Sunday, December 23, 2007

Israel fears clash with U.S. over peace talks' impasse
By Barak Ravid Haaretz Last update - 03:37 23/12/2007
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/937198.html

A senior adviser to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel may come into
conflict with the United States over increased pressure by Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice to advance talks with the Palestinian Authority.
Meanwhile, the Israeli and PA negotiating teams, headed by Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni and Ahmed Qureia, respectively, are to meet Sunday ahead of
Tuesday's meeting between Olmert and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

The U.S. might want to up the pressure on Israel to fulfil its obligations
in the first stage of the road map, the adviser said in private
conversations, particularly removing illegal outposts and freezing
construction in the territories.

"Their demands from Israel will only increase and it is not certain that we
can meet them under the circumstances," he added.

The adviser said that in Vice Premier Haim Ramon's talks with American
officials, he had gone "too far in promising them things to please them."

Another senior government official involved in the talks also warned of
expected crises with the Palestinians and the Americans.

"Israel has created a series of far-reaching expectations in the
international arena," this official said, referring to the implementation of
the first part of the road map, "but this is not going to happen."

"There is no political capability either to evacuate settlements or freeze
construction in the settlements," the second official added.

According to this official, the problem will be even greater when
negotiations begin on the core issues. "There are detailed files that
include Israel's position on the day negotiations came to a halt in 2001,"
he said. "What will happen when they open the Jerusalem file, for example?
They'll find that Israel's final position at Taba is light-years away from
Israel's opening position today."

Israel's main problem is the Palestinians' lack of faith in Olmert's and
Livni's intentions. Construction in Har Homa and reports of talks toward a
cease-fire with Hamas in Gaza have created great suspicion on the
Palestinian side.

The U.S. administration is not satisfied with Israel's conduct, especially
with regard to the tender for new construction in Har Homa and reports of
planning for a new neighborhood in Atarot in north Jerusalem. U.S. State
Department officials have conceded there is a feeling in Washington that,
"It isn't clear who's in charge in Israel - the government or the officials
that approve the construction."

Assistant Secretary of State David Welch has even reportedly told Livni that
the U.S. does not know what surprise might bog down the talks again. In
comments behind closed doors, U.S. officials say that they want assurances
from Israel that a Har Homa-style incident will not recur.

Livni, the main impetus behind the talks, reportedly wants to keep them low
profile to avoid widely-publicized crises like those in the last round of
talks between the teams. Olmert also wants to move the talks ahead, but to
do so without breaking up the coalition. Meanwhile, sources in the Prime
Minister's Bureau said that negotiations will not move ahead, at least not
before President George W. Bush's visit on January 9.

One of the problems in the talks is that Israel has still not decided how
the political-security establishment will prepare for them.

Olmert met with Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak Thursday to discuss
the matter.

The main point of agreement among the three is to appoint Brigadier General
Udi Dekel as head of the negotiation administration, although it is not
clear whether he has accepted the post.

American politicians need to cut their ties to Saudi oil money and allow freedom of action for Israel for this will be the shortest path to peace in the Middle East and it will not result in a terrorist state called Palestine.