Palestinians Playing Games; British Helping Out

Okay, something is beginning to smell rotten in our new and improved Palestinian Authority. Let’s consider the following:

1. Suicide bombing takes place in Tel Aviv. 7 men are arrested by PA, but only after intelligence is provided by Israel.

2. PA accused foreign elements of causing the bombing, particularly Hizbollah. However, attackers seem to have come from West Bank. Hizbollah might just be a convenient excuse that forces everybody to look at somebody else instead of the PA.

3. Israelis have just found a car bomb with half a ton of explosives inside. The bomb was created by a cell of Islamic Jihad responsible for the TA bombing. Apparently they had a few other attacks planned including one on a school. A commanding IDF officer said about the bomb that it was so big that even an armored car or bus wouldn’t survive the explosion.

4. Israel learned about these planned attacks from Jibril Zubeidi,brother of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades commander, Zakariya Zubeidi. Zakariya is considered a hero to the Palestinians and gave Abu Mazen (Abbas) a ride on his shoulder when Abbas visited his camp, thereby giving him instant credibility.

5. A shooting attack on two guards of a settlement has caused them both injuries.

6. Abbas is in England getting his ass kissed by the British Government at the expense of Israel. This summit was supposed to establish parameters for the Palestinian Authority as well as create a basis for European support of their new government.

Except that they omitted any language regarding removing terrorism or even stopping the Qassem attacks. That’s right, they have some vague, meaningless language, despite Israel’s request that the document be more specific. What is incredible about this is that the first stage of the Road Map requires that the Palestinians take active steps to confront and eradicate terrorism.

But wait, it gets better. Since Abbas wouldn’t commit, at least Israel was promised that somebody would speak publicly about the eradication of terror. Who will be the promise makers? Condoleeza Rice and Tony Blair. 🙄

And wait, it gets even better!

The Palestinians committed to fulfilling the first stage of the Road Map. However, as I point out above, they got away with not having to address terrorism or the rockets. But for agreeing to something they already agreed to do but not really agreeing to it (confused? So were the British), Abbas got the British to include language that:

At the request of the Palestinians, the final statement creates “road map linkage,” saying that “the implementation of the commitments made by the PA would constitute a major step in implementing its road map commitments. At the same time the participants urged and expect action by Israel in relation to its own road map commitments.”

In other words: they commit to keeping their commitments, even if they reject language that specifies those commitments, and by doing so, they expect action from Israel to meet its commitments. In full.

Needless to say, the Palestinians get a commitment from the British that the international community will find and raise funds for the Palestinians.

7. WAIT! It gets better! The Jerusalem Post reports that the British ambassador to Israel, Simon McDonald, provided an official protest to the Israeli government’s decision to route the security fence around Ma’aleh Edumim, the not-so-little town just outside of Jerusalem. He indicated that this is unacceptable to Britain, as is any plan to retain Gush Etzion. He did not mention that Gush Etzion, for example, is built on lands bought by Jews and that fell into Arab hands because of 1948. Nope. They are considered to be part of what the Palestinians will get, and the Green Line has somehow become the de facto border between any two states that might come about, even if this position completely contradicts UNSCR 242 and 338. In fact, some of the language of 242 that ensures Israel may keep parts of the territories in any peace agreement were brought about, in part, with British assistance. Isn’t it funny how realpolitik changes things.

8. That didn’t satisfy my request to wait, did it? Okay, here’s the kicker. In the same interview with the JPost, McDonald also promises that Israel will have influence on the final resolution of the summit in London for the PA. Um, they requested that the Palestinian be required to include language about terrorism and the Qassem rockets…

8. Will somebody explain to me how this is any different than what we had under Arafat? Why are they playing games again? Why are the British helping them?

(ck, please add the photos of Maaleh Adumim from the jpost article and of Abbas shaking the hands of the buffoon, er Blair from the Haaretz article. Thanks)