First, we have a story written by Salah Nasrawi, regular AP Middle East correspondent, titled “Arabs Said Open to Peace Offer Changes.”
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister suggested Monday that Arab leaders would be willing to consider changes in their 2002 peace offer to Israel to make it “compatible” with new developments.
The statement from Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal came as Arab League foreign ministers convened Monday to prepare for a leaders summit later this week, expected to focus on how to revive Middle East peace efforts. Arab leaders have, until now, publicly rejected Israeli calls for them to make changes to the 2002 Arab peace offer.
But al-Faisal, in his opening remarks, suggested change was likely.
“It is expected from us to take notice of new developments, which require additions and developments in whatever is offered for our leaders about the issues and problems in order for their resolutions to be compatible with what is dire and new,” al-Faisal said.
“The kingdom is keen that this summit should come out with one Arab voice toward issues of destiny, and in particular the Palestinian issue,” he added.
And here’s what is reported going on behind the scenes:
Several other Arab diplomats said privately Monday that Arab leaders were seeking fresh ways to moderate their position without being seen as giving in to Israeli or American demands to change the 2002 offer.
The diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, said Arab countries including Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia would be proposing “a repackaging” of the deal.
Under that repackaging, the Arab leaders would insist that Israel accept the 2002 Arab peace plan in principle before returning to any talks, but also would agree that the Palestinians and Arab countries would be ready to soften their conditions once negotiations began, the diplomats said.
And here’s yet another sign that the Arab nations may be ready to give up insisting on the “right” to flood Israel with millions of descendants of the 1948 refugees:
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, who spoke Monday at the foreign ministers’ meeting in addition to al-Faisal, did not insist in his speech that the plan could never be changed. That was viewed as significant.
Wow. Is that true? The Arabs are finally ready to admit that the palestinians can’t return to their former homes, bringing with them three or four generations of descendants, and that they must find another solution?
Not so much. Because buried deep in this story, written by AP Diplomatic Writer Anne Gearan is one teeny, tiny paragraph that is of the utmost importance to the facts of both stories:
A senior Palestinian diplomat involved in preparations for the Arab summit said he didn’t expect major changes in the Saudi initiative.
And that is followed by the final paragraph of the story:
“These articles are going to be a direct call to Israel to accept the Arab peace initiative, as it is, and that Arab countries will commit themselves in front of the international community to start a mutual implementation of this Arab initiative,” he said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
This is a rather important fact, and belies the headlines and angles of both articles. Buried in the final two paragraphs are the words of the palestinians, who are effectively saying they will not give up the so-called “right of return”—code for the influx of descendants of palestinian refugees that would overwhelm Israel and effectively destroy her. (A point that no one ever brings up, but that is quite salient, is: How the hell do they expect to clothe, feed, and house what would be a doubling of the Israeli population? It’s a nonstarter from every direction. But I digress.)
Don’t expect anything from the summit, if it occurs. Palestinian intransigence on the issue of refugees simply cannot be overestimated.