"If peace comes and the occupation comes to an end, Israel will live in a sea of peace," [Abbas] said on Tuesday after meeting his Israeli counterpart, Shimon Peres, in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Gisteren zei Saeb Erekat, onderhandelaar namens de PLO:
Saeb Erekat, chief negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organization, rejected on Monday the government's demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
In an interview with Israel Radio, Erekat said that "no state in the world connects its national identity to a religious identity."
Saeb Erekat, chief negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organization, rejected on Monday the government's demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
In an interview with Israel Radio, Erekat said that "no state in the world connects its national identity to a religious identity."
Hoe Israël dan precies in vrede zal leven na de terugtrekking uit de Westelijke Jordaanoever en de Oude Stad van Jeruzalem, is een beetje onduidelijk. In ieder geval is het geen Israëlische paranoia dat de Palestijnse eis tot recht op terugkeer van de vluchtelingen betekent dat zij Israël niet erkennen. Het is goed dat Erekat dit nu expliciet heeft gezegd.
Een twee statenoplossing betekent bij de Palestijnen een Arabisch-Palestijnse staat, waar geen Joden zullen wonen, en een gemengde, multi-etnische staat waar Joden en Arabieren als gelijkwaardige bevolkingsgroepen leven en evenveel invloed hebben op nationaal niveau.
Zoiets als de Christenen en de Moslims in Libanon, of Walloniërs en Vlamingen in België. Het falen van het eerste is inmiddels duidelijk, en België is hard op weg.
Uiteraard zal Israël nooit toestemmen in het opgeven van het Joodse recht op zelfbeschikking, waar bovenstaande natuurlijk op neer komt. Het is deprimerend dat de Palestijnen na 100 jaar conflict nog steeds niet bereid zijn dit recht te erkennen, want zolang dat het geval is zal er geen vrede komen.
Een democratische staat met een Arabische meerderheid waar de Joden volledig gelijkwaardig zijn, is science fiction. Zonder zelfbeschikking valt er voor de Joden geen vrede en veiligheid te verwachten.
Een democratische staat met een Arabische meerderheid waar de Joden volledig gelijkwaardig zijn, is science fiction. Zonder zelfbeschikking valt er voor de Joden geen vrede en veiligheid te verwachten.
Ratna
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Abbas offers Israel 'sea of peace'
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has told Israel it can live in peace if it ends its occupation of Arab lands.
Abbas offers Israel 'sea of peace'
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has told Israel it can live in peace if it ends its occupation of Arab lands.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2007
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/9ACD1AF7-E022-4293-9473-AF77DF9966B0.htm
"If peace comes and the occupation comes to an end, Israel will live in a sea of peace," he said on Tuesday after meeting his Israeli counterpart, Shimon Peres, in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Abbas said his administration was working "with ... full force" to ensure that an upcoming Middle East conference in Annapolis, US, was a success.
The talks in Maryland are an attempt to relaunch peace negotiations between the Israel and the Palestinian administration after they broke down seven years ago.
Talks 'a waste'
Abbas and Peres were in Ankara to establish an industrial park in the West Bank, which will be sponsored by Turkey - a project expected to generate jobs for thousands of Palestinians.
The two leaders are also due to address Turkey's parliament separately, with both leaders becoming the first presidents of Israel and the Palestinians to address the legislature in Ankara.
"Never before has an Israeli president been in [the Turkish parliament] and the fact that this is happening is a signal by Turkey of the neutral platform that it can extend in terms of this highly divided region," Mike Hanna, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Istanbul, said.
Peres on Monday welcomed the participation of all "moderate countries" in the Annapolis conference.
He said "the voice of peace will be stronger and louder" with more participants attending, but he said Syria had not worked towards achieving peace.
Imad Moustapha, Syria's ambassador to the US, last week called the talks a "waste" and a "photo opportunity".
Turkey, Israel's closest ally in the Islamic world, has in the past played the role of mediator between the Jewish state and its Muslim neighbours.
Abbas said his administration was working "with ... full force" to ensure that an upcoming Middle East conference in Annapolis, US, was a success.
The talks in Maryland are an attempt to relaunch peace negotiations between the Israel and the Palestinian administration after they broke down seven years ago.
Talks 'a waste'
Abbas and Peres were in Ankara to establish an industrial park in the West Bank, which will be sponsored by Turkey - a project expected to generate jobs for thousands of Palestinians.
The two leaders are also due to address Turkey's parliament separately, with both leaders becoming the first presidents of Israel and the Palestinians to address the legislature in Ankara.
"Never before has an Israeli president been in [the Turkish parliament] and the fact that this is happening is a signal by Turkey of the neutral platform that it can extend in terms of this highly divided region," Mike Hanna, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Istanbul, said.
Peres on Monday welcomed the participation of all "moderate countries" in the Annapolis conference.
He said "the voice of peace will be stronger and louder" with more participants attending, but he said Syria had not worked towards achieving peace.
Imad Moustapha, Syria's ambassador to the US, last week called the talks a "waste" and a "photo opportunity".
Turkey, Israel's closest ally in the Islamic world, has in the past played the role of mediator between the Jewish state and its Muslim neighbours.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
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IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
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