The BBC Story states:
Israel will take unilateral steps to separate from the Palestinians unless there is progress on the roadmap peace plan, Ariel Sharon has warned.
These would include the dismantling of settler outposts and accelerating the building of the controversial security barrier in the West Bank, he said.
The Palestinian Prime Minister has responded stating he is ‘disappointed that [Sharon] is threatening the Palestinians.’ Is this really a threat though? Or just an acknowledgment by Israel that if negotiations fail, they will continue developing as a country and people, while trying to make some accommodations with the Palestinians.
Sharon has stated that the security lines would not be a ‘border’, although it’s hard to argue that it wouldn’t represent some kind of de-facto border, and if enacted probably become the necessary starting point for any future discussions. Additionally, I’m not sure that informing your negotiation partner of your plans in the event negotiations don’t work out can be categorically viewed as a threat. In many respects, it seems to give some much needed definition and decision making details to the negotiations.
Unfortunately it seems that the whole middle east peace process is bogged up in so much history, economic inequality, corruption, and personal grievances, that no resolution in the immediate future seems likely.
Israel Warns of Unilateral Action
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The BBC Story states:
The Palestinian Prime Minister has responded stating he is ‘disappointed that [Sharon] is threatening the Palestinians.’ Is this really a threat though? Or just an acknowledgment by Israel that if negotiations fail, they will continue developing as a country and people, while trying to make some accommodations with the Palestinians.
Sharon has stated that the security lines would not be a ‘border’, although it’s hard to argue that it wouldn’t represent some kind of de-facto border, and if enacted probably become the necessary starting point for any future discussions. Additionally, I’m not sure that informing your negotiation partner of your plans in the event negotiations don’t work out can be categorically viewed as a threat. In many respects, it seems to give some much needed definition and decision making details to the negotiations.
Unfortunately it seems that the whole middle east peace process is bogged up in so much history, economic inequality, corruption, and personal grievances, that no resolution in the immediate future seems likely.