Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas noted yesterday that he would wait for at least a week before deciding whether to leave the Mideast peace talks. In the interim, U.S. intermediaries are expected to try to broker some sort of compromise that will keep the Palestinian contingent at the negotiating table. Among the sticking points for Abbas is Israel’s refusal to extend the 10-month building hiatus in the West Bank. While Abbas has threatened to withdraw from the talks on several occasions over the West Bank building issue, his most recent threat appears to be very real.
During a visit to Paris, however, Abbas noted that he would not make a hasty decision but, rather, would consult with other Palestinian leaders and the 22-member Arab League. Said Abbas, "We will not have any quick reactions. After this chain of meetings, we will be able to put out a position that clarifies the Palestinian and Arab opinion on this issue now that Israel has refused to freeze settlements."
Ironically, though Israel will not cease building efforts in the West Bank, some leaders noted that construction would be minimal in the next several months, primarily because banks and developers are hesitant to move forward with new projects in the midst of a bad economy and because they believe that building could potentially be stopped again in the near future due to the peace talks. One would like to believe, then, that the "smart money" is on a deal being brokered to extend the building freeze, though that does remain to be seen. At least one side of the peace talks table seems to be proceeding intelligently and methodically. It remains to be seen if they will be matched.
Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty
The 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty (Arabic: معاهدة السلام المصرية الإسرائيلية, Mu`āhadat as-Salām al-Misrīyah al-'Isrā'īlīyah; Hebrew: הסכם השלום בין ישראל ...
During a visit to Paris, however, Abbas noted that he would not make a hasty decision but, rather, would consult with other Palestinian leaders and the 22-member Arab League. Said Abbas, "We will not have any quick reactions. After this chain of meetings, we will be able to put out a position that clarifies the Palestinian and Arab opinion on this issue now that Israel has refused to freeze settlements."
Ironically, though Israel will not cease building efforts in the West Bank, some leaders noted that construction would be minimal in the next several months, primarily because banks and developers are hesitant to move forward with new projects in the midst of a bad economy and because they believe that building could potentially be stopped again in the near future due to the peace talks. One would like to believe, then, that the "smart money" is on a deal being brokered to extend the building freeze, though that does remain to be seen. At least one side of the peace talks table seems to be proceeding intelligently and methodically. It remains to be seen if they will be matched.
Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty
The 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty (Arabic: معاهدة السلام المصرية الإسرائيلية, Mu`āhadat as-Salām al-Misrīyah al-'Isrā'īlīyah; Hebrew: הסכם השלום בין ישראל ...
