Opinion, May 25, 2003, Al-Jazeerah.info
Human Price of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine
Israeli daily aggression on the Palestinian people
Mission and meaning of Al-Jazeerah
Cities, localities, and tourist attractions
Roadmap confusion abounds,
Gulf
News, 5/25/03
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said that
he will today present the Quartet's roadmap to his cabinet for conditional
approval. Having won assurances from the Bush administration that they
will consider the 15 objections to the roadmap that were raised by the
Israeli government, Sharon now thinks he can win over the far-right
politicians of his coalition to get negotiations started - subject to
compliance by the Palestinians with certain demands by the Israelis. So
far, it seems as if progress along the road to peace is one tentative step
forward, half a step backward.
Added to the confusion is the obfuscation caused by the Bush
administration; one part is saying it will consider the objections raised
by the Israelis, yet Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that there
will be no amendments to the roadmap. Equally, though, he has indicated
that the objections will be "looked at" thus signalling to the
Israelis their belief that the objections raised will be incorporated in
any final plan.
Likely the reason for all the confusion is America's thinking
to promise anything to everyone, just so they can get representatives of
each side around a negotiating table. Yet this is gross misrepresentation,
since it is tantamount to giving false promises to each side, in an
endeavour to be all things to all people. But when the time comes to
negotiate face to face, the false promises that have been made will
quickly come to light, causing a rift once again that could spell the
death knell of any roadmap.
Whilst the roadmap is not perfect by any means, and there
remains a large number of issues that have to be mutually agree upon for
simultaneous action to be taken by both sides, it is well for America to
not to entertain Israeli suggestions of change.
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| Earth, a planet hungry for peace |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |