EU initiative: Recognition of Palestinian state by next year

[shergald]

Today's Haaretz newspaper:

"French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and his Spanish counterpart Miguel Moratinos are promoting an initiative by which the European Union would recognize a Palestinian state in 18 months, even before negotiations for a permanent settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are concluded.

According to senior European diplomats and senior Israeli officials, Israel has relayed its opposition to the initiative - warning that it would undermine any chance of a successful peace process.

A senior European diplomat noted that Israel was informed about the initiative several weeks ago, a fact confirmed by a senior Israeli official. The Israeli official said the initiative is being spearheaded by Kouchner who recruited the support of the Spanish foreign minister, whose country also currently holds the rotating European Union presidency.

Israeli sources say the two foreign ministers are preparing an article they intend to publish together in some of the main European dailies. The main message of the article is that the European Union should recognize a Palestinian state before the completion of negotiations, under the assumption that such a declaration will be made by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas."

LINK: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1151219.html

[HeresyLives]

1. Hurray for the EU!

[shergald]

2. We are reminded here of a past Israeli PM's statement on negotiations.

It comes from Yitzhak Shamir (inexactly): I will have them (Palestinians) in autonomy talks for ten years. In the meantime, a half million Israelis will have settled the West Bank.

Obviously, Netanyahu's has taken a similar direction, with the low level talks now underway to serve the same purpose. During the period of the alleged freeze in settlement building, ten thousand settlers will have entered the West Bank. 29 settlements are now known to be building in spite of the freeze. No illegal outposts have been removed.

And it is safe to say, that no EU country interested in pushing for a Palestinian state is going to stop its activity because of some alleged disturbance in the peace process. There is no peace process.

[grassfed]

3. "I love peace talks. I hope they go on forever," Ariel Sharon (n/t)

[shergald]

4. So you have heard that tune before, as well.

Obviously, Netanyahu is playing the same game. There's an analogy here in the boy who cried wolf too many times. Americans seem willing to pretend that it is all real, while the Europeans seem to have had enough of it.

[oberliner]

7. Source for your quote? nt

[oberliner]

8. Shamir: This is an inaccurate quote

MEQ: You were quoted as you were about to leave office in 1992 saying, "I would have carried out autonomy talks for ten years, and meanwhile we would have reached half a million people in Judea and Samaria."1 In retrospect, does this look like the right strategy?

Shamir: This is an inaccurate quote. I said I was willing to continue lengthy negotiations for as long as it may take, in order to reach a comprehensive agreement. The amount of time necessary for negotiation is unimportant; the appropriateness and accuracy of the resulting agreement is what counts. For example, the negotiations concerning the Panama Canal between Panama and the United States were carried on for a very long period with no harm done.

http://www.meforum.org/463/yitzhak-shamir-a-lifetime-of-activism

[shergald]

9. Sounds like a rationalization to me.

Why would an Israeli PM acknowledge that his peace talks were meaningless. Perhaps the proof here is what happened: no peace, just a continuation of the occuption and colonization of "Judea and Samaria."

Shamir as well as Sharon were Likuds, and peace or two states is not part of their political agenda. Well, for that matter, it was also not in the scope of Kadima later or Labor for that matter.

[shergald]

10. A source.....

"I would have carried out autonomy talks for ten years, and meanwhile we would have reached half a million people in Judea and Samaria."
-- Yitzhak Shamir

http://www.tweniusquotes.com/notables/Yitzhak_Shamir/1.htm

Have a source that corrects this quote or do you believe that it was just made up?

[oberliner]

11. That is not really a source

A source is supposed to cite where and when the quote was made, which this website does not provide.

I believe the quote in question can originally be found in Ma‘ariv on June 26, 1992 and was most likely originally made in Hebrew. That is the citation listed in the footnote at the site I provided.

[shergald]

5. WORLD NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD – EREKAT

I don't think this headline will appear in the US. This is from the NAM NEWS NETWORK, dated Feb 22nd, 2010

"GAZA, Feb 22 (NNN-KUNA) — The international community, and the European Union (EU) in particular, needs to recognize Palestinians’ right to statehood with the borders of June 1967, said a senior official of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO).

PLO Negotiations Chief Dr Saeb Ereikat was quoted by Radio Palestine saying Monday the “European countries must work on changing Palestinian commissions to Palestinian embassies with full diplomatic prerogatives and impunity.”

If the international community is really committed to the two-state solution for the Middle East conflict, he said, then “it needs to come out loud and clear and say that there shall be a Palestinian state with the said borders, regardless of and in the face of Israeli unilateral measures and attempts to establish a status quo” fitting its own agenda."

http://news.brunei.fm/2010/02/22/world-needs-to-recognize-palestinian-statehood-erekat/

[shergald]

6. Welcome a more activist EU on Palestine

Rami G. Khouri, editor of the Beirut Daily Star staff wrote the above article on January 16, 2010. I quote just one paragraph, while recommending the entire article.

"The European statement may be the most meaningful such gesture since the June 1980 Venice Declaration by the European Council. That statement caused a stir by calling for the implementation of “the two principles universally accepted by the international community: the right to existence and to security of all states in the region, including Israel, and justice for all the peoples, which implies the recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” including a right to “self-determination.”

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=110716

Instead, it appears as if Israel under Netanyahu is heading toward Apartheid. Well, I suppose one can also state that every Israeli goverment has contributed to the Apartheid solution. It is really sad, and this is not just stupidity or myopia. It is intentful.

[shergald]

12. French FM: Palestinian statehood need not wait for the sensitive question of borders to be resolved.

Monday, 22nd February 2010

Palestinian President visits French leaders
Meeting follows diplomatic tension with Israel
AFP

"French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner (right) welcoming Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas (left) before a meeting yesterday in Paris. Mr Abbas is discussing with France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, efforts to resurrect the Middle East peace process. Photo: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas met yesterday with France's foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, who recently talked of recognising a Palestinian state even before its borders are drawn up.

The visit followed diplomatic tensions with Israel after France and other countries summoned Israeli diplomats to explain the alleged use of fake passports in the killing of a member of the Palestinian group Hamas.

Mr Abbas is meeting President Nicolas Sarkozy for a working lunch today. The foreign ministry con-firmed Mr Abbas's arrival yesterday but he and Mr Kouchner were not scheduled to make any public statements at their dinner.

Ahead of Mr Abbas's visit, Mr Kouchner was quoted as saying that in his view Palestinian statehood need not wait for the sensitive question of borders to be resolved - comments promptly dismissed by an Israel official."

[shergald]

13. LINK: Times of Malta.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100222/world-news/palestinian-president-visits-french-leaders

[shergald]

14. Well wouldn't ya know. France backs out.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

France backs off advance recognition for 'Palestine'

"French President Nicolai Sarkozy has backed off a suggestion by his Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, that France recognize a 'Palestinian state' before the 'Palestinians' start negotiations with Israel.

Middle East peace talks must be restarted to avoid a “catastrophe,” French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared Monday after meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris, stepping back from the idea that the EU should recognize a Palestinian state before an agreement is signed. "If there are no talks... we take the risk, the international community, of a third intifada,” Sarkozy said at a joint news conference with Abbas. “If we do nothing it will be a catastrophe.”

However, Sarkozy backed off of the notion of declaring a Palestinian state before borders with Israel are defined, as suggested over the weekend by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner."

http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2010/02/france-backs-off-advance-recognition.html

I don't know why this story has such a low level source, but for the time being it will have to do.