Time For Israel To Stop Telling Abbas He Doesn't Have To Prove He Is Willing To Make Peace

In this interview with Eliot Spitzer, Michael Oren gives a great explanation of the Israeli position on why it will not extend the moratorium on the settlements.

Nevertheless, there is one part of Oran's explanation, one which he proudly gives, which I find frustrating. Here is the video, starting at the spot where Oren explains how open-minded Israel is at the negotiating table:



Ambassador Michael Oren practically brags:

We don't say to the Palestinians: listen, you have to prove to us you are willing to do peace.
We don't say to them that Hamas is ruling half of the Palestinian people--why don't you get your house in order first before you sit down and negotiate with us.
We don't say to them you have to stop naming squares in downtown Ramallah after terrorists--the leading Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat this week wrote a letter praising a Palestiian terrorist who killed an Israeli minister in cold blood and praising him as a great martyr.
We don't say you have to stop all that or we won't talk to you.

The obvious question is: why not?


The result of Israel's 'righteousness' in making no preconditions is that Abbas gets a free ride while he wipes up the floor with Israel.

In what appears to be at least a temporary departure from the script, Netanyahu actually does imply some kind of expectation from the Arabs. On Wednesday, December 1, Netanyahu finally asked that Abbas himself take a step in the interests of peace:

“We are making attempts to advance the political process. I cannot guarantee that we will be successful, but I promise that we will continue trying and I hope we succeed. For us to succeed, we need a partner for a responsible peace, not the kind of peace in which you throw down your protective vest, rifle and all your defenses, shut your eyes and hope for the best. We want to see security measures and a basic recognition of the right of the Jewish people to a state of its own.”

“I am waiting for Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] to tell his people the truth. A few days ago I heard that the Palestinian Information Ministry was publishing a study that claims that the Jewish people has no connection to the Western Wall….I am trying to envision what the reaction would be…if the Israeli government were to say that Islam has no ties to Mecca, or that Christianity and the Vatican are not linked.”

“I say to Abu Mazen to condemn this, denounce the study, turn to your people and tell them: ‘There is a Jewish people here, it has been here for close to 4,000 years, we recognize this people, we recognize their historic bond with this land and this city.’”

“Israel is not hindering the solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rather, it is the PA who is unwilling to stand up and say to its people the truth, the need for true compromise.”

Obama is not about to demand that Abbas meet any sort of expectations--that is reserved for Netanyahu alone. It therefore falls upon Israel to make clear that there are certain things required of Abbas. One of them is that he stop inciting hate against Israel--and putting an end to propagating lies about Israel's history would be a good place to start.

Technorati Tag: Mideast Peace Talks and Abbas.