What could possibly have gone wrong there? They’d all have been from the Vast Majority of Moderates, right? That is, despite having been fed a steady diet from birth of hatred of Jews and other non-Muslims — yes, even among our “moderate” “partners for peace” in the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinians, faced with this and an offer of all of the West Bank, Gaza, and parts of Jerusalem, “were not prepared to make the extra step,” in Olmert’s words. And all of the offers that have not been “enough,” for the surrounding Arab states all they way back to 1948, should be very telling.
It should be clear — if the maps without Israel didn’t offer some hint — that peaceful coexistence is not the ultimate goal on the Palestinian side. As such, Israel’s right to exist is not part of the equation for them, and they are negotiating in the utmost of bad faith, looking busy for the sake of inducing the U.S. and others to pressure Israel into more concessions.
What comparable compromises have the Palestinian parties offered? The world expects Israel to do the lion’s share of compromising and bending over backwards in hopes that, maybe, the next concession will be the one that turns the tide for peace. Then again, compromise is a component of civilized behavior. That the Palestinians are held to a lower standard should insult them, but it doesn’t appear to do so.
We are told over and over that Islam is a religion of peace, but wanting peace only on one’s own terms, with one’s sense of entitlements and every desire for domination and tribute fulfilled, is not working for peace. By those standards, Imperial Japan was in it for “peace.”
“Former Israeli premier details failed peace offer,” from the Associated Press, September 19:
TEL AVIV, Israel – Israel’s former premier has given his most detailed description of his 2008 peace offer to the Palestinians and says if the current talks succeed, a deal would have to look like his plan.
Ehud Olmert says his offer would put the sides “on the brink” of an agreement, though the current premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, has taken it off the table.
Olmert said in a lecture Sunday that he offered the Palestinians Gaza, nearly all the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem.
He says he offered to repatriate fewer than 20,000 Palestinian refugees, while the U.S. was prepared to accept 100,000 more.
Olmert says the Palestinians were “not prepared to make the extra step.”
Negotiator Saeb Erekat said Sunday the Palestinians made a counter-offer but gave no details….