Jerusalem - US President George W Bush, marking 60 years
since Israel was founded with a highly-supportive address to its
Knesset, outlined his vision for the Middle East in another 60 years.
'Israel will be celebrating its 120th anniversary as one of the
world's great democracies, a secure and flourishing homeland for the
Jewish people. The Palestinian people will have the homeland they
have long dreamed of and deserved,' he told the Israeli parliament.
'From Cairo and Riyadh, to Baghdad and Beirut, people will live in
free and independent societies. ... Iran and Syria will be peaceful
nations, where today's oppression is a distant memory. ... And al-
Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas will be defeated.'
But just eight months from the deadline, it is still unclear
whether a key part of that vision - a peace agreement between Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas -
will become reality before Bush leaves office in January 2009.
While the Israeli premier has spoken of 'serious progress' in his
negotiations with Abbas, begun late last year after a seven-year
freeze in the peace process, Palestinian officials have downplayed
Olmert's statements, one of whom even called them a 'big lie.'
During his first visit to Israel and the West Bank in January,
Bush stated unequivocally that: 'I believe it's going to happen, that
there will be a signed peace treaty by the time I leave office.'
This time, although meant largely to honour Israel's 60th
anniversary, Bush, wrapping up his 48-hour visit Friday morning, did
not mention the peace negotiations in any of his statements.
His national security advisor, Stephen Hadley, did say the parties
were making progress. Bush 'thinks it still can be done,' he said of
their efforts to reach an agreement by the end of the year.
Not only have ongoing violence in and from Hamas-controlled Gaza,
and Israel's refusal to stop building in those settlement blocks it
wants to keep 'forever,' marred the revived peace talks, a new police
investigation against Olmert threatening his political future has
created more uncertainty for the process.
Some five months after the peace talks were revived, the parties
now appear to be coming to terms with the possibility that they may
not be able to reach a final peace deal before the deadline passes,
but an interim, or 'framework' one. Already in February, Israeli
Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon, a close confidante of Olmert's,
said he doubted the sides would be able to reach a final peace treaty
on time. But he said it was 'possible, not mission impossible' to
reach a 'declaration of principles.'
A key advisor to Abbas, Nimr Hammad, said earlier this week that
the Palestinians might have to make do with a framework agreement, if
a final deal is unreachable by the end of the year, although 'it is
not what we want and does not meet our expectations.'
Olmert meanwhile promised Bush Wednesday that he was 'genuinely
interested' in meeting the deadline he and Abbas set for themselves
in Annapolis, Maryland in November.
Even the 'understanding' that he envisions - whether a framework
agrement or a declaration of principles - would deal with key core
issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the final
border between Israel and the future Palestinian state, security
arrangements and the Palestinian refugee problem.
But for the first time, Olmert publicly said that he wants to
leave a final settlement on perhaps the most sensitive of the core
issues - Jerusalem - out of the understanding, for 'later.'
'We need to reach an understanding ... that will relate to the
issue of borders, to the issue of refugees, to the issue of the
security arrangements, and will set forth also, at the end of the
day, the framework for how to deal later with the issue of
Jerusalem,' Olmert said in a joint photo-opportunity with Bush.
Nevertheless, what stood out in Olmert's statements was not what
he said, but what he did not say. In a number of instances, he
referred to Jerusalem as 'our eternal capital,' rather than 'our
eternal, undivided capital.' The latter thus far was the stock phrase
used by just about every single Israeli leader, to underscore
Israel's claim to the entire city as its capital.
His omission was a clear signal that he is ready to make future
compromises on Jerusalem.
Whatever the few hints shedding some light on the negotiations,
the truth is, no one knows whether the parties have made some or any
progress at all. As they are highly sensitive, the talks are
classified and held away from the media glare.
Olmert, under attack and with rock-bottom ratings, has a political
interest in portraying the talks as successful. The Palestinians have
an interest in downplaying progress, to keep up the pressure on
Israel.
Bush, his reputation at stake as the key sponsor, too has an
interest in placing a positive spin on the talks.
Only time will tell. In the mean time, the clock is ticking.
GIlly BatesMay 15th, 2008 - 17:26:43
Bush the war monger & the war mongering Israelis. Two of a perfect pair. Both would love to blow up the world if they could. What a bunch of f'ing idiots.
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