I wouldn’t say it here. I put out a proper posting. But allow me to quote my mother, who is 89 years old and lives in Sharon MA. "This peace negotiation…" she said by phone this evening. "They want part of Jerusalem, with the holy places, and all of the West Bank?? They should all croak [slang for drop dead]."
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So there’s no agreement on a joint statement , although reportedly it’s still being worked on. And the US is now saying is doesn’t matter.
Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a senior Abbas aide , has pronounced us "not ready for peace." If, by ‘peace’ he means complete capitulation, then he is correct.
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Statement of the day: "If there is still someone who is not prepared to shake Israel’s hand, I will not shake his hand." This said by Olmert after Saudi Prince Faisal refused to shake his hand at a pre-conference meeting.
Do you think Faisal’s refusal to shake Olmert’s hand is giving Tzipi Livni a hint about the fact that the Arabs have not come to Annapolis to protect Israeli security?
JINSA (in Report #723) had the best comment on this: "We personally would be relieved not to have to touch the representative of a country that sentenced a 19-year-old gang-rape victim to 200 lashes and six months in jail because she was out at the time of the rape with a man who was not her relative."
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The majority of the Hamas people who had been detained by the PA have been released. This is the old revolving door policy, which never seems to change. Not a single Hamas detainee has been put on trial, either. Just this week, as a conciliatory measure towards Hamas — which is vociferously criticizing Abbas for his participation in Annapolis — the PA has released three more of their men.
Do you think this policy is giving relevant parties a clue as to how Abbas would act if he were handed control of Judea and Samaria?
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Some ten thousand protesters gathered in French Square (that’s by the Prima Kings hotel) tonight to protest what Olmert intends to do.
Said MK Zvi Hendel (NRP): "Never before has a prime minister been so dangerous to the people of Israel."
Shaul Goldstein, head of the Gush Etzion settler’s council in the West Bank, told Olmert: "The people of Israel did not give you a mandate to give away its property and what belongs to it historically; you have no mandate sir."
MK David Rotem (Yisrael Beitenu) said: "We’re all here as one to say to the government of Israel – do not raise your hand against Jerusalem, do not raise your hand against the settlements in Judea and Samaria.
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According to Israel Radio, Michael Eitan (Likud) has asked Attorney General Mazuz to inform the prime minister that if he signs anything at Annapolis he must add a clause that the deal is ‘pending Knesset approval.’ The issue of Knesset approval (just as the Senate must ratify treaties) is critical. I don’t know that Mazuz has the authority to thus instruct Olmert but this goes absolutely in the right direction.
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From the IDF spokesman: Since June, on the average, every three hours the Palestinians send a rocket into Israel.
Contemplate that, if you will.
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So…the "big" day arrives . My wish is still that it might implode. End in fiasco. Make fools of Rice and Bush for pushing this on us. There is an overwhelming amount of commentary at this point on what will happen. Everything from the ridiculously dire (I got one e-mail that said if we are forced to surrender Judea and Samaria it spells the end of Western civilization) to the ridiculously optimistic (peace within eight months).
Caroline Glick, in an interview with Kathryn Lopez of NRO has the best take on what good might come out of Annapolis:
"The only good thing that can come from this conference is that President George W. Bush recognizes the harm that Rice is doing to the U.S.’s national-security interests by undermining the Bush doctrine…If the failure of Annapolis causes the president to distance himself from Rice and end her foreign-policy supremacy, then in retrospect, the conference may have been worth the effort." We should only be so lucky!
As the conference is now being described , it is not a negotiating session at all, but a prelude that sets a mood, with negotiations to follow.
Myself, I still am convinced that nothing major can come of this because the parties are so far apart and reconciliation is not possible. I am praying that the damage will be limited, that Olmert will not sign anything that binds us. That too many dangerous precedents will not be put in place. That the violence that will ensue will not be too ghastly. (We are on high security alert now because of the conference.)
With all this said, please also pray for us.
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