Fatah:US-backed talks with Israel Waste of Time
A Palestinian Fatah spokesman casts doubt on the benefits of resuming peace talks with Israel after reports that the US-mediated "proximity talks" could start on Sunday.
"There is no benefit from either direct or indirect negotiations with the Israeli government as it continues settlement construction and attacks the holy sites of Palestine," said spokesman for the Central Committee of the Fatah movement Muhammad Dahlan in an interview on Thursday.
He added, "If the American policy is to waste time pretending we are in negotiations as Israel continues to build settlements and claim Palestinian heritage sites, there is no point to go ahead with the talks. We have been sick of the occupation for years, and sick of negotiations since 2000."
Exactly right. The agenda is to waste time while Palestine, its land and the dream, fades forever into the sunset.
Dahlan's comments indicate a split within Abbas' own party on the decision to resume talks with Israel.
Arab foreign ministers, gathered in the hall of the League of Arab States in central Cairo on Wednesday, backed the resumption of the US-mediated talks for another four months.
Syria, a staunch opponent of Israel, declared that the Arab League decision was not reached by a consensus and that it appeared to serve as a "political cover" for a Palestinian decision already taken. Source
I didn't see much improvement without peace talks either. Heritage sites, East Jerusalem, the continuing stranglehold on Gaza, children being rounded up in the night by IDF in the West Bank, illegal setters and their terrorist crimes, deportation of human rights activists, on and on it goes. Its a lose/lose situation. Israel has always been a rogue state. Its actions are not tied into peace talks or lack of.
Peace talks should be a part of BDS. Or they should be conditional. Goldstone Report or nothing. These are just words. The fact is, its just a game, a very shallow one. I'm not sure that anybody actually has hope that progress will be made. I can't see the tide turning at all as the result of peace talks. I don't see a return of heritage sites as an example. Once a pit bull has its jaws clamped tight, it doesn't let go. Same difference.
On another topic I'm actually pretty angry today. It isn't an event that triggers the anger. Its the fact that I live in a country that monetarily condones hate crimes and war crimes (and that goes through the charade of peace talks to buy Israel time). Its the fact Israel gets enough money from U.S tax payer dollars that is ample enough to help pay off foreclosed property or send a kid to college or feed a family on the welfare, not just a one time token gift to Israel but seemingly infinite.
For every unemployed American that I see on the street wearing a sandwich sign asking for work- a daily occurrence- people who were professionals only a year ago, holding out their resumes for Christs sake, I see a hungry American child and an Israeli glutton.
Can it end? Americans are not empowered. We fool ourselves alot into thinking that we are but we are not. Some are even just plain old stupid. But we do not deserve to suffer so that Israel can continue thieving and murdering.
Can you imagine what it is like to be Palestinian, to be forced to pay taxes since its lawful, and to know that I am supporting Israel? Its nauseating.
