Palestinians Not Counting On Kerry's $4 Billion
The Palestinian leadership insists on negotiations based on the 1967 borders.
By the end of this week, the first in June, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) are supposed to present US Secretary of State John Kerry with their positions regarding the renewal of negotiations based on the Arab Peace Initiative.
Al-Monitor has learned that the Palestinian leadership decided after internal deliberations to tell Kerry that it would not give up its demand to launch negotiations based on the 1967 borders at any price. At most, Abbas will agree to one meeting with Netanyahu, on the condition that the prime minister commits to presenting his map for permanent borders at that meeting. Only then, they assume, will it finally become clear what Netanyahu means when he says “two states for two people.” So here’s a bit of friendly advice: Don’t hold your breath. After all, this week marks 46 years of occupation. What’s the rush?
The Palestinian leadership’s decision to insist on the 1967 borders as a precondition for renewed negotiations came the day after the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting ended in Jordan on May 27.
It was wonderful to see on the same stage Israeli millionaire Yossi Vardi with Palestinian businessman Munib al-Masri, and at their side, Jordan’s King Abdullah, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Abbas and Kerry. The moderator, WEF founder Klaus Schwab, was clearly pleased as he introduced the important guests, one by one.
