WEST BANK: France enters the Palestinians' run to September

The Palestinian race to September is going at full force, in spite of international initiatives to persuade  them to change their minds.

The latest such initiative came from France.

On a visit to Ramallah on Thursday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe revealed his government’s plan to invite Palestinians and Israelis to an international peace conference late this month or in early July in Paris.

The purpose is to restart the moribund Palestinian-Israeli negotiations before September, when the Palestinians want the United Nations Security Council to vote in favor of a resolution admitting the State of Palestine as a full member of the U.N.,  with recognized borders within the June 1967 armistice line.

“We are convinced that if nothing happens between now and September, the situation will be difficult for everyone,” Juppe said at a news conference after meeting Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Juppe stopped short of saying his country would support the Palestinian effort if Israel turns down the French initiative, which is expected to happen, emphasizing that “if nothing happens until September … all options will be open.”

Though Juppe’s plan is based mainly on President Obama’s Mideast initiative, which calls for resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations based on the 1967 borders, with agreed land swaps, it  goes a couple of steps further, which make the Israeli rejection likely.

While Obama talked about security for Israel, Juppe talked about security for the two states, and while Obama said the issues of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees would be negotiated at a later stage without giving a timeline, the French minister said these issues should be resolved within one year.

The French expansion on the Obama plan seems to have struck a positive note with the Palestinian Authority, but apparently not strongly enough to agree to attend the proposed Paris peace conference, let alone resume negotiations with Israel before it stops all settlement activities and agrees that the talks will eventually lead to a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.

Fayyad, speaking at the press conference with Juppe, said that the French initiative could succeed “if it had the right parameters that clearly state the 1967 borders and that reject the Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem, which will be the capital of the Palestinian state.”

Juppe said the French plan has the backing of the European Union and the United States. All that is left is to have the backing of Israel and the Palestinians.

--Maher Abukhater in Ramallah, West Bank

Comments

[Stefano888]

France, like the UK and US, a has Zionist-dominated government or political regime. How even handed can it be? Like the US has pretended to be in the peace process?

[Silverman]

Of course the Israel occupation in the West Bank is illegal. Everyone but Netanyahu and the American Congress know that. A simple Wiki search:

At present, the predominant view of the international community, as reflected in numerous UN resolutions, regards the building and existence of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights as a violation of international law.[42][43][44]

UN Security Council Resolution 446 refers to the Fourth Geneva Convention as the applicable international legal instrument, and calls upon Israel to desist from transferring its own population into the territories or changing their demographic makeup.

The reconvened Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions has declared the settlements illegal[45] as has the primary judicial organ of the UN, the International Court of Justice.[46]

[maynard]

Who is the dolt that states there is no legal basis for a Palestinian state?

There is a consensus amongst international jurists that the Israeli Settlements are illegal. A scant few shills for Israeli right-wing political parties and Neo-cons in the U.S. (e.g. Douglas Feith), make any bona fide legal argument against this fact.

Is Israel a nation of Laws or not? It appears the Eretz Israel ends is the only pretext to its means.

[Sashland]

The PLO should go right ahead and declare independence - it would end all previous agreements and leave Israel as the country with the only valid legal claim for all of the territory currently controlled by Israel.

Remember, all of these problems are the result of arab rejection of the State of Israel, and due to the PLO and Hamas continued terror attacks.

Got back and read the Roadmap that was agreed to by the PLO - they have yet to stop violence and incitement and are therefore not entitled under that binding agreement to move toward statehood. If they declare statehood they violate this agreement and must live with the consequences = a state of war.

[sailhardy]

Many people sympathise with the Palestinians, but it should be acknowledged that their resistance to the idea of allowing Jews to live has led them to back leaders whose only reason for being is to send Palestinians to their deaths. The Palestinian groups educate their children to kill Jews, and the result is that Jews defend themselves more effectively than the Palestinians kill. The effort at defense has led Palestinians into having to put up with roadblocks and walls to keep their suicide bombers out. Had Palestinians welcomed newcomers to their land in the 19th Century and since, they would be living side-by-side within a prosperous society. Every effort at peace has been sabotaged by Palestinians killing Jews, and not taking responsibility for their actions. So, how can peace come about? Palestinians have to change. Sympathising with them only enables them to continue to kill, to kill, and nothing but kill.

[Stefano888]

::JohnW. Yes, you are so correct about Israel's nuclear weapons and its policy of "strategic ambiguity." What needs to be known is that Vanunu, the Jewish Israeli who leaked so much info about Israel's nuclear program, had also suggested how Israel uses its possession of such as a lever against the USA at critical times. He and another Israeli had indicated that Israel targets not only Arab and Muslim populations, but also major cities and capitals of European nations. So the threat to global peace is both potential and real.

Furthermore, British intelligence and other sources leaked that Israel was very much considering using nuclear weapons back in 1980, even though it has just signed a peace agreement with Egypt and had not invaded Lebanon yet.

[Yaung]

What you guys are talking about?
the Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel and Israel as a chosen nation for Jewish, not by God, but U.S and the nuclear Israel got from U.S.

Who dare to undo it?

[Jess]

Why worry about what France thinks? They are nothing but Socialists and Communists and at the first sign of trouble just lay down their weapons like the wimpy dogs they are. Of course they will side with the Palestinians.

[Sajepress]

Panicking are we? There will be a spate of new 'initiatives' from all western powers between now and September to find a way to continue to stall any peace or resolution of this problem while Israel continues its ethnic cleansing.
The Resolution to follow and implement is Number 242 of the UN Security Council.
http://bit.ly/ChancesofPeaceDead

[JohnWV]

Over the decades of occupying the Palestinian homeland Israel reduced Gaza to an open air prison and raised humiliation, brutalization and murder to art forms. Palestinians can't afford fighter planes or other sophisticated instruments of war, so their resistance is pathetic. Israel enjoys a kill ratio near one hundred to one and way higher in killing of women and children. Pathetic or not, Hamas was legitimately elected to resist the Jewish occupation and resist they do. Israel is a racist, apartheid, tribal theocracy by, of, and for the chosen people; a danger to itself and to civilization. The Jew's cruel abuse of their goyim inferiors is on vivid display to the whole world. May the Palestinian State be established and thrive on punitive reparations so massive that Israel's very existence is justly threatened. Be it Christian, Muslim, or Jew, religious control of ICBM nukes with submarine and land launch systems is profoundly scary. Yet we enabled the tribal theocracy of chosen people to become so equipped. Why, how, who, and whatever were we thinking?

[Stefano888]

Not one shred of evidence God/gods exist. No "chosen people" either by a god or devil. The bible is plagiarized. No ancient empire or city-state asking for a right of return runs contrary to international law, rationality, historicism, or evolution. It is only in the minds of an elitist, self-righteous, messianic people. Israel has been built on religious mythology, Zionist lies, deception, superstitions, British imperialism, the racist white man's burden ideology, mafia and Hollywood contributions, greedy Rothschild finance capitalism, Soviet Bolshevism, a Zionist-Nazi connection, terrorism, massacres, the holocaust industry, post-Cold War power politics, South African-styled apartheid, human rights abuses, repression, neo-colonialism, illegal occupation and settlements and annexations, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. And the US occupied lackey Congress gave Netanyahu 29 standing ovations?

[Chagrined]

Since America has lost its moral authority to deal with this debacle, I hope France and the EU can make Israel understand the consequence of its insidious behavior.
Hitler offered six million Jews to any country that would take them - none obliged. Europeans killed Jews and were responsible for the Holocaust, not the Palestinians! European Jewish refugees went to Palestine, took homes and land that belong to the Palestinians making the Palestinians refugees. So Jews are to the Palestinians what Hitler was to them? Are Jews any less evil? Jews owned 7% of Palestine at this time.
The Palestinians and the American people are tired of suffering the consequence of the Holocaust!

[jlpg29]

"I can even guess the date of the vote; Thursday Sept 29, 2011 is Rosh Ha Shonna, when the Israelis will not be present at the UN for religious reasons."

Maybe you are right---the vote could be on that Jewish holiday--but if Jews really want an state and this nonsense solved ----they will be there. Later, they can apologize--offer some gift--some party---hell I don't know what they do in this type of important meetings take place. But, they should be there.

[Curly]

One should remember that the Jerusalem today is the not the capital of the state of Israel that God founded after the Exodus. Israel as a chosen nation ended three and onehalf years after Christ was crucified. That was confirmed in 70 AD when Jerusalem was destroyed. Now this is not saying that Israel should not be a nation today, quite the contrary Israel should and so should Palestine be a nation. It just remains for the two people to set down and work it out. The rest of the world could help them if it required each side to recognize the other and then insure that neither tries to push the other off the land that THEY agree to. If Hamas dose not want to inter into this agreement then they would not have the protection of the rest of the world.

[peabo89]

the jewish state believe the status quo is great.they can continue to occupy palestine and build their iranian style theocracy.there is no democracy in the jewish state,all states based on religion are tyrannical.if the jewish people want a nation of their own i suggest they down size to a vatican style nation and let the rest of the world move forward without religous and ethnic bigorty

[amos33]

"And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." Zechariah 12:3

[agarroni]

3 reasons why there'll never be a so called Palestinian state. #1. There isn't any legal basis, everyone knows Israel is the eternal homeland of the Jews. #2. The so called Palestinian State movement (1964) is a racket, using a 'mob' under the guise of "statehood". Arafat died with an estate of $1.2 Billion! They violate international law, commit crimes against humanity- all while they openly state they refuse to recognise Israel as a Jewish state- while they demand they have part of Israel for a state. #3. Insufficient resources, the reality is there can't be a real functioning state per se with 2 parcels of land in different places under 2 governments. So inbetween stealing millions in aid, they have time and money to fire rockets at Israeli citizens and thats never going to result in an indepenent state.

[jane]

If France wants them to have a state let France give them one.

[Steve]

Can you not hear Obama's 1967 borders by design? Wake up and read the UN Charter that NEVER mentions Palistinians cos they were fabricated after losing their attempted genocide. Google the Palistian Post now the J Post! Un 252 is another illegal contract broken by Arabs refusing Israel as a state since founding! Do not even think the French are anything but antisemites and inept cowards and arrogant/elitists. I mean Europeons in general have a sordid history and still doing business with Iran for Nukes. This is nothing but grandstanding same as Obama. Get real, its only about Sharia Law that Ill liberals support and defend. Really a bunch of old failed socialists, apprasing their way to WWIII thats in progress. Watch the web documentary IRANIUM and prepare for war as the ONLY result!

[david]

We need to see senior Israelis tried and convicted at the intwrnational court on human rights for their 40 year long period of prolonged crimes against humanity and genocide, before any 'reconciliation' can occur.