Opinion | Editorials
Rice's remarks are foreboding
Any peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis should be approached with a single goal in focus -reaching a just and lasting peace agreement by which all issues between the two sides are resolved and finalised.
- Gulf News
- Published: 23:03 October 15, 2007
Any peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis should be approached with a single goal in focus -reaching a just and lasting peace agreement by which all issues between the two sides are resolved and finalised. The most recent tour by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the region should be a push towards this particular end.
Unfortunately, the statements by Rice even before the beginning of any deliberations are neither encouraging nor hopeful. "I would just warn in advance not to expect [breakthroughs], because this is really a work in progress," she said. If American and Israeli officials are downplaying such a possibility, then the outlook for any upcoming peace conference is bleak as the Palestinians would unquestionably be the most negatively affected by the current impasse.
The UN human rights envoy for the Palestinian Territories John Dugard has bluntly accused members of the Quartet of failing to protect the Palestinians. "Every time I visit [the territories], the situation seems to have worsened... This time, I was very struck by the sense of hopelessness among the Palestinian people." Given this reality, are the Palestinians to be blamed if they shy away from any upcoming peace conference?
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