While Justice Minister Tzipi Livni seeks to earn her Nobel Peace Prize by giving away portions of Eretz Yisrael, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is announcing the limitations of any security guarantees given by the PA (Palestinian Authority).

Speaking with German media, the PA leader first hints at an atmosphere of optimism, denying reports that the talks with Israel have hit a “dead end”.

He then added “There is not a country in the world that does not have a political option” but regarding Israeli requests that the PA control Hamas terrorism, he admits the PA’s control over Gaza is limited at best. Hence, Livni is moving ahead as fast as the PA will permit to reach a final status agreement knowing full well the terrorism that plagues much of the country will remain unresolved. This is based on the assumption that Abu Mazen will control terror based in his areas, which to date has yielded very limited results. The burden of preventing terrorism in Yehuda and Shomron remains in the hands of the IDF, ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet), border police and other Israeli agencies.

Abu Mazen adds that any agreement reached with Israel will have to be approved by PA residents in a national referendum. He accuses Israel of taking the talks from the realm of the political to the realm of religion, referring to Israeli demands regarding eastern Yerushalayim. He did not detail at length but did mention Israeli refusal to hand over control of areas in the eastern capital and maintaining control over Har Habayis. He stresses that when Jerusalem will serve as the capital of Palestine the city will be open to all three major faiths, Islam, Judaism and Catholicism. He did mention that the State of Palestine must include area areas that were liberated by Israel in the June 1967 Six Day War.

In the interim, The Ministerial Legislative Committee on Sunday, 16 Cheshvan approved a bill authored by MK Yaakov Litzman. The bill compels minimum support of 80 MKs to change the Jerusalem map as a result of a deal with the PA. Litzman is seeking to protect Yerushalayim from Livni.

Livni, who chairs the committee, has already announced she will bring the bill for another vote as she seeks a way to block it from moving on to Knesset where it is likely to pass into law.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)