(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - The Palestinian Authority appears to be doing its utmost to internationalize the conflict with Israel. The Palestinians want other international parties, especially the EU, UN, and Russia, to play a major role in the current U.S.-sponsored peace talks, since these parties are perceived as being more sympathetic to, and supportive of, the Palestinians. The PA's biggest fear is that Washington will try to impose a solution that would certainly fail to win the backing of most Palestinians and Arabs. A forced solution, Palestinians warn, would severely undermine the credibility of the PA leadership, who would be accused of capitulating to American pressure. Kerry and his team are evidently unaware that neither Abbas, whose term of office expired several years ago, nor any other Palestinian leader is authorized to make real concessions to Israel. PA officials say they are convinced that the U.S. administration has no intention to force Israel to comply with all the demands of the Palestinian negotiators, including a full withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines. That is why Abbas has begun moves in the international community to persuade as many countries as possible to get involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The PA's strategy now is to prove to the world that Israel is not interested in peace and that the U.S. cannot be trusted with brokering a solution.
2013-11-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive