France announces global summit on Israel-Palestinian peace process
http://www.timesofisrael.com/france-announces-global-summit-on-israel-palestinian-peace-process/
France announces global summit on Israel-Palestinian peace process
France will host a meeting of ministers from 20 countries on May 30 to try and relaunch the Israel-Palestinian peace process, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced on Thursday. He told the international press, however, that Israel and the Palestinian officials would not be invited to the meeting, which will take place in Paris.
Ayrault said the aim was to prepare an international summit in the second half of 2016, which would include the Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
“The two sides are further apart than ever,” he admitted. But he said: “There is no other solution to the conflict than establishing two states, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, living side by side in peace and safety with Jerusalem as a shared capital.
“We cannot do nothing,” Ayrault said. “We have to act before it’s too late.” He added: “I am not naive, I am perfectly sincere… There is no alternative — the other option is fatalism and I reject that.”
He said the discussions would be based on the 2002 Saudi peace initiative — approved by the Arab League but not Israel — which called on the Jewish state to withdraw from Palestinian territory captured in the 1967 Six Day War, including East Jerusalem, in exchange for a normalization of ties with Arab countries. It also outlined the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza and envisaged a “just solution” of the refugee issue.
French President Francois Hollande (right) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pose for photographers at the Elysee Palace, Paris, January 11, 2015. (photo credit: AP/Thibault Camus)
“In Israel, the government is more and more ambiguous on the issue of a two-state solution and the Palestinians are more and more divided,” Ayrault said. “We have to explain to the Israelis that settlement activity is a dangerous process and that it puts their own security in danger.”
The initiative was announced in February by Ayrault’s predecessor Laurent Fabius. A former French ambassador to Washington, Pierre Vimont, has been given the job of preparing the meetings.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, who brokered a previous round of Israel-Palestinian peace talks that collapsed in April 2014, gave the French proposal a guarded welcome when he visited Paris in March.
“Not any one country or one person can resolve this. This is going to require the global community, it will require international support,” Kerry said.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told French President Francois Hollande during a meeting last Friday night in Paris that the Palestinians fully back France’s initiative.
French President Francois Hollande (left) embraces Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (right) after their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 15, 2016. (AFP/Dominique Faget)
“France plays an important role in efforts to establish a fair, comprehensive and durable peace in accordance with international resolutions,” Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said after the two met.
Peace efforts have been at a complete standstill since a US initiative collapsed two years ago.
Israel is in the midst of a wave of Palestinian stabbing, car-ramming, and shooting attacks that has killed 29 Israelis and 4 foreign nationals since October of last year. Some 200 Palestinians have been killed during that time, most while carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to the Israeli authorities. On Monday, a Hamas terrorist carried out a suicide attack on a bus in Jerusalem, injuring 20 people.
Abbas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly expressed interest in meeting with each other over the last several weeks, but neither side has made a public move to jump-start negotiations.
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Peace efforts have been at a complete standstill since a US initiative collapsed two years ago.
They might have better luck without Kerry screwing things up.
I have only two words to say to this: "Good luck".
He said the discussions would be based on the 2002 Saudi peace initiative — approved by the Arab League but not Israel — which called on the Jewish state to withdraw from Palestinian territory captured in the 1967 Six Day War, including East Jerusalem, in exchange for a normalization of ties with Arab countries. It also outlined the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza and envisaged a “just solution” of the refugee issue.
This is a pretty straightforward initiative. I get it.
I would like to keep a semblance of objectivity, in order not to be labeled, so I'm going to go slow here.
I have read this baseline, and a good number of others in the last 20 years.
I have a question:
Where in this, or any other initiative, can you point out to me the Palestinians' responsibilities and requirements? I very plainly see all of the requirements of Israel, but none for the other side.
I have more questions, but I'm just going to pose them one at a time.
'Xactly.
Arab countriies to Israel --- "Israel, give us more land...
and we will "normalize" our relations with you".
Fuk dat,,,
It would seem to me that it's always concessions on the Israeli side of things.
What does ''normalization of ties with Arab countries'' mean?
You are correct. Israel has bent over backwards going back decades and the Arabs have offered nothing but recalcitrance. They will not be happy until every Jew has been driven to the sea. There would not be a conflict if the arabs and the snake, Arafat had not rejected a the incredibly generous offer. They were offered everything they ever wanted and rejected it because they only know war. This eternal conflict is squarely on the arabs.
From what I gather, your roots are native. I can see why you support Israel's need for a safe haven. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Surrender.
B4 the "Palestinians" can form one state they have to decide which state is going to lead it . Will it be Gaza or the West Bank ? They usually decide this issue by killing each other ...
It is all they know. The only thing they enjoy more than killing each other is killing a Jew.
I have brought this up innumeral times - how is it that they have excelled at killing and violence, but when it comes to intellect and development, they falter. It is clear from the number of nobel prizes where their values are housed. I am probably not allowed to call them sub-human, so I won't.
I am probably not allowed to call them sub-human, so I won't.
Except you just did. I'm not allowed to call you a bigot, so I wont, but your statement certainly was..
I am probably not allowed to call them sub-human, so I won't.
Except you just did. I'm not allowed to call you a bigot, so I wont, but your statement certainly was bigoted.
Come to think of it, it was a racist statement too.
Actually you are allowed to call them sub-human (you just can't call another member of the site sub-human or attack them personally in any manner (Please read the Code of Conduct located at the bottom of every page)), but it will reflect on your...shall we say "Character".
One of the participants on this site said it best regarding the arabs - you give an arab your hand, and he'll want your entire arm. It is there for all the world to see, and it is obvious who is fully to blame for this protraction.
Which may eventually solve the issue.