What is Abbas' mystery proposal?
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that he will present a diplomatic plan to John Kerry when he meets him on Sept. 3.
Israeli and international circles are searching for clues as to what the new Palestinian political initiative will contain. In a television interview with Egypt’s Sada al-Balad, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was planning a major political surprise that will be made known in the coming weeks. In his victory news conference in Doha, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, Khaled Meshaal, revealed that he was made privy to the Palestinian initiative, but refrained from revealing any details. The plan will be submitted to US Secretary of State John Kerry when Abbas meets him on Sept. 3 and will be also presented for approval to the Arab League in a meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Sept. 7.
So, what is expected in this Palestinian diplomatic proposal?
It is clear that the Palestinian leader wants to take advantage of the newly discovered regional and international interest in resolving the Palestinian conflict. The 51-day war on Gaza created an international outcry, so the world is receptive to a Palestinian peace initiative that goes beyond the permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
Ever since the suspension of the US-sponsored Palestinian-Israeli peace talks in April, tensions have been on the rise and culminated in the war in Gaza. A political process dealing with the underlying issues of peace in the Middle East will certainly be welcomed both for what it will contain as well as the all-important process it may re-establish. As long as there is a peace process, people have hope.
