(Irish Times) Alan Shatter - Although the international community chooses to ignore it, Gaza and the West Bank have for 10 years been two separate political entities ruled by Palestinian factions in continuing conflict with each other. For fear of his life, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has been unable to set foot in Gaza for those 10 years. Thus, the Palestinian side is incapable of credibly demonstrating its commitment to a two-state solution as called for in Paris on Jan. 15, and the PA totally lacks the political capacity to ensure its long-term implementation. The truth is it is highly unlikely Abbas and the PA could currently obtain the political mandate required to enter into and implement any settlement that involves a compromise on Palestinian demands and that will guarantee Israelis an end to conflict and future peace and security. The writer was Ireland's Minister for Justice between 2011 and 2014.
2017-01-27 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive