Arab states are revising elements of a 2002 peace plan to encourage Israel to agree to the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state, the London-based paper Al-Quds al-Arabi reported Wednesday.The obvious question becomes will Israel accept the plan without the alleged ‘right of return’ but in my mind the real question should be – has anyone asked the Palestinians if they are willing to give up all pretenses to the ‘right of return’ in exchange for a Palestinian state?
The countries are making the amendments at United States President Barack Obama's request, the paper said. Some of the changes deal with a controversial "right of return" for Palestinian refugees to Israel or a future state of Palestine. The notion of a return to Israel proper by Palestinian refugees and their descendents has met with considerable opposition in Israel from across the political spectrum.
According to the pan-Arab paper, the amendments are also to the framing of a timetable for the normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab world, which the plan offers in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from territory conquered in the 1967 Six Day War.
I am betting the answer is a hearty – FRACK NO! And at the end of the day, it’s the Palestinians who have to live in their state and not the Saudis, Jordanians, Egyptians or even the Americans. Although, I do harbour this suspicion that in the end, the revisions to the right of return, aren't nearly as dramatic as hyped.
2 comments:
Yeah... let's wait and see, but I guess there is not a lot of hope there for another response.
I agree with the lack of hope but what concerns me is what the Obama Administration offered the Arabs in return for any revision to the right of return...but Israelis should be asking - Kama ze ole!
Let's be realistic, if the Saudis, Jordanians and Egyptians are on board for this change then the Ameican administration had to offer something which would not only be painful but heartrending for the Jews to give up. It wouldn't be money as these people are never satisfied without blood or pain. It would have to be obvious that the Jews would suffer. They have to be able to go to the Palestinians and say, yes, we know this is not what you hoped for but think of the fun you will get watching the Jews suffer. I suspect the dividing of Jerusalem and the loss of the Ha'Kotel. Perhaps, the Americans will attempt to sweeten the offer to the Israelis by saying the Jewish religious sites will come under control of the UN or a 'neutral' third party as if that would compensate for the loss if control.
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