(Commentary) Rick Richman - The Palestinians are upset at the unanimously adopted Congressional resolution which opposes any attempt to establish a Palestinian state outside a negotiated agreement. The resolution calls on the administration to lead a diplomatic effort against a unilaterally declared state, affirm that the U.S. would not recognize it, and veto any UN resolution seeking to establish one. The resolution - and the Palestinian reaction to it - caps a series of clarifying developments over the past year and a half: First, the Palestinians refused to negotiate unless Netanyahu endorsed a two-state solution and froze settlement construction; Netanyahu did both, and the Palestinians refused to negotiate. They had to be dragged into "proximity talks" and then dragged into "direct negotiations" and then left. Second, the Palestinian Authority canceled local elections in the West Bank. The PA is now headed by a "president" currently in the 72nd month of his 48-month term, with a "prime minister" appointed by the holdover "president" rather than by the Palestinian parliament (which, unfortunately, is controlled by the terrorist group the Palestinians elected five years ago). As a democratic state, "Palestine" is already a failed one. Third, the peace-partner Palestinians rejected the criteria that Netanyahu set forth for a peace agreement: recognition of a Jewish state and demilitarization of the Palestinian one. The Palestinians cannot have a state and a "right of return" to the other one; there cannot be a two-stage plan to obtain a second state and then work to change the character of the first one. Israel is currently faced with a PA that is unwilling to meet the basic requirements of a permanent peace, lacks the political authority to enter into a peace agreement (much less the ability to implement one), and wants a state simply imposed on Israel by the U.S. or the UN. If the Congressional resolution helps disabuse it of these notions, it will be a significant contribution to the current non-peace non-process.
2010-12-20 08:31:31Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive