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Why We Call on the Palestinian President to Continue Negotiations

(Asharq Al-Awsat-UK) Tariq Alhomayed - The new conditions proposed by the Israeli prime minister to the U.S. administration for a freeze on settlement construction for a specific period of time - thus leading to a resumption of the peace talks - demonstrate why we had been calling on the Palestinian president to continue negotiations. This newspaper reported Monday that Netanyahu would agree to extend the settlement freeze for a period of two months on the condition that the Obama administration pledges to refrain from calling for a new extension, for construction to continue on the settlement projects that have already begun, and for Washington to agree to Israeli troops being stationed in the Jordan Rift Valley as part of any final peace agreement. In addition, Netanyahu also demanded U.S. commitment to veto any UN Security Council resolution establishing a Palestinian state, as well as providing Israel with military support. Our source also said that Netanyahu had called on the Americans to help him confront the opposition he is facing within his own government by providing him with a "benefits package" that he could present to his ministers as evidence that this settlement freeze brings with it substantial gains for the Israelis. The writer is the editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat.
2010-10-06 09:06:54
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