With signals emanating from the upper PA echelon indicating a unilateral declaration of statehood may be forthcoming, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is growing increasingly concerned, realizing such a move may result in new facts on the ground, some unwanted realities that are not in Israel’s best interests. The prime minister is seeking to enlist support against such a move, seeking to compel PA (Palestinian Authority) leaders to return to the negotiating table and place a declaration of statehood on the side, until such time an agreement has been reached with Israel and not to act unilaterally. While the PLO has declared statehood in the past, the declaration did not enjoy significant acceptance and therefore, did not have the desired impact. Today, such a move might enjoy wider spread acceptance in the international community.
In his address to the Jerusalem-based Saban Forum, the prime minister will call on PA leaders to immediately return to the negotiating table and abandon any planned unilateral drastic moves.
The prime minister continues to reiterate Israel remains willing to resume talks with the PA immediately, without preconditions, but PA leaders continue to cling to demand for a total and unconditional Israeli construction freeze, despite statements from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that such a move should be left for negotiations and not set as a prerequisite.
PA officials continue to express their disappointment with the too forgiving White House policy with Israel, seeking increasing American support to compel Israel to halt settlement and eastern Jerusalem construction – a move that is perhaps of greater muscle-flexing significance than anything else, but a demand that Abu Mazen appears unwilling to relinquish.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
Obviously this is the threat Obama whispered to Netanyahu last week that we weren’t allowed to hear.
Now he’s pushing it through. Publicly, the US will either vote against it in a way that it goes through anyway, or even just abstain…
Obama’s fingerprints are all over this move.