- Nov 6, 2005
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As we already know, President Obama with drew his offer to bribe Israel into a 90 days settlement freeze. Then it was somewhat implied that Secretary of State Clinton might announce her own plan B by last Friday. But Friday came and went with only silence.
on any mid-east peace talks from Washington.
But today, without much fanfare, its looks like the bold new plan B is going to be the same oh same oh, let George Mitchell do it. As if the guy has not been workiung on the issue for years now.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/world/middleeast/14mideast.html?ref=global-home
On one hand the new Mitchell plan on some steroids might make some sense IMHO, because
years of past Israeli Palestinian negotiations already has forged a large area of consensus on both sides. Maybe 95% of basic issuers are already decided, but the niggling 5% of various land swaps still remain. So if Mitchell can formalize such past agreements into a single complete plan, likely to meet initial disapproval from both sides, it still then somewhat focuses attention on how to resolve the remaining disagreements to a stage where maybe 97% of the issues are resolved and only 3% remain after stage one. Then stage 2, 3,.........can occur as the remaining issues to be resolved gets smaller and smaller.
To somewhat restate the hope.
On the other hand, without the use of some sticks in addition to carrots, its hard to see the New Washington Plan B going anywhere. There is no incentive for Israel finally giving back what they can't ever own, and their settler parties will go ballistic if Israeli does. Nor can we expect the Palestinians to accept any grossly unfair settlement that Israeli would be willing to accept. Nor will it be easily politically popular for the USA to broker a " just and fair mid-east" peace given the relative strengths of entrenched Pro-Israeli lobbying and public opinion inside the USA.
So there may be indeed more to the link to consider here, if plan B leads no where, it maybe the end of US credibility as a negotiating partner in the mid-east. And when and if a the UN or a major country other than the USA takes up the role of brokering a "just and fair" mid-east peace plan, they will have the huge advantage of being able to use the large sticks and small carrots needed to get such a plan through to finalization.
And one of those sticks maybe in getting a large majority of nations to sign off on unilaterally declaring a Palestinian State with 1967 borders. As for the USA, all they need do is abstain.
on any mid-east peace talks from Washington.
But today, without much fanfare, its looks like the bold new plan B is going to be the same oh same oh, let George Mitchell do it. As if the guy has not been workiung on the issue for years now.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/world/middleeast/14mideast.html?ref=global-home
On one hand the new Mitchell plan on some steroids might make some sense IMHO, because
years of past Israeli Palestinian negotiations already has forged a large area of consensus on both sides. Maybe 95% of basic issuers are already decided, but the niggling 5% of various land swaps still remain. So if Mitchell can formalize such past agreements into a single complete plan, likely to meet initial disapproval from both sides, it still then somewhat focuses attention on how to resolve the remaining disagreements to a stage where maybe 97% of the issues are resolved and only 3% remain after stage one. Then stage 2, 3,.........can occur as the remaining issues to be resolved gets smaller and smaller.
To somewhat restate the hope.
On the other hand, without the use of some sticks in addition to carrots, its hard to see the New Washington Plan B going anywhere. There is no incentive for Israel finally giving back what they can't ever own, and their settler parties will go ballistic if Israeli does. Nor can we expect the Palestinians to accept any grossly unfair settlement that Israeli would be willing to accept. Nor will it be easily politically popular for the USA to broker a " just and fair mid-east" peace given the relative strengths of entrenched Pro-Israeli lobbying and public opinion inside the USA.
So there may be indeed more to the link to consider here, if plan B leads no where, it maybe the end of US credibility as a negotiating partner in the mid-east. And when and if a the UN or a major country other than the USA takes up the role of brokering a "just and fair" mid-east peace plan, they will have the huge advantage of being able to use the large sticks and small carrots needed to get such a plan through to finalization.
And one of those sticks maybe in getting a large majority of nations to sign off on unilaterally declaring a Palestinian State with 1967 borders. As for the USA, all they need do is abstain.
