Comments on: “I … am in the position to grant nothing”

By: Alex Bensky

Alex Bensky — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:40:32 +0000

The next step is obvious, Dad. Israel must make far reaching concessions to buttress Abbas’s position so he can win over the dissident Palestinian elements. Such concessions will strengthen Abbas and allow him to progress towards the two-state solution that he says he wants.

Any bets that this is going to be a common response when it turns out he can’t offer anything?

By: anon

anon — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:49:38 +0000

Russ is correct.

Of course, when the talks fail, all the fingers will wag at Bibi and the Israelis.

So whether the problem is lack of legitimacy for Abbas, or Palestinian unwillingness
to make peace, or continued hatred against Israel and the Jews as expressed by almost
all Arab leaders … it will STILL be Israel’s fault.

Then again, when the huge natural gas fields off of the coast come into production,
and Israeli owned hydrocarbons can flood the world at bargain basement prices, is
there a possibility things will change?

The socialists in charge of Norway and the U.K. are starting to soil their pants.
Without all that oil and gas revenue they won’t be able to bribe their populations.
Hence their already extreme anti-Jewish rhetoric will only get more fierce. Who
knows? They might not even really hate the Jews. But they sure do love all that
MONEY!

By: Russ

Russ — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:24:54 +0000

The one necessary qualification for a negotiator is the credible power to make concessions. Abbas has no such power, nor can any other Palestinian as long as they are divided and have a long record of reneging on all agreements.