The Israel bashers here and ubiquitously in the media and around the world keep telling us it is all Israel's fault, they don't want peace, the Palestinian Authority recognised Israel years ago, Israel this and Israel that.
But one of the PA's leading lights, prime minister (no less) Salam (means peace) Fayyad has stormed out of meeting with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon because Mr Peace Fayyad refused to sign up to a summary of the meeting which recognises the need for two staes for two peoples.
This was reported in yNet News here http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3958403,00.html
"I wanted that at the very least it will note two states for two peoples. I demanded to know what they meant. One Palestinian state and one bi-national state, or another Palestinian state?," he told Ynet.
"I made it clear that we were out of the picture if the summary didn’t say two states for two peoples."
So what did Ayalon do wrong? Didn't he just want to confirm what everyone, apart from Hamas and Hizbullah and Ahmadinejad are supposed to want? Isn't that the basis for a settlement?
How are the Israel-haters going to spin this one?
In other words there is absolutely no shift in the Palestinians position since they decided they were a nation separate from Jordanians.
And then Mr Peace Fayyad has the 'chutzpah' to ask that Isreael:
"...further ease Palestinian movement in the West Bank, to which Ayalon replied: "We shall not gamble away Israel's security and future. Everything depends on the security situation and a political solution based on consent."
Too bloody right.
How can you negotiate with this? It's a total farce and we all know who will be blamed, don't we.
Israel will be blamed for not committing national suicide.
First published at http://www.raymondcook.net/blog/index.php/2010/09/21/look-who-doesnt-wan...
To get more from opinion, click here to sign up for our free Editor's Picks newsletter.