KHALED ABU TOAMEH
09/07/2010 13:35
In 'Al-Quds' interview, PA president says Palestinians won't recognize Israel as Jewish state, accuses PM of trying to "strip" Israeli-Arabs' rights.
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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas rejected Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's talk about an "historic compromise" and said there would be no compromises on core issues such as Jerusalem and borders.
Abbas also reiterated his rejection of Netanyahu's demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state. "We're not talking about a Jewish state and we won't talk about one," Abbas said in an interview with the semi-official Al-Quds newspaper. "For us, there is the state of Israel and we won't recognize Israel as a Jewish state." Abbas said that in recent meetings with leaders of the Jewish community in the US, he made it clear that the Palestinians would not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. "I told them that this is their business and that they are free to call themselves whatever they want," Abbas said. "But [I told them] you can't expect us to accept this."
Abbas said that by raising the issue of Israel's right to be a Jewish state, Netanyahu was seeking to "strip" Israeli-Arabs of their rights and turn them into illegal citizens. He said that Netanyahu's goal was also to block any chance of Palestinian "refugees" from returning to their original homes inside Israel.
Asked about the possibility of dismantling the PA, Abbas said he did not rule out such an option if he reached the conclusion that the peace talks are hopeless. However, he stressed that this option was not on the table at present.
Comment: Please take a step back from all of the emotions and analyze what is going on in a rationale manner. First, Abbas is an "out-of-term"Leader of his group-his term expired over a year ago. Second, he has internal Fatah problems, external problems in his backyard. Third, his own "people" do not want him to talk with Israel, his enemies likewise have told him not to talk or face the consequences. Fourth, Hamas' position is clear and they mince no words-do not talk with Israel.Fifth, Abbas has told us time and again what he really believes, no secrets, yet the West does not listen or want to hear or chooses to turn a deaf ear to promote their own agenda.
Abbas has said the following non-starters must be in place or the talks fail:
Return to the"1967 borders"; never identify Israel as a Jewish nation; right of return for all refugees;Jerusalem to be Palestinian capitol; construction freeze must remain in place.
This is the public position of Abbas. There are no such thing as "1967 borders", he knows it but it plays every time in the media-no one challenges him it-EVER! Jerusalem will never be divided again; "refugees"-there are none, those who chose to leave, those who chose to not return would have been citizens of the nations they ran to if their "brothers and sisters" would have accepted them.
This is nothing more than politics as usual. Individuals are positioning themselves inside Israel, the USA and in Jordan and Egypt as I write. So, please, take a deep breath.
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