Report: Netanyahu to offer withdrawal from 90% of West Bank

[oberliner]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has prepared a "tempting" plan to be presented to the Palestinians in the direct negotiations, as part of which Israel will offer to withdraw from up to 90% of the West Bank, excluding east Jerusalem, the London-based Arabic-language al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported Friday.

The Prime Minister's Office denied the report, calling it "unfounded."

The newspaper quotes "knowledgeable sources" in Ramallah as saying that the prime minister's plan will be in the form of a new interim agreement, similar to the 1993 Oslo Accords.

According to the sources, Netanyahu informed the Western delegates he met with recently that the current situation was not right for reaching a final peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, and that he planned to present a proposal for a new interim agreement, which would be "extensive and tempting" to the Palestinians.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3935769,00.html

[Botany]

1. This is really good news if it is true

BTW Jan. 2009 George Mitchell named special envoy for the Middle East

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell was named special envoy for the
Middle East during an event at the State Department on Thursday afternoon.

The move could signal that Obama plans to get involved in the Mideast peace process early in his term.
It was announced just before 3 p.m. at an event with President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Also Thursday, former U.N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke was named special representative for Afghanistan
and Pakistan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/22/obama.mitchell/index.html

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Does that include relinquishing of water rights on that land?

[LaurenG]

2. I hope this is true, 90% doesn't seem like a bad deal

I hope that it will be enough to start the peace talks in earnest.

[Botany]

4. Something might be up ..... I hope so

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6792YJ20100810

Funny Obama started working on this problem from day one w/ George Mitchell
but W tried to do something over 1 week in the fall of 2008.

[Douglas Carpenter]

5. Israel denies report of Netanyahu formula for talks

LONDON (Ma'an/Agencies) -- The internationally-based Al-Haya newspaper said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing a formula for direct talks based on a 90 percent withdrawal from the West Bank and the evacuation of 50,000 settlers.

The alleged plan was said to resemble a declaration of principals prepared during the Oslo Accords peace process in the early 1990s. Not included in the plan, however, the paper reported citing informed sources, was East Jerusalem.

The Israeli internet news site Wallah! said it received a statement from the government's office which called the report untrue.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=307763

here is a link to the Israeli site Wallah which is said to contain the Israeli government's denial -- however it is in Hebrew, thus I am unable to read what it says..perhaps someone else on this forum can:

http://news.walla.co.il/?w=/1/1721532

[oberliner]

6. It says that in the OP - and it's even in English!

Very bizarre that you would feel the need to include a link to the Palestinian Ma'an News site which itself references the Hebrew-language Israel site Walla! which you've inexplicably linked to as well, even though it simply contains a Hebrew language version of the same information contained in the YNet article I posted initially (which is in English).

[Douglas Carpenter]

7. never mind, I missed the third line of the ynet article...either way the story sounds implausible

the Netanyahu coalition would collapse in minutes over any withdrawal of any settlers - much less 50,000

and besides as your ynet article points out, which admittedly I missed because of my less than perfect speed reading technique:

The Prime Minister's Office denied the report, calling it "unfounded."

I'm sure Mr. Netanyahu's office would want to play up any reports that they were offering compromises if they actually were.

I find it interesting that the report originates in the Arab media through Al Hayat - not from any Israeli sources. I suspect it is just wishful thinking - although some reporter might have thought it was a way to demonstrate that the Netanyahu government has no intentions of offering any meaningful compromises by putting them on the spot by more or less forcing them to issue a denial. But frankly, more than likely it was just wishful thinking mixed with optimistic rumors.

[oberliner]

8. I agree with you that the report is fishy nt

[natrlron]

9. Dead on arrival

If East Jerusalem is off the table, this "tempting" proposal will go nowhere. Imagine if the tables were turned and the Palestinians said you can have all this land, but forget about West Jerusalem ... or even just, forget about the wailing wall. A way must be found to get around this roadblock.

[Shaktimaan]

10. In the past Israel's accepted such an offer.

The UN partition plan in 47. Of course they wouldn't now, that would be silly. But in the past Israel was willing to compromise because of the importance of their achieving a state, even if it was a lesser state than they had anticipated. Before 67 Israel did not have the wall and accepted that reality as well. To the extent that they tried to dissuade Jordan from attacking during the six day war. (Their opportunity to claim that area.)

So we know what Israel would do if they were in the Palestinian's shoes.

However this isn't a final offer, it's just an interim agreement. So if it's actually true then there's very little downside to the Palestinian's accepting it.