There has been increased interest recently from the Biden administration to restart negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr will arrive this week in Israel to try to restart the moribund peace process, and presumably he will meet with Palestinian leaders as well.
Demand #2 is for "restoring the old status of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which includes limiting the activity of the Israeli occupation police in Al-Aqsa and stopping settlers’ incursions."
This means banning Jewish groups from visiting the holiest Jewish spot. This is pure antisemitism as a demand as a prerequisite for "peace negotiations."
Anyone see a problem here?
Here's the entire list of demands some of which are almost as outrageous:
1- Reopening the Orient House and other Palestinian institutions in eastern Jerusalem closed since 2001.2- Restoring the old status of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which includes limiting the activity of the Israeli occupation police in Al-Aqsa and stopping settlers’ incursions.3- Stopping the evacuation of Palestinian homes in Occupied Jerusalem, especially the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.4- Releasing the fourth batch of pre-Oslo prisoners, which includes women, the sick and the elderly.5- Stopping the expansion of settlements, including constructions in East Jerusalem, and evacuating all settlement outposts on Palestinian lands.6- Stop demolishing homes in the Jordan Valley.7- Stop incursions into Palestinian cities.8- Returning weapons confiscated by the Israeli occupation authority from the Palestinian security forces.9- Restoring the process of Palestinian family unification.10- Increasing the number of work permits in the occupied territories.11- Returning Palestinian police, officials and customs officers to the Karama Bridge, as was the case after the Oslo Accords.
12- Allowing the establishment of an international airport in the West Bank, and a free trade zone near Jericho and permission to build railways.
13- Allocating areas in Area C - about 60 percent of the West Bank - for factories, power stations and tourism projects, and enhancing activities in Areas B.14- Amending the “Paris Agreement” so that goods destined for the West Bank are released from customs.15- Allowing 4G cellular network in the West Bank.
Some of these demands are direct attempts to weaken Israel's security and endanger Jews. Abbas wants to increase the number of Palestinian Arabs who can work and live in Israel, and to release terrorists from prison. Before negotiations, he wants Israel to give up all of its stances on Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
Apparently, Abbas sees in the Biden administration people who would be as friendly towards him as the Obama administration was - meaning that he wants the US to pressure Israel on these demands on his behalf.
If these are the prerequisites, what would the actual negotiations cover? Presumably whether Israel would be allowed to remain in existence.
