From: Mazin Qumsiyeh journal: "Viva, Viva Negotiations!"

Returning from the Friday demonstration in Al-Walaja in unbearable heat (new
video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pftDUGV9RY) we note that the talks
about the talks about the peace talks are to resume in Washington September
2nd. The Obama administration decided not to spend any political capital
challenging the Israeli lobby. In fact the US politicians want to blunt
Republican criticism ahead of midterm elections by chalking out a diplomatic
“success” in form if not in substance. Direct talks will lead to more
erosion of Palestinian rights especially when conducted in Israeli-occupied
Washington between Abbas whose mandate as president of the Palestinian
bantustan in the West Bank expired last January and Mr. Netanyahu, a known
terrorist and war criminal leading the most extreme right-wing government in
the history of the apartheid state of Israel. I believe most Palestinians
(Abbas included) are neither optimistic nor pleased about this development.
But few of us believe it was necessary for Abbas to yield yet again. Most
(including large segments of Fatah) believe it is a huge mistake that just
set back the real cause for peace. I challenge those who think otherwise to
public debates on the issues.

An executive committee of the PLO representing various factions (who get
paid through the same system) stamped its approval by a majority to the
decision to go back to direct negotiations (and thus yield to the US
pressure). I would be curious to read any deliberations and hear from any
dissenting voices who voted no (and not just say no to their cadre members).
The fig leaf that is used to save face for the officials going to fruitless
negotiations is this statement from the Quartet:
"The Quartet reaffirms its full commitment to its previous statements,
including in Trieste on 26 June 2009, in New York on 24 September 2009, and
its statement in Moscow on 19 March 2010 which provides that direct,
bilateral negotiations that resolve all final status issues should "lead to
a settlement, negotiated between the parties, that ends the occupation which
began in 1967 and results in the emergence of an independent, democratic,
and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with
Israel and its other neighbors."

Israel already rejected the notion of ending the occupation but are thrilled
with the notion of direct negotiations without interference or
“preconditions” between the occupier and the occupied. After all, it takes
two to agree and Israel holds all the power and all the cards and it can
dictate what it wants in “direct, bilateral negotiations”. The simple
question is how TO GET A MODICUM OF Palestinian rights since the quartet
even backed down on the simple demand of “suspending settlement activities”
while negotiations go on (itself a retreat from the road map which requires
dismantling all that was built illegally since 2002)? If you can’t get the
rapist to even suspend the rape for a time, why would your demand only
direct negotiations with his rape victim in a closed room? If we accept the
notion that Netanyahu is restricted by his political coalition from even
this small gesture of a suspension of illegal colonial activities (see
Geneva conventions), then why would we expect that he will be able to offer
anything bigger (like dismantling settlements or sharing Jerusalem, or
allowing refugees to reclaim their land)? If we believe the US and its
quartet are now more serious, then how come nothing was achieved from the
indirect negotiations under their tutelage?

The Zionist movement stole 78% of Palestine and does not believe there is an
occupation of the remaining 22%. They already annexed 10% of the West Bank
and also annexed the Golan heights. They already put 500,000 colonial
settlers in the best and richest lands in the West Bank. They already steal
80% of the water from the West Bank. They make billions off of the
occupation and billions more from direct US aid tax-deductible donations
from Zionists around the world. What is the incentive to Israel to
bilaterally negotiate an “end to the occupation that began in 1967” let
alone deal with the more relevant and more significant issue of the ethnic
cleansing committed in 1948 and still continuing in places like the Galilee
and the Negev?

Initially we heard that Abbas will never go to the negotiations unless
Israel stops building in its colonial settlements in the 22% of Palestine
that some are still dreaming will become a “state”. In an interview with
CNN after the US announcement of resumption of negotiations with no
preconditions, Saeb Erekat said that he “hoped” that with the direct
negotiations beginning, that Netanyahu will extend the “moratorium on
building” in the settlements in the West Bank (supposedly set to expire in
September). Today there are nearly 500,000 colonial settlers living in the
West Bank and there was no moratorium worth the hasbara/propaganda created
about it. So I would like to ask why is he now begging for renewal of a
“moratorium” that was no moratorium? This is the same Erekat who told us
repeatedly that the partial moratorium is a ruse. Colonial settlement
construction continued and still moves with speed as we speak. I would love
the opportunity to take Mr. Erekat or anyone who has eyes to see around
Palestinian villages and show them what is actually happening on the ground.
In my area in Har Gilo and Har Homa, colonial settlement building activity
did not even take a breather. Actually, there was an acceleration last
month in buildings in Har Gilo (on top of Beit Jala) and in building the
wall that will make Al-Walaja a concentration camp pending finally
ethnically cleansing what remains of this village population.

Yes, I know all the arguments for going back to negotiations. They go along
these lines: we tried different forms of resistance, the balance of power is
tipped completely to the Israeli side which is supported by the US (thanks
to the Israel lobby), the European governments are not showing backbone,
blah blah blah. One high ranking Fatah official said we have nothing left
but negotiations. I am sorry, but if the leaders in Vietnam or Algeria or
South Africa made similar defeatist statements, these countries would never
have achieved their freedoms. If our leaders have lost faith in their cause,
they should step aside and let those who have a positive message lead. If
we are going to achieve an emasculated statelet by endless negotiations with
such leaders reaping the rotten fruits falling down from the tree after 130
years of struggle, then we do not want such statelet.

Leaders should first of all accept responsibility for their mistakes and
level with their own people. The biggest mistake in the past 20 years has
been this road of Oslo which ended the search for justice and reclamation of
Palestinian rights to replace it with a road of “security for Israel” (the
occupying power), positions and autonomy and an endless negotiations and
“process”. The process could/would somehow(if all Israeli conditions are
met) lead to state that will be less than the state of Zululand.

I could be too harsh in my statements. But should we not expect expert
opinion on issues that are existential? Should we not at least expect
consistency on the part of our supposed leaders who are really not experts
in any area of international law or diplomacy? For example, they told us
repeatedly that the reason for asking for settlement freeze is because as we
negotiate, Israel has made a Palestinian state impossible with continued
eating away what is left of Palestine. Now Palestinians have access to 8.3%
of the land of Historic Palestine and this is shrinking (the Bantustans in
the Galilee, Negev, Gaza and WB). Since Israel continued to build
everywhere even after they announced a “partial settlement building
moratorium”, why do you agree to go back to negotiations? If Netanyahu and
all his ministers say there is never going to be a compromise on Jerusalem
(illegally annexed by Israel according to International law), how will you
force his government to change its mind? And how will you deal with the
fact that Israeli politicians of all stripes say Palestinian refugees can’t
return to their homes and lands and must instead be settled elsewhere
(including the already over-crowded West Bank and Gaza of which half the
population is refugees and displaced persons)? Is compromise now defined as
you can bring any issues to the table of bilateral negotiations to which the
occupiers already said they will just say no?

Our “leaders” knows that not only they had to cave in to go back to the
negotiations but that further concessions are required to continue to fund
their Bantustan economy (and VIP status) from Western donors and Arab
countries beholden to the West. So why do they try to give out the notion
that bilateral negotiations can succeed under such circumstances? If you can
be threatened with a cut-off of aid to go back to fruitless negotiations,
why do we believe that you can resist pressure to cut off aid unless you
give up on Jerusalem or the refugees? Palestinian negotiators already are
not allowed to raise the issue of treatment of Palestinians inside the state
of Israel where Israel is demolishing whole villages. So many further
concessions are needed to maintain the privileges of running the autonomy
areas with money from the West and compliant Arab states? I believe at this
stage, three more concessions were needed: a) to return to endless direct
and public negotiations that prop-up the Israeli government (and could break
the increasing isolation of this pariah state) , b) to retract the very mild
measure of boycotting settlement products and refrain from supporting
International investigations into Israeli war crimes or legal proceedings to
hold it accountable, and c) to continue to suppress local resistance in all
its forms.

Some might dispute this and claim that the PA supports popular resistance
(and suppresses armed resistance). But unfortunately the facts of the last
year tell a different story. Could they please come to places like Beit
Sahour, Beit Jala, and Jayyus and explain to the people what had happened to
end the popular resistance in those and dozens of other places? Could they
explain why popular resistance in many places that used to be costly to the
occupation is now ritualized media stunts. Could they meet with people who
engage in real popular resistance regularly and are volunteers and not paid
employees of the PA and ask them what are the challenges they face? The
answers would be scandalous.

I am making three challenges here to all those who will be negotiating with
Israeli politicians. 1) I challenge you to come and tie yourself to an
Israeli bulldozer (or sit in front of one) in an act of civil disobedience,
and 2) I challenge you to convene panels of independent experts (not those
profiting) in every major Palestinian population center to discuss the
direction of Oslo accords and what has transpired in the last 20 years, and
3) based on 1 and 2, speak truth to the people. Much more sacrifices will
be needed and are coming from our people with or without honest leadership.
Would it not be more dignified and more likely to give us freedom if we have
to do without the foreign aid for one or two years?

And sorry, past good deeds 20 years ago do not give ANYONE the right to give
up on Palestinian rights. In international law, even duly elected leaders
of occupied people cannot give away their people’s rights. Our lives are
nothing compared to 5,000 years of our people’s history in this land. And
even the struggle against Zionism has already lasted 130 year including life
times of many who “negotiated”. Who now remembers Hassan Dajani who tried
to accommodate with the British occupation because of a balance of power.
History will not be kind to those who give-up on their own people. We the
common people, must take matters into our own hands.

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Confucius added “To know what is right and not to do it is the worst
cowardice.”
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Other relevant articles on this subject

Peace Talks in the Shadow of Demolitions

While President Barack Obama pressures Palestinians to re-engage in direct
peace talks, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu loftily counsels President
Mahmoud Abbas not to miss the opportunity, recent demolitions within the
Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel continue unabated and unaddressed.
According to OCHA, July and August have marked the highest number of
demolitions this year. As of the end of July, OCHA reports Israeli forces
have destroyed over 230 structures effectively displacing and/or affecting
over 1,100 Palestinians, including 400 children since the beginning of 2010.
http://www.badil.org/en/press-releases/135-2010/2555-press-eng-024
Analysis by Israeli Paper Haaretz: Netanyahu has won, for now

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/analysis-netanyahu-has-won-for
-now-1.309294

Economic emptiness in Palestine and Israel
By Sam Bahour
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/115149-economic-emptin
ess-in-palestine-and-israel-

RAMADAN KAREEM FROM THE NETANYAHU AND OBAMA ADMINISTRATIONS
by Jeff Halper
http://www.icahd.org/?p=5994

Palestine: Occupied, Divided, Isolated, Oppressed and Unaided
by Stephen Lendman
http://www.uruknet.de/?p=68971

And as always, come visit us in occupied Palestine…

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home
http://www.qumsiyeh.org
Professor, Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities
Chairman of the Board, Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People,
http://www.pcr.ps