Abu Mazen's overlooked surprise concession on settlements
If reports are accurate, PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas agreed to allow 80% of settlers to remain in settlements annexed to Israel, a historic reversal of previous PLO positions.
Peace-making between Israel and the Palestinians has ended. In its place, the battle to explain or rationalize failure has begun.
Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas trade accusations. Both blame the Americans. Washington takes an evenhanded approach. It sees culprits everywhere … except in the mirror.
All but lost in this noise is real news that many seem to have missed.
An unnamed US official, widely assumed to be lead US negotiator Martin Indyk, told Israeli journalist Nahum Barnea that PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas “agreed to the border outline so 80% of settlers would continue living in Israeli territory.”
