Israel Offers Concessions to Palestinians

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has offered to release frozen Palestinian funds, free prisoners, and reduce checkpoints in a bid for peace with Palestine. Olmert also said that in the final peace deal, Israel would remove settlers in the West Bank and then pull out and return the West Bank to Palestine. Olmert stated that if Palestinians would establish a new Cabinet that was willing to carry out the US backed "road map" to peace and would return the captured Israeli soldier, then he would immediately call Abbas for a serious dialog for peace. Hamas stated they were suspicious of Omert's offers and one Hamas government spokesman claimed, "This is a conspiracy."



Israel is attempting to get a dialog started with Abbas to get the "Road Map to Peace" started.

Israel is making a lot of concessions (please read the full article) But of course Hamas' statements are "it's a conspiracy", and we "would not abandon the fight for the (Palestinian) refugees" from Israel, and that Israel hasn't given any details about the final borders.

These are the things that will NEVER be negotiated or AGREED upon if these two countries never GET the chance to meet at the negotiation table. It sure seems that Hamas sure does try to do everything it can do to make sure negotiations and peace will never happen, after all, what kind of power would they have once there is peace between the two countries. I'm sure the Palestinian government would have them disbanned then, they wouldn't (or at least shouldn't) want an independent militia (not under government control) running loose in their country.

[edit on 27-11-2006 by UM_Gazz]

[edit on 27/11/06 by Keyhole]

You will also see that Palestinian militants affilitated with Hamas sent rockets over to Israel despite the cease fire.

And why PieMan and the other anti-Israeli crew aren't making posts about that is beyond me

While Israel is reaching out to Abbas with concessions (including releasing Palestinian prisoners), Hamas states it will continue to capture Israeli troops to swap for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Mishaal: We will continue capturing IOF soldiers to swap them for Palestinian captives

Cairo - Khaled Mishaal, the political bureau chief of the Hamas Movement, has affirmed that Palestinian resistance factions would continue capturing IOF troops similar to what they had done four months ago in a bid to swap them for Palestinian detainees languishing in occupation dungeons.

"As long as there are (Palestinian) captives, the resistance will continue to capture Zionist soldiers to exchange them for those captives who spent long years in occupation jails," Mishaal asserted.

Hamas has got to realize that their terrorist ways are not helping their country find peace, but prolonging the hardship of its people.


[edit on 27/11/06 by Keyhole]

Originally posted by RetinoidReceptor
You will also see that Palestinian militants affilitated with Hamas sent rockets over to Israel despite the cease fire.

And why PieMan and the other anti-Israeli crew aren't making posts about that is beyond me

First of All you are wrong...supposedly they are affiliated with Fatah party and not Hamas. Anyway Obviously those people you are referring to are not going along with the party therefore they are agitators who want nothing but war and not peace. You are wrong about my not posting about it because I posted a thread about the ceasefire the day it happened. Hey sorry if I don't bow down to your country. America first in my book before Israel. I don't hold them sacred like you do... so sorry.


So I guess in your book all Palestinians should be held responsible for these handful of idiots and israel should go back to killing innocent people again and give up the possibility of peace?

Originally posted by ThePieMaN



So I guess in your book all Palestinians should be held responsible for these handful of idiots and israel should go back to killing innocent people again and give up the possibility of peace?

I am not pro-Israel, so you don't know what you are talking about.

I just am equal in my thoughts about the situation, unlike some people

This is a good gesture and I hope a sincere one. It is obvious that Hamas may not be entirely in control of Palestine though. If so then a great deal of patience will unfortunately have to be shown by Israel to Hamas as yet once again some form of governmental control is unveiled over Palestine in hope of making an agreement that both sides can agree to and respect.

Originally posted by denythestatusquo
This is a good gesture and I hope a sincere one. It is obvious that Hamas may not be entirely in control of Palestine though. If so then a great deal of patience will unfortunately have to be shown by Israel to Hamas as yet once again some form of governmental control is unveiled over Palestine in hope of making an agreement that both sides can agree to and respect.

These people must not be allowed to accomplish whatever agenda they have. Israel must not break the cease fire with the use of Aerial attacks or with rocket use that may kill innocent civilians. There has got to be a coalition between the 2 governments where they go in and take these guys out with small arms. These people are looking to derail the peace process and they have no consideration for anyone else. This has been going on all along. The same way israel has overlooked settlers with vendettas , the palestinians have done the same but the time has come that both sides can no longer overlook these stragglers that want an Eretz-Israel or a restored Jewish-free Palestinian state.


One thing that I do not agree with in this offer of Peace is Israel still insists that they involve themselves in the policymaking of Palestine regarding The right of return for Palestinian refugees. If Palestine is to be a free and independant state, I do not believe Israel has the right to dictate who may and may not be allowed to return to Palestine. That would be like Palestine telling Israel only natural born Israeli jews should be able to go to israel. It would be none of their business.

How many times have we seen this?...Israel once again bellies up to the table for another round of let's bury the hatchet amidst falling rockets and the threat of suicide bombers!

I believe that Abbas really does want peace, IMO he would like to be the one who genuinly solves this prob from the Palestinian side, Hamas on the other hand....

Hamas is now playing the card that Yassir Arafat used to play, play for peace while you re-arm...

Hamas does not want peace with Israel, their charter even states their intentions in the preface...
"Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it." (A quote by Imam Hassan al Banna) from Wikipedia

Hamas doesn't want peace. They want Israel out.

This does seem to smell of conspiracy...
Olmert is agreeing ONLY to deal with Abbas and the Fateh party, rather than directly address the democratically elected party in power; Hamas.

The previous ploy by Israel of shipping armaments 'under the table' to Abbas' Fateh party this summer and attempting to incite an armed coup against Hamas fell short of it's aims.

The offer to release illegally-withheld funds to a nation teetering on the brink of starvation would seem to be an attempt to get the Palestinian populace to overturn Hamas rule in favour of the Fateh party, akin to dangling a medium-rare steak in front of a starving man and only willing to let him eat if he agrees to humiliate himself for your pleasure.

RetioidReceptor
..You will also see that Palestinian militants affilitated with Hamas sent rockets over to Israel despite the cease fire..

RR,
With regard to the UK/US/Israel attempt to remove Hamas from the political scene and install Abbas and his Fateh party, it is highly likely that the rockets were fired by Fateh soldiers (with the knowledge and consent of Israel) and the intention was to pin the blame for any hostilities on Hamas.

A recent attack on Christian churches in the West Bank and Gaza following the Pope's condemnation was widely blamed on Hamas gunmen, despite their denial and condemnation of the attacks.

"5 churches attacked in Palestinian areas following Pope's comments on Islam ALI DARAGHMEH NABLUS, West Bank (AP) - Palestinians wielding guns and firebombs attacked five churches in the West Bank and Gaza on Saturday, following remarks by Pope Benedict that angered many Muslims.."
Source

Everything, from instigation of armed civil conflict, IDF harrassment, media manipulation, to the starvation of the Palestinian citizens is being used to force Hamas, the party elected by the overwhelming majority of the people, out of the political arena.

Originally posted by timski

This does seem to smell of conspiracy...
Olmert is agreeing ONLY to deal with Abbas and the Fateh party, rather than directly address the democratically elected party in power; Hamas.

How do you expect Israel to negotiate with Hamas, a militant/terrorist group (YES, even though they are part of the Palestinian government now, they are still members and the LEADERS of the militant/terrorist group Hamas) whose charter is the destruction of Israel.

There is no negotiating or talking with Hamas because it is useless and probably cause an escalation of violence.

Wikipedia - Hamas

Created in 1987 by Shaikh Ahmed Yassin of the Gaza wing of the Muslim Brotherhood at the beginning of the First Intifada, Hamas is known outside of the Palestinian territories chiefly for its suicide bombings[2] and other attacks directed against Israeli civilians, as well as military and security forces targets. Hamas' charter (written in 1988 and still in effect) calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian Islamic state in the area that is now Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.[3][4][5] The charter states: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad."[6]

There is no negotiating with Hamas for peace because Hamas does not want peace with Israel, only its destruction.



[edit on 27/11/06 by Keyhole]

I think the Bush Administration is pulling Israel's hair because of the mess in iraq and the possible need for cooperation with the Middle Easterns. Especially with the new people from his father's administration (which was a very anti-Israeli administration).