Spring Break
All Eyes on Annapolis, Not That It Matters
Dafna Laskin
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: Commentary
If you've tuned into a 24-hour news channel at any point in the last few weeks, you know there is something big going on in Annapolis. Day in, day out, from every news agency in the world, Annapolis has found its place as the buzzword of newscasters who like to pretend they know what they are talking about.
Even more irritating than the word "Annapolis" are the endless handshakes at photo ops, as each side tries to out-embrace the other for the cameras in an almost abusive overuse of those memorable Yitzhak Rabin-Yasser Arafat handshakes forced by Bill Clinton in the early 1990s. Yet there is something even worse about this conference. Clueless reporters and so-called experts actually think these negotiations will accomplish anything.
Take a step back and look at who Israel is dealing with. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is exiled from half of the land he wants to be included in a Palestinian state. Abbas was kicked out along with his Fatah supporters by a terrorist group, which has been keeping Gaza in a bloody grip since last summer, an all-too-popular terrorist group whose members refuse to recognize not only the Israeli's right to statehood, but their right to live as well.
Abbas and Fatah, who generally agree with Hamas anyway, have zero credibility except in Europe and America. So wouldn't it make more sense to negotiate with Hamas, the supposed voice of the people, the darling of the Arab world? Everyone seems to have forgotten that Hamas was elected to power over a year ago. Why not give them total control over the Palestinian territories, the same amount of global funding Abbas gets, and in a year or so, ask them to negotiate?
In essence, Hamas is asking the same from Israel. Their claim is that they will consider negotiations when Israel gives up Gaza - which it already has - and the West Bank. So what's the difference between what Hamas wants and what Abbas wants? The Palestinian Authority is asking for the exact same thing, and will, like Hamas, likely give nothing in return.
Even more irritating than the word "Annapolis" are the endless handshakes at photo ops, as each side tries to out-embrace the other for the cameras in an almost abusive overuse of those memorable Yitzhak Rabin-Yasser Arafat handshakes forced by Bill Clinton in the early 1990s. Yet there is something even worse about this conference. Clueless reporters and so-called experts actually think these negotiations will accomplish anything.
Take a step back and look at who Israel is dealing with. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is exiled from half of the land he wants to be included in a Palestinian state. Abbas was kicked out along with his Fatah supporters by a terrorist group, which has been keeping Gaza in a bloody grip since last summer, an all-too-popular terrorist group whose members refuse to recognize not only the Israeli's right to statehood, but their right to live as well.
Abbas and Fatah, who generally agree with Hamas anyway, have zero credibility except in Europe and America. So wouldn't it make more sense to negotiate with Hamas, the supposed voice of the people, the darling of the Arab world? Everyone seems to have forgotten that Hamas was elected to power over a year ago. Why not give them total control over the Palestinian territories, the same amount of global funding Abbas gets, and in a year or so, ask them to negotiate?
In essence, Hamas is asking the same from Israel. Their claim is that they will consider negotiations when Israel gives up Gaza - which it already has - and the West Bank. So what's the difference between what Hamas wants and what Abbas wants? The Palestinian Authority is asking for the exact same thing, and will, like Hamas, likely give nothing in return.
Be the first to comment on this story