Pre-Annapolis Concessions

Who in their right mind walks into a tough negotiation having already conceded the other side's point?
The Annapolis conference hasn't even convened yet, but Israel's government is already making concessions.

Unnamed government sources cited by the Ha'aretz newspaper say that in advance of the gathering, Israel will announce " a freeze on settlement construction... and will also declare its willingness to dismantle illegal West Bank settlement outposts".

These steps, according to the report, "are meant to make it clear that Israel does not intend to remain in the territories, and understands that its presence there is only temporary." Furthermore, Israel hopes that by making such a "gesture", it can convince Arab states such as Saudi Arabia to attend the conference.

Even if one puts aside for a moment the various ideological, historical and security reasons why Israel must retain control over Judea and Samaria, the Government's behavior is remarkably obtuse.

Who in their right mind walks into a tough negotiation having already conceded the other side's point? What possible logic is there in agreeing in advance to your foe's demands, without getting anything - anything! - in return?

It is this point which should disturb every single Israeli, regardless of where they are on the political spectrum, because it goes straight to the sheer incompetence and downright inanity of our current leadership. They are "negotiating the peace" the same way they handled the war in Lebanon: hastily, sloppily and ineptly.

And that most certainly does not bode well for the outcome.

Has the Emperor Gone Mad?

If committed peace-processors such as Yossi Beilin, Shimon Peres and Ehud Barak were unable to solve the "core issues" in the decade after the Oslo Accords, then what makes Olmert think he can do so in just 12 months?
There is a big headline in the Ha'aretz newspaper today, and it's the kind of headline that makes you scratch your head and wonder about the sanity of those in positions of power.

"Olmert seeks accord on 'core issues' within a year", says the paper, noting in its report that, "Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hopes to reach an agreement on all the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within a year, the premier said in conversations with both Israeli officials and foreign diplomats over the last few days."

Behind the rather innocuous-sounding term "core issues", of course, lie various matters such as the future of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees. If committed peace-processors such as Yossi Beilin, Shimon Peres and Ehud Barak were unable to solve the "core issues" in the decade after the Oslo Accords, then what makes Olmert think he can do so in just 12 months?

Moreover, it is astonishing just how Mr. Olmert's optimism is so radically disconnected from the reality on the ground. Even as he was busy having those conversations with Israeli and foreign officials, the Palestinians were ratcheting up their daily rocket attacks on Israel's southern cities.

And just with whom does Olmert plan to forge a deal? He is negotiating with Mahmoud Abbas, whose control over the Palestinians doesn't extend much beyond the desk of his secretary. So even if Olmert were to finalize matters with Abbas, what value would such a deal have in the first place?

Sometimes, it really, truly does seem that the Emperor has gone mad, as I'm sure many citizens of ancient Rome used to mutter to themselves from time to time. The only problem is that as he descends into madness, he runs the risk of taking the future of Israel with him.

The Mad Rush to Annapolis

Abbas and his men must be having quite a good laugh at the turn of events
In recent days, there have been two headlines which underline the absurdity of the Olmert Government's desire to attend the proposed Annapolis summit meeting later this year with the Palestinians.

The first, of course, was the news that Palestinian terrorists belonging to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction had planned to assassinate Olmert during a visit to Jericho a few months back.

Despite the fact that the would-be assassins were Abbas loyalists serving in one of his so-called "security forces", Olmert continued to press forward and negotiate with the Palestinian leader as if nothing at all had happened. Instead of sanctions and retaliation, Israel chose instead to "hit" the Palestinians with unprecedented concessions.

Abbas and his men must be having quite a good laugh at the turn of events.

The second news item worthy of attention was this from Ha'aretz: "U.S. official doubts ability of PA to police West Bank". According to the story, General Keith Dayton, US Security Coordinator in the Palestinian areas, has reached the conclusion that the Palestinian security forces in Judea and Samaria are incapable of enforcing security needs in the area. This assessment is also shared by Israeli military and intelligence officials as well.

But that doesn't appear to have stopped the Olmert government from its efforts to make a mad rush to Annapolis, where it hopes to turn over virtually all of Judea and Samaria to Palestinian control. They are so determined to reach a deal in order to salvage Olmert's political legacy, that "minor issues" such as an assassination plot against the Prime Minister or the security vacuum that an Israeli withdrawal would create, just don't seem to matter to them very much.

And that, perhaps, is the scariest thing of all.