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Source: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1125526.html
Peace Talks Without Preconditions
[Ha'aretz] Yoel Marcus - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came to tell us that the administration welcomes Netanyahu's initiative for a partial, temporary construction freeze in the settlements, and that the freeze issue wasn't a precondition to restarting talks. She said the peace negotiations must be resumed for compromises to be reached, and that the Palestinians' demands were not conducive to peace. Obama realized just in time that removing settlements alone would not solve the conflict. Ariel Sharon uprooted the entire Gush Katif bloc from the Gaza Strip, and instead of receiving a counter-gesture from the Palestinians, the area we gave up became a base for firing Kassam rockets. There is no justification for Abbas setting preconditions to opening negotiations. You don't give first, then talk. First you talk and then you give.