Negotiating Final-Status Issues
Tzipi Livni, negotiating on behalf the Israeli government, and Ahmed Qurie, negotiating on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, began talks on core issues today. It’s fair to acknowledge the both sides are nowhere near agreement on any of the major issues. However, keep in mind the slow, yet significant progress made on lesser issues in recent months:
Israel releases 429 Palestinian Prisoners
Olmert denounces illegal settlements
Abbas institutes a security crackdown in the West Bank
Past history has shown that final-status issues typically illuminate the disparity on both side’s positions, leading to the collapse of negotiations (i.e. Barak-Arafat). Theses discussions will be a good indicator for future progress or lack thereof.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:04 am
[…] Three months ago, President Bush announced a lofty goal: Peace will be achieved and a two state solution will be at hand by the end of his term. This blog has urged President Bush and Secretary Rice to remain deeply engaged with negotiations. Three months later and it is clear that has not happened. More worrisome, is the judgment not to push for final-status issues, particularly Jerusalem. […]
February 26th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
It is sad to see leaders “Posturing”.
You wonder are they doing it for publicity and an extra line in history books that they tried and here is evidence of their two cents.
We need leaders that finish and accomplish with a positive note.
Enough of “we tried” and leaving us with more questions and feelings of failure.
As long as there is no dedication to see this to delivery it will not happen and the problem will extend from its 1948 inception to 2048 and 2148 and beyond. More blood shed, more negative energy engulfing the whole world.
It is sad that leaders on both side; Israel and Palestine, can not find a dedicated team to visualize the final picture, build a plan and spend the rest of the time executing, tuning and executing, updating and EXECUTAITNG, with weekly reports listing accomplishment and solutions to challenges that arise.