By Barak Ravid, Haaretz – April 10, 2014
U.S. efforts at extending Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations beyond the April 29 deadline have led to positive developments over the last 24 hours, according to high ranking officials in Jerusalem.
“There has been some progress in the talks, but no breakthrough,” said an Israeli official. “There isn’t an outline for a possible deal yet, and it’s unclear if it’s possible to reach a deal that would be acceptable on both sides.
U.S. envoy Martin Indyk met the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams on Thursday afternoon. High-ranking Israeli officials stated that the two sides were discussing an outline of the deal that fell through last week, though with various changes that take into account the Palestinians’ requests to join 15 international treaties.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s team offered the sides to extend peace negotiations for another nine to 12 months, during which the Palestinians would promise not to turn to international institutions such as the United Nations. Under that deal, Israel would release a fourth batch of Palestinian prisoners with blood on their hands (who were convicted of committing terrorist acts), as well as 400 other prisoners without blood on their hands.
During that period Israel would also stop most settlement construction in the West Bank, and the United States would free Jewish-American spy Jonathan Pollard.
The senior Israeli official said that it’s still unclear what changes have been made to the original outline, but that it will not be significantly different.
The number of prisoners released might be lower, as a response to the Palestinians’ request to join the UN treaties, according to the official.
This entire affair is a disgrace to America.
Pollard committed a crime for which he has paid the penalty over and over, many times more than any other criminals who have committed far worse crimes.
If the American Justice system were truly interested in justice he would have been released long ago.
So what is the delaying factor?
Vindictiveness? Anti Semitism? He is a useful bargaining chip? Sadism? Brutality? Or, perhaps,, all of those combined.
Land of the free, indeed not.
Certainly not the home of the brave when an entire government can do this to one man.
Mickey Oberman
In other words what does Israel get in exchange for surrendering to Palestinian Arab blackmail? Nothing! There is no guarantee they won’t renege in the future and they are never going to make peace with Israel.
The only point of extending the farce another year would be to make Kerry and Obama look good. There are no upsides for Israel here.