these deals are not agreements. they merely demand that Israel do something for nothing. Obama still has the right to attack Israel through the UN within a year if Israel complies
PM Netanyahu’s Remarks at the Start of the Weekly Cabinet Meeting:“At this morning’s meeting, I intend to update my fellow ministers on the general outline of the American proposal for the resumption of the peace talks. This proposal was raised during my talks with Secy. of State Clinton. It is still not final; it is still being formulated by Israeli and the American teams. If and when it is complete, I will bring this proposal to the appropriate Government forum, which in this case is the Cabinet. In any case, I insist that any proposal meet the State of Israel’s security needs, both in the immediate term and vis-à-vis the threats that we will face in the coming decade.”US President Barack Obama on Sunday called the proposed 90-day settlement freeze in the West Bank presented by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to his cabinet as a “very constructive step” that he hopes will lead to serious peace negotiations soon. “I think it’s a signal that he’s serious,” Obama said in reference to Netanyahu. [Jpost; Sun, Nov 14, 2010]
Moshe Ya’alon called the American proposal a “honey trap that will plunge us into another crisis with the Americans in the future, in three months or maybe even before then.” Ya’alon made his remarks in a forum of Likud ministers that met prior to the cabinet meeting. [Jpost; Sun, Nov 14, 2010]
via crethiplethi.com
Israel is expected to announce a 90-day building freeze in Judea and Samaria, according to a stipulation in the latest American proposal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently presenting this proposal to the forum of top seven ministers in Jerusalem.
In exchange, the United States promises not to demand another freeze and veto any anti-Israel initiatives proposed to the UN Security Council in the coming year.
via ynetnews.com
Clinton offered Netanyahu a package of incentives for Israel to agree to an extension of the 'settlement freeze.' Here's what's been reported in Israel.
The US asked Israel to freeze all new settlement construction begun after September 26th for a 90-day period in exchange for support in the United Nations and 20 additional advanced fighter planes worth $3 billion, The Jerusalem Post has learned.Haaretz identifies the 'advanced fighters' as F-35's and adds:
The principles of this agreement designed to restart peace talks with the Palestinians, were relayed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to his inner cabinet, a forum of seven ministers, on Saturday night and will be explained to the full cabinet on Sunday.
The US said that if the deal was accepted it would not request an additional settlement freeze. The request does not include east Jerusalem.
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Should Israel accept the offer, the US in turn has pledged in the next year to veto any efforts by the UN Security Council to impose on Israel a non-negotiated solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, as the Palestinians have requested.
It would further veto any resolutions that deny Israel the right to self-defense or seek to de-legitimize Israel. The US would also oppose such efforts in other UN bodies and forums.
The U.S. will not ask Israel to extend the new moratorium when it expires.On Sunday, Prime Minister Netanyahu told the cabinet that the US freeze proposal was 'not final.'
Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian negotiator, said the Americans had not officially informed the Palestinians about the details of the proposal, "but they know we have a major problem in not including east Jerusalem".
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will put the U.S. plan before Palestinian
decision-makers and call for an immediate session of Arab League officials before announcing an official decision, Erekat said.
In return for an Israeli freeze, the U.S. government would deliver 20 F-35 fighter jets to Israel, a deal worth $3 billion. Moreover, if an Israeli-Palestinian agreement is achieved, the U.S. would sign a comprehensive security agreement with Israel. The U.S. and Israel are to discuss the nature of the new security arrangements in the next few weeks.
"This proposal was raised during my talks with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. It is still not final; it is still being formulated by Israeli and the American teams."There's been lots of speculation over who will vote in favor and who against in the cabinet. Read the whole thing.
Speaking at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said "if and when it is complete, I will bring this proposal to the appropriate Government forum, which in this case is the Cabinet."
"In any case, I insist that any proposal meet the State of Israel's security needs, both in the immediate term and vis-à-vis the threats that we will face in the coming decade," Netanyahu explained.
Here's the key to the American offer: The offer to support Israel in the UN is not open-ended. It's good for a year. (It also bears pointing out that the 'security agreement' with the US is also contingent upon Israel reaching a final status deal with the 'Palestinians'). As one cabinet minister asked on Sunday, why should we give a three-month settlement freeze for support that has always been automatic until now? Why let the US tell us that in a year they will stop supporting us in the UN? Well, it's worse than that.
Why would the 'Palestinians' accept this deal without a 'settlement freeze' in Jerusalem? Because the Obama administration is going to promise them that if they accept it and there's still no deal in year or in August 2011, the Obama administration will not veto (at least!) a Security Council initiative to declare a 'Palestinian state.' And that's why this deal is so dangerous for Israel.
Could Obama let a 'Palestinian state' go through the Security Council without a deal like this? Of course he could. But he wouldn't be able to say that Israel agreed to it and Congress would then be outraged. It would also ensure that Obama is a one-term President. But if we agree to this deal, we are agreeing that if there's no deal with the 'Palestinians' in a year (and we all know there won't be), the Obama administration will allow a 'Palestinian state' to be created by the Security Council.
There is very little else that is more dangerous to Israel's existence right now than the prospect of a Chapter 7 (compulsory for all UN members) resolution creating a 'Palestinian state.' That's why Israel's government must say no!
