Sunday, August 14, 2011

"Israel defies U.S., approves another 1,600 settler homes near Jerusalem"‏

A Bell

WAIT, WAIT.

Don't let them get away with that.

Nothing in the Oslo accords limits any Israeli settlement activities. Israel only pledged to negotiate settlements in final status talks.

The Palestinians' demand that settlements end before a negotiated solution is a PALESTINIAN violation of the Oslo negotiating framework. In exchange for their concessions in Oslo, the Palestinians got
self-government, the importation of the Palestine Liberation Army, amnesty
for numerous acts of terrorism prior to 1993, etc. The refusal to hold the
Palestinians to their concession is another reason that negotiations are in
trouble. Israeli concessions are remembered by the "international
community," while Palestinian concessions are ignored.

Now it is true that Israel previously agreed to the Palestinian violation on
settlements twice. The second was the well-known Netanyahu freeze, which
expired. The first Israeli agreement to concessions on settlements was in
the Roadmap. This is, by the way, yet one more reason that accepting the
roadmap, even conditionally, was extremely foolish. But that said: (1) both
sides have not viewed the Roadmap as an enforceable agreement; rather, they
have viewed it as a negotiating framework. (2) Israel's position on the
Roadmap is that Israel's concessions in the Roadmap only kick in after the
Palestinians fulfill their phase one obligations, which they have not. (3)
Israel accepted the roadmap conditionally (with 14 reservations) and one of
the reservations was that "There will be no involvement with issues
pertaining to the final settlement. Among issues not to be discussed:
settlement in Judea, Samaria and Gaza (excluding a settlement freeze and
illegal outposts)." Thus, arguably, Israel already fulfilled its Roadmap
obligation with the Netanyahu freeze. More importantly, with the
Palestinians outside negotiations and the Roadmap negotiating framework,
Israel has no obligation to limit settlement activity.

Of course, the Palestinians never agreed to the 14 reservations. But that
just means that the two sides never agreed on the Roadmap. Israel accepted
one thing, the Palestinians another.


http://www.theobeandmail.com/news/world/africa-mideast/israel-defies-us-ap
proves-another-1600-settler-homes-near-jerusalem/article2127258/

This is why I think we have to tread VERY carefully in developing
September/UDI messaging. A lot of the most basic messages are going to
get turned around as "Israel does it too." Even the obvious message -
"this is a unilateral violation of Olso I and II because it prejudices
negotiations" - is going to get turned around with "so do Israeli
settlements" (Levy made that exact argument in his last FP article).

Focusing on how the Palestinians are trying to embarrass their US
patrons in international forums, even after all the development and
security assistance that the US has provided, and even with the most
anti-Israel President in history in the White House, is probably one of
the best messages we have. Certainly no one can say "Israel always goes
to the UN too."
Omri

Comment: Be prepared for lazy out of integrity reporting, be ready for lies about Oslo-, do your research and prepare to write and present the facts-they support us.

No comments: