France announces global summit on Israel-Palestinian peace process

[Little Tich]

Source: Times of Israel

Israel, PA not invited to May 30 preparatory talks; Paris admits ‘two sides are further apart than ever’ but says ‘we have to act’

France will host a meeting of ministers from 20 countries on May 30 to try and relaunch the Israel-Palestinian peace process, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced on Thursday. He told the international press, however, that Israel and the Palestinian officials would not be invited to the meeting, which will take place in Paris.

Ayrault said the aim was to prepare an international summit in the second half of 2016, which would include the Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

“The two sides are further apart than ever,” he admitted. But he said: “There is no other solution to the conflict than establishing two states, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, living side by side in peace and safety with Jerusalem as a shared capital.

“We cannot do nothing,” Ayrault said. “We have to act before it’s too late.” He added: “I am not naive, I am perfectly sincere… There is no alternative — the other option is fatalism and I reject that.”

Read more: http://www.timesofisrael.com/france-announces-global-summit-on-israel-palestinian-peace-process/

[COLGATE4]

1. Another interesting part from the article:

"He said the discussions would be based on the 2002 Saudi peace initiative — approved by the Arab League but not Israel — which called on the Jewish state to withdraw from Palestinian territory captured in the 1967 Six Day War, including East Jerusalem, in exchange for a normalization of ties with Arab countries. "

So the starting framework for these multinational discussions is that Israel withdraw to its pre-1967 war boundaries, including giving up East Jerusalem and, in return it gets - wait for it - a normalization of ties with Arab countries. Wow. Stop the presses.

It's difficult to see why Israel turned down this great deal before. Maybe that's why neither Israel or the P.A. is being invited to this conference. Does this remind anyone else of Munich?

[branford]

2. Ironically, Israel and most of the Sunni Arab countries are quietly cooperating

behind the scenes due to mutual distrust of and commonality of interest concerning Shia Iran (e.g., notice the same reaction of the Saudis and Israelis to the Iran deal or the relatively muted response by most Arab states during the last war in Gaza).

The Sunni Arab states largely believe Hamas to be a dangerous irritant, and their connection to the Muslim Brotherhood has caused significant problems with Egypt and others. Hezbollah is even more loathed in the region because of its military support of Asad and Iran.

Normalization is happening, albeit VERY slowly and quietly, effective Palestinian political support and militant options are weak despite the howls of some college students, and U.S. domestic politics renders serious pressure on Israel almost the equivalent of political suicide.

France can host all the summits they want, but it will not make them meaningful or important unless both the Israelis and Palestinians find them valuable.

[COLGATE4]

8. Very well put! nt

[Mosby]

3. the saudi plan also includes UN res 194

5 million "refugees" would have the opportunity to move to Israel or receive reparations.

As for the so called normalization with the 22 Arab League countries, right after the plan was presented to western media amr moussa, the head of the Arab League at the time went on Arabic media the very next day to assure everyone that the normalization of relations with Israel could take place on different time frames, whatever works for the Arab countries.

The whole thing was a media stunt to place blame on Israel and it's still working to this day.

[COLGATE4]

7. Yep. And the worse part is the media always bites on these

phony proposals. So, instead of taking the Arab states to task for 1) their instransigence in even recognizing the State of Israel; 2)using the Palestinians as pawns in their larger manuevers and 3) doing nothing themselves to ease the 'plight' of all their Palestinian brethren, the lead headline always seems to be "Israel unwilling to discuss a 'reasonable' settlement with the Palestinians".

[King_David]

9. Exactly

[Little Tich]

4. The 2002 Saudi peace initiative is the only viable two-state solution the world knows of.

If Israel has any objections, it would be good to hear what they are.

[leftynyc]

6. Are you saying you

yourself can't see what the problem is with the Saudi Plan? Only Israel is asked to give up anything. Absolutely zero concessions from the Palestinians. Israel would be deranged to agree to it. It's garbage.

[shira]

10. BDS'ers don't believe in a peaceful 2 state solution. Just 2 states based on "justice".

If war breaks out as a result and 10's of thousands die, that's not their problem.

And yet they hold the moral "high" ground.

My ass.

[shira]

5. France supported the UNESCO resolution that Jews have no connection to Temple Mount

France has zero credibility in I/P affairs.

UNESCO: Jews Have No Connection to the Temple Mount

The executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Friday denied Israel’s claim to the Temple Mount and Western Wall.

Meeting in Paris, the organization ignored the Jewish connection to Jerusalem sites in a resolution that passed with 33 votes in favor, six against, and 17 abstained, and referenced only the Al-Aksa Mosque and the Al-Haram Al-Sharif (Temple Mount). The Western Wall area was referenced as the Al-Buraq Plaza. Last year UNESCO refused to reclassify the Wall as a Muslim site.

France, Spain, Sweden, Russia and Slovenia were among the non-Arab nations who supported the resolution. Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States objected.

The resolution accused Israel of planting “fake Jewish graves” in eastern Jerusalem. This claim is especially enraging, since the old Jewish cemetery on Mount Olives was desecrated by the Jordanians before 1967, with its tombstones being used to pave roads.

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/unesco-jews-have-no-connection-to-the-temple-mount/2016/04/16/

[ericson00]

11. France, go deal with your immigration problem

and accepting even more refugees after the Paris attacks.