(New Republic) Martin Peretz - Israel has made it clear again and again that it is ready for direct and open talks. The PA wanted remote negotiations, and George Mitchell obliged it with the hocus pocus of proximity talks. Abbas now demands that Israel accede in advance to returning to the 1949 armistice lines. According to the Financial Times, Abbas "also called on Israel to accept a 'security' arrangement discussed between the two sides in the past - a reference to the deployment of international, and not Israeli, forces to guard the borders of a future Palestinian state." No Israeli state would hand over to some UN arm or to some other assemblage of countries the security of its land and people. As we can see from Afghanistan but even less treacherous areas, the patrolling of peace is not a chore for foreigners.
2010-07-20 07:50:51Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive