Arab League Backs Palestinian Stance in Peace Talks, Skeptical on Israel's
The Arab League said on Sunday it supported the Palestinian stance on the announcement of resumed peace talks with Israel, but that it was skeptical of Israeli intentions.
The League "is forming a political support network for the Palestinian side in case it accepts to go to the negotiations with the Israeli side," Mohammed Sabih, deputy secretary general for Palestinian affairs and occupied Arab territories, told reporters.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet in Washington within "the next week or so" after an agreement on the basis to resume peace talks.
Both Israel and the Palestinian presidency welcomed the development, but the Islamist Hamas movement rejected a return to talks.
The Arab League had its doubts about Israel's position on the resumption of peace talks, Sabih said.
"Many in the Israeli government do not want an Arab peace initiative."
Sabih added that the Arab League was monitoring Israel's stance so the talks were not simply "negotiations for the sake of negotiations, going round in a vicious circle".
"This could be the last chance to revive the stalled peace process," he noted.
Talks have stuttered and started for decades in the elusive bid to reach a final peace deal between the Arab world and Israel.
But they collapsed completely in September 2010 when Israel refused to keep up a freeze on settlement building in Palestinian territories.
over 10 years
The Israelis have taken many steps to try to prove to the Palestinians that their aims are real.
They quit the Gaza Strip, and what happened, Hamas murdered Fatah people there, and then turned their rockets on Israel.
Israel I am sure will surprise the Palestinians in their willingness to reach a full, honest and lasting peace. The question is, do the Palestinians really want this. Or do they want to continue being the poor occupied people of the Middle East.
If the Arab League itself started talks with Israel, they might also be surprised by the stand of Israel.
over 10 years
I hope your assessment turns into reality.
over 10 years
the roar: because Israelis realize that to have peace they will need to make those concessions. Remember, Israel took the West Bank in a war initiated by Jordan, Egypt and Syria -- Israel had no plan to take those .territories in
over 10 years
A good point in your comments.
"Israel took the West Bank in a war initiated by Jordan, Egypt and Syria"
in 1967, there was no reference whatsoever of Palestinians, so how can they claim that THEIR territory is occupied.
Where exactly were they when the territory was occupied by Jordan and Egypt between 1948 and 1967. Further proof that they didn't exist then.
I wonder how the narrative will play out if Israel fails to settle this in the coming 3 years or so.
As a personal opinion, I don't think Israel had planned for such a thing.
Seeing their tactic of postponement and abandonment of peace-talks the moment it is required of them to take initiative like stopping the expansion of settlement, makes the Arabs' suspicion and conspicuous doubtfulness very well justified.