Saturday, February 12, 2011

Recognizing a Jewish State

Elder of Ziyon has been reading the Palestine Papers,and notices a discussion from November 2007 where the two teams discussed agreeing that the goal of the negotiations would be two national homelands. They didn't manage to agree:
TL: I just want to say something. ...Our idea is to refer to two states for two peoples. Or two nation states, Palestine and Israel living side by side in peace and security with each state constituting the homeland for its people and the fulfillment of their national aspirations and self determination...

AH: This refers to the Israeli people?

TL: [Visibly angered.] I think that we can use another session – about what it means to be a Jew and that it is more than just a religion. But if you want to take us back to 1947 -- it won’t help. Each state constituting the homeland for its people and the fulfillment of their national aspirations and self determination in their own territory. Israel the state of the Jewish people -- and I would like to emphasize the meaning of “its people” is the Jewish people -- with Jerusalem the united and undivided capital of Israel and of the Jewish people for 3007 years... [The Palestinian team protests.] You asked for it. [AA: We said East Jerusalem!] …and Palestine for the Palestinian people. We did not want to say that there is a “Palestinian people” but we’ve accepted your right to self determination.
TL is Tzipi Livni, AH is Akram Haniyeh.


Elder comments that the Guardian never mentioned this document in their coverage, but they definitely saw it because they cherry picked one sentence from it. Which is all true, but I think it's only fair to add another observation: this is Livni demanding Palestinian recognition of a Jewish State, a year and a half before Netanyahu, newly installed as prime minister, raised the exact same demand and was universally condemned for daring to destroy the peace process with his outlandish position.


The full document (as leaked) is here.

4 comments:

Silke said...

and that's why all the "relevant" punditry oracled that the White House had a point in wanting Netanyahu out and Livni in ;-)))))

(I have no idea what the WH wanted, the pundits said it did)

NormanF said...

Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister last year presented the same formula to the Palestinians. Two states for two peoples. The Palestinians refused to accept the wording and walked out of the talks. This is Israel's bottom line and no future Israeli government is going to budge from the demand the Palestinians accept the Jewish right to self-determination. Until they do, no peace agreement will attained in our lifetime.

Barry Meislin said...

Related.

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/02/14/the-guardian-admits-to-doctoring-%e2%80%98palestinian-papers%e2%80%99-quote/

Silke said...

CiFWatch has a contest going with a reward of 50 $ no less of who comes up with the best
"The Guardian sucks because ..."


http://cifwatch.com/2011/02/13/the-guardian-sucks-because-competition-enter-for-a-chance-to-win-50/

up to now no really smashing one has showed up, could that be because the Guardian sucks because it sucks?