Finkelstein: Foiling Another Palestinian "Peace Offensive": Behind the bloodbath in Gaza

[ProgressiveMuslim]

(snip)

Beyond restoring its deterrence capacity, Israel's main goal in the Gaza slaughter was to fend off the latest threat posed by Palestinian moderation. For the past three decades the international community has consistently supported a settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict that calls for two states based on a full Israeli withdrawal to its June 1967 border, and a "just resolution" of the refugee question based on the right of return and compensation. The vote on the annual U.N. General Assembly resolution, "Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine," supporting these terms for resolving the conflict in 2008 was 164 in favor, 7 against (Israel, United States, Australia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau), and 3 abstentions. At the regional level the Arab League in March 2002 unanimously put forth a peace initiative on this basis, which it has subsequently reaffirmed. In recent times Hamas has repeatedly signaled its own acceptance of such a settlement. For example, in March 2008 Khalid Mishal, head of Hamas's Political Bureau, stated in an interview:

There is an opportunity to deal with this conflict in a manner different than Israel and, behind it, the U.S. is dealing with it today. There is an opportunity to achieve a Palestinian national consensus on a political program based on the 1967 borders, and this is an exceptional circumstance, in which most Palestinian forces, including Hamas, accept a state on the 1967 borders....There is also an Arab consensus on this demand, and this is a historic situation. But no one is taking advantage of this opportunity. No one is moving to cooperate with this opportunity. Even this minimum that has been accepted by the Palestinians and the Arabs has been rejected by Israel and by the U.S.<29>

Israel is fully cognizant that the Hamas Charter is not an insurmountable obstacle to a two-state settlement on the June 1967 border. "he Hamas leadership has recognized that its ideological goal is not attainable and will not be in the foreseeable future," a former Mossad head recently observed. "hey are ready and willing to see the establishment of a Palestinian state in the temporary borders of 1967....They know that the moment a Palestinian state is established with their cooperation, they will be obligated to change the rules of the game: They will have to adopt a path that could lead them far from their original ideological goals."<30>

In addition, Hamas was "careful to maintain the ceasefire" it entered into with Israel in June 2008, according to an official Israeli publication, despite Israel's reneging on the crucial component of the truce that it ease the economic siege of Gaza. "The lull was sporadically violated by rocket and mortar shell fire, carried out by rogue terrorist organizations," the source continues. "At the same time, the movement tried to enforce the terms of the arrangement on the other terrorist organizations and to prevent them from violating it."<31> Moreover, Hamas was "interested in renewing the relative calm with Israel" (Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin).<32> The Islamic movement could thus be trusted to stand by its word, making it a credible negotiating partner, while its apparent ability to extract concessions from Israel, unlike the hapless Palestinian Authority doing Israel's bidding but getting no returns, enhanced Hamas's stature among Palestinians. For Israel these developments constituted a veritable disaster. It could no longer justify shunning Hamas, and it would be only a matter of time before international pressure in particular from the Europeans would be exerted on it to negotiate. The prospect of an incoming U.S. administration negotiating with Iran and Hamas, and moving closer to the international consensus for settling the Israel-Palestine conflict, which some U.S. policymakers now advocate,<33> would have further highlighted Israel's intransigence. In an alternative scenario, speculated on by Nasrallah, the incoming American administration plans to convene an international peace conference of "Americans, Israelis, Europeans and so-called Arab moderates" to impose a settlement. The one obstacle is "Palestinian resistance and the Hamas government in Gaza," and "getting rid of this stumbling block is...the true goal of the war."<34> In either case, Israel needed to provoke Hamas into breaking the truce, and then radicalize or destroy it, thereby eliminating it as a legitimate negotiating partner. It is not the first time Israel confronted such a diabolical threat -- an Arab League peace initiative, Palestinian support for a two-state settlement and a Palestinian ceasefire -- and not the first time it embarked on provocation and war to overcome it.


lots more...
http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/article.php?pg=11&ar=2542

[ProgressiveMuslim]

1. Finkelstein hits the nail on the head. This searing analysis explains why

the kinds of peace efforts put forth by the LibZionist crowd here are pipedreams.

This conflict isn't due to "extremists on both sides" and it's not because the people don't love each other.

It is deeply entrenched policy.

[shira]

3. please.....this is yet another propaganda piece

The Saudi-Arab peace plan demands that Israel FIRST withdraws behind the 1967 borders and allows hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Palestinian refugees within the green line BEFORE having negotiations that would bring about "normal" relations with the Arab world (apparently as "normal" as the cold peace b/w Israel and Egypt).

This plan mentions nothing at all about Palestinian terror and is nothing more than a plan to render Israel defenseless PRIOR to having "normal" relations with the Arab world - of course Iran and its proxies like Lebanon, Syria, Gaza...would also have to agree with the rest of the Arab world for this to work. Yeah, good luck there - when the Arab/Muslim world agrees with each other, hell will freeze over.

Is it any wonder Finkelstein (or the tripe he peddles) isn't taken seriously by serious and informed people?

[bstender]

4. propaganda?

is in the words you have regurgitated. propoganda is in the endless reasons why Israel can't possibly do what is right.

the _facts_ are that Israel is in defiance of the whole of civilized mankind. They are in violation of international law, international standards and international understanding of what constitutes humanity. This is a worldwide concensus never seen in history.

if they didnt have all of the guns, they would be forced to deal like honest human beings, but they do have the guns and have made it clear that they have no qualms about using them to maintain their occupation. it is an outrage and if they don't withdraw and make reparations they will destroy themselves.

The citizens of the USA are key to enabling this crime against humanity, they have been treated to a blackout of honest media scrutiny of the situation but it seems there may be some cracks in that propaganda screen. Hopefully it is not long before US support becomes no longer tenable and finally this crime will be finished.

i know, i know, ithe facts don't matter, i'm just an anti-semite, right?

[Vegasaurus]

2. "Fend off Palestinian moderation"?

Finkelstein is imbibing in too many schnopps.