By Vic Rosenthal
“Every Palestinian contact that recognizes Israel, I see as a partner in negotiations – even if we’re speaking of Hamas,” [Amir] Peretz said at the Institute for Policy and Strategy of the IDC Herzliya, while not mentioning the two other conditions set by the Quartet – a cessation of terror activity and the recognition of previous Israel-Palestinian Authority peace agreements. — Jerusalem Post
Peretz has perhaps not noticed that Hamas’ ‘recognition’ of Israel is like my recognizing a tiger I meet in the street: I can’t avoid it, but I don’t agree that it has a right to be there.
Further, he feels that Israel can negotiate — which must mean “offer concessions in return for peace” — with a group that is presently trying to kill Israelis, and whose public and oft-stated goal is the elimination of Israel. What could lead him to think that concessions would be rewarded with peace? And what kind of country would do this?
“Despite some mistakes, there were important achievements during the war,” he said. “In the end, we changed the reality in southern Lebanon. We proved that the threats of rockets, the kidnappings and the terror are not capable of leaving us paralyzed and helpless – and furthermore, we exposed the plans of Iran and Syria.”
Hezbollah has now changed the reality back to what it was before the war. And the exact opposite of what he says has been proved!
“The convergence plan is no more, and we must form a new political plan,” Peretz said. “The Labor Party will submit a new plan to the government merging the road map with the Saudi plan. It is important that Arab states be partners in realizing this plan.”
The Saudi Plan, which I’ve discussed at greater length here, does not specify an end to terrorism until after Israel withdraws from the territories and ‘solves’ the refugee problem in a way that all the host countries accept (and that can only be by Israel taking them). So it is considerably more tilted towards the Arabs than the roadmap, which does call for an end to terrorism and does not explicitly force Israel to accept refugees.
Of course, the Palestinians have not stopped terrorism, so even the ridiculous roadmap is dead. And therefore Peretz thinks we need something that requires even less from them and more from Israel!
Dan Halutz, a very smart and competent man, took responsibility for the Lebanon debacle and resigned. Amir Peretz, not so smart and not at all competent, should do likewise.