The “Quartet” not only has been unable to advance a deal between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, it also cannot find the words to say so.
Representatives of the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia are meeting for the second day in a row in Washington Tuesday after failing the day before – for the first time ever – to come up with a summary statement of their discussions.
PA negotiator Saeb Erekat jumped on the Quartet’s silence by stating, "There is no other option but to support the Palestinian plan to go to the United Nations to seek full membership for the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders."
The United States, several leading EU countries and Israel oppose the Palestinian Authority plan, which violates the essence of the Oslo Accords and American Roadmap.
While the Quartet tries to come up with some kind of statement to keep alive the term “peace process” by forging some kind of language acceptable to Israel and the Arab world, Erekat rejected any criticism of the Palestinian Authority and any compromise.
The only way the PA may be convinced to relent is if it comes to the conclusion that its UN gambit for unilateral recognition of a PA state won’t work. Although most of the nations in the U.N. General Assembly back the PA bid for recognition based on its territorial demands, it does not have the support of most of the world's leading nations.
However, the PA has gone so far out on the cliff, repeatedly insisting on “all” without taking into consideration they might end up with “nothing,” its leaders face trouble if it cannot deliver on their promises.