Jan 31, 2011

The Palestine Papers

Jim FletcherBy Jim Fletcher
Prophecy Matters

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It was reported recently that high-level papers related to diplomatic efforts on the part of the Palestinians were leaked to Al-Jazeera, the Arab news network.

I don’t believe that.

The 1,600 documents offer what many are saying are eye-opening concessions that the Palestinians are willing to make to obtain “peace.”

For example, the Palestinian Authority (really just a cleaned-up version of the old, sinister PLO) has never publicly backed-off demands for the so-called “Right of Return” (the effort to allow all Palestinians back into the West Bank); all of east Jerusalem as a capitol, and a strict return of Israel to the 1967 borders.

(An aside: the fascinating thing is, the Arabs hope for a return to the 1948 lines, using the added territory to launch a final assault against a severely shrunken Israel.)

In a FAQ section on the Al-Jazeera website, the agency admits that the papers themselves — the PDF versions — say they were created in 2011; here is how Al-Jazeera answers that:

“In order to protect the integrity of the Palestine Papers, Al Jazeera created fresh PDF copies of each document. They are exact duplicates of the originals, except where personal contact information was redacted.”
Right.

The papers themselves are comprised of meeting minutes, emails, reports, talking points and prep for meetings, draft agreements, maps, charts and graphs. Among the “stunning revelations” is that hard-line PA negotiator Saeb Erekat has “offered” (!) Israel “The biggest Yerushalayim in Jewish history.”

Is this a stand-up routine? The biggest Jerusalem in Jewish history has been in place for the past 43 years. Arab narcissism is so massive, they believe they can fool people into believing statements like that of Erekat’s.

My point in all this is that I don’t believe the papers were leaked outside the network of the two negotiating sides, but that the Palestinians themselves leaked them as trial balloons for the international community, both to appear magnanimous and to signal a serious effort at an historic settlement with Israel.

Among the other “concessions” by the Palestinians is the recognition that there will be only a symbolic right of return, with perhaps 5,000 Palestinians allowed to return.

The issue is, the Arab style of negotiating is to publicly make ludicrous demands, but privately acknowledge they’ll have to take something less. But in the case of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the PA actually hopes the international community will think they are reasonable, thus obtaining even more than would reasonably be expected.

Al-Jazeera is an Arab news network. They are biased just like CNN or FOX is biased.

The Palestine Papers and their purported “leak” are but another tactic of the Arabs to maximize concessions out of Israel. Whenever the dreadful and stupid Oslo framework is exposed as an exercise in futility — and world leaders and diplomats well understand that the Palestinians are impossible to deal with — there is another move by the left to assure us that a two-state solution is the only path to peace.

Once the world has had time to digest this incredible leak, more pressure will be exerted on Israel to allow the creation of a Palestinian state.

Because the Palestinians’ “real demands” were leaked and after all, how reasonable they really are!


Related Links
Palestinian Adversaries Unite, for Now, Over Egypt - New York Times
The Palestine Papers – Nothing New Under the Sun - BPB (David Brog)
Why ‘Palestine Papers’ are the death of the peace process - Jerusalem Post
Merkel meets Netanyahu in Israel - CBC News
Potential US presidential candidate Huckabee: Israelis can build in West Bank, east Jerusalem - Los Angeles Times