1936 said to my mother the reason why we are going to America instead of Israel is because” the Arabs will never allow the Jews to live in Peace”. I sob as I write this. This was said 57 years ago by Aladar(Chaim)Geiger. My father would give Obama the same gesture.
Perhaps if people read the prophets, they may have a better understanding of what’s going on.
Diplomacy is clearly poorly understood these days. Subtle gestures of diplomacy are even less well understood. Of course Netenyahu has to keep this age old topic in play. he has to be clever offering only things designed to make life in Israel easier for Israelis. Obama is most likely playing some sort of political games as well, except his game plan is hard to understand. My deepest fears are regarding the apparent lack of Obama and the US by extension taking a hard line against the Iran nuclear weapons program. That is the real issues all this other stuff is just the “Dog and Pony Show” to keep the whole world distracted!
The real problem with Obama dictating policy to Israel is that although Obama is the de facto president of the USA he is not the de jure president. In fact he is a foreign national using all sorts of forged papers who wormed himself into the presidency with the help of very strong forces. Just as the real Netanyahu is not what you see neither is the real Obama. A real Israeli patriot would say to Obama, Mr. Obama you’re a phony so just go piss off.
@ Canadian Otter:
The Russian made the Jews Tax collectors so that the peoples hatred was directed towards the Jews and no the Tzar and the Nobility. Not just the Russians most of the E European countries had some variation, Most Jews were given no choice. The Jews in the Pale, were semi-autonomous They has their ouwn local government, their own laws and their own courts and judges. Most Jews chose the ghettos to ensure separation bbut landless Jews in an agricultural economy had severe difficulty in earning a living and feeding for most large families.
Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S58ivjU9PeE
It will be rejected by the Palestinians they have no choice but to reject it due to their social and cultural structural conditions.
This is Islamic culture is a War Culture
The Arabs are controlled by this and do not know it!
The Middle East conflict is an Islamic Cultural War.
It is not about land, rights or settlements, water or being politically left or right. If it were it would have been solved long ago. It is not.
It is Cultural War that means Islamic Culture must destroy Western Culture or Western Culture must destroy Islamic Culture.
It is a Genocidal War.
The book “Culture and Conflict”, explains it clearly. It shows that current cultural conditions in the Arab Middle East will not support internal development, advancement or peace until there is a major cultural change. “It is critical that we understand our enemy. That is step one in every conflict,” RR. Philip Carl Salzman, INSB # 978-1-59102-587-0.
This is just insane If I was Bibi, I would say to Obama, unless you visit the Temple Mount with me you aren’t welcome.
Caren Levinson Said:
Aren’t we the little conspiracist??
If I were Obama heading a country were there are more guns owned by the people than people, I would not sleep too soundly.
I think I will hate you for making me want to defend BB.
After foolishly campaigning for Romney, Netanyahu is lucky the U.S. President will see him at all. If Netanyahu or any of his supporters try anything funny while Obama is in Israel – all U.S. aid to Israel will end, and the new U.S. policy towards Iran will officially be one of containment. No one should be surprised if after Obama’s visit – Netanyahu is put to sleep, permanently. The Mossad and Shin Bet now believe he is a major liability now. Don’t be surprised if Netanyahu is snuffed before Obama’s visit.
@ yamit82:
I’ve just started reading “A History of the Jews in the Modern World” by Howard Sachar. By page 20 I’ve already been told how in past centuries Jews used to live in absolute squalor, with a self-government (kehillah or kahal) dominated by a clique of Jewish elders. This elite appointed judges, rabbis and officials such as tax assessors and auditors.
Aside from their heavy taxes to Goyim authorites, the poorest of the Jews were also heavily burdened with an inequitable large proportion of taxes for the Jewish government, so as to ease tax contributions by the tiny Jewish elite.
These days when Jews could revolt against dominance by their elite, they don’t!
@ Yidvocate: Obama needs to mind his own business, which he is already doing a very poor job of. The majority of Americans are opposed to his pressure on Israel and his support for the Muslim Brotherhood.
@ Canadian Otter:
We have here an updated redux of the Judenrat. BB is our current ‘RAT’ !!
Bibi…..once a snake, always a snake.
’nuff said.
KOREA SAYS NO. IRAN SAYS NO. RUSSIA SAYS NO. They all – big or small – say no to the US. Except Israel.
There is a song in the old musical Oklahoma about a girl who can’t say NO.
This situation is worse than sad. 🙁
UN DELEGATES SLOSHED AT SESSIONS –
The other day I mentioned the corruption, genocidal nature, and depravity of your enemies. Where shall we begin? Well, we could take a look at the headlines, at the pope who had to resign in face of an upcoming legal suit, and the rush to vote for another one because too many cardinals are getting new accusations of sexual crimes or complicity with them. ~~~ Let’s continue. How about Turkey’s own genocide of Armenians, or the Syrians massacring each other. ~~~ UN representatives themselves have been accused of every crime in the book, including rape of refugees. Now here is an interesting item of a less criminal nature but that shows the character of one of the most notorious teams in the extreme sport of Israel-Bashing.
The U.S. Would Really Like It if U.N. Delegates Would Stop Getting So Drunk – The U.S. ambassador for management and reform at the United Nations, gave an unusual censure to his U.N. colleagues yesterday, asking them to cut back on their drinking before delicate budget negotiations. Really – http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/03/05/u_n_drinking_u_s_ambassador_joseph_torsella_asks_delegates_to_curb_pre_meeting.html
The words F**k off spring to mind!
Canadian Otter Said:
My sentiments exactly.
What a great negotiator BB is! The other side says, gives and commits to nothing and BB lowers his price. After that the same thing occurs again. Are you sure BB is Jewish? Even the naive can see that there is no need to offer anything if the other side keeps dropping his price. By announcing this unilateral concession with no quid pro quo BB has once more dropped the price.
Have I mentioned the Dunce Cap?
“AND NOTHING IN RETURN?” – Strange question. ~~~~~ There are other questions that come to mind instead. For example:
Why the continuous punishing measures against Israel, from ceding land to other concessions? Measures such as these are imposed on countries that have seriously violated international norms. I don’t think Israel falls under this category.
Why has the Israeli govt adopted her enemies’ narrative that defending Israel against genocide in 1967 and recovering land that was legally Jewish – http://www.justicenow4israel.com/ – was a punishable offence? The penalties are endless concessions. Why and how did the genocidal attackers end up as “victims” who must be compensated? With Jewish land!
When saying “nothing in return”, what exactly would be comparable in value to the surrender of land recovered at the cost of so many Jewish lives, and to the consequences of loss of Israeli control over that territory? Particularly after the Gaza experience.
Why is there such silence in the country every time there are rumors of land surrender, and not enough outrage when land surrender actually happens? Why is it not regarded as treason?
Ever since the last Israeli election results I don’t know what to think anymore. The situation in Israel is just TOO SURREAL. I can’t make sense of any of it. Too many Israelis seem to regard the suspense over the next coalition as a reality show, oblivious of the dangers of another partition and of the fact that your authorities DO NOT own the land.
Obama wants a timetable.
When hell freezes over!
The fakestinians have nothing to loose and everything to gain, while Israel has nothing to gain and everything to loose and yet it is Israel that must make `goodwill`gestures, yet again and again just to get these Arabs to the table. A few more of these `goodwill`gestures and there will no longer be any need to come to the table.
Obamanation is strong-arming Israel while the Arabs get a free pass for their belligerence and implacability.
Israel is touted as a healthy democracy while BB is poised to pull a Sharon and again thwart the will of the people who elected him, his parties constitution and his support base.
We live in an inverted reality.
G-d help us all!