PLO Agrees to Israel's Security Aims

Washington Times ^ | December 19, 2010 | Ben Birnbaum

[lbryce]

Palestinian leaders told the Obama administration they are ready to accept nearly any security arrangements for a Palestinian state demanded by Israel, according to a senior official of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

"We will accept any arrangement short of Israeli military presence on the soil of a future Palestinian state," said Maen Rashid Areikat, the PLOs chief U.S. representative, in an interview with The Washington Times.

Other than an Israeli troop presence, he said, "we are willing to discuss with the Israelis whatever arrangements that can achieve the same objectives that the Israelis desire in the area of security, but with the involvement of third parties in this area - Americans, a combination of forces, United Nations, NATO. Whatever is acceptable to the Israelis, we will not have a problem."

The Palestinian position came in the form of "an official offer" to the Obama administration and was passed on to Israel, he said.

Israel's security concerns have long complicated its efforts to reach a final agreement with the Palestinians. Successive Israeli governments have demanded, among other things, that the Jewish state retain a long-term military presence in the Jordan Valley, the strategic swath of land along the Jordanian border that Israelis fear could become a smuggling route for rockets and other armaments.

According to Israeli media reports, however, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that he had finalized an agreement on security matters in 2008 with then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert a deal, he said, that would involve an U.S.-led NATO presence in the Palestinian state.

[lbryce]

Hey! It's deja vu all over again.. Same old, same old.

[Venturer]

Shoveling the same old manure.

[rawhide]

Look how effective the UN security force has been in southern Lebanon. The UN has a blind eye to what Hezbollah is doing over there. Same thing will happen here, if Israel caves.

[17th Miss Regt]

"We will accept any arrangement short of Israeli military presence on the soil of a future Palestinian state,"

The escape clause. Since the Palis consider all of Israel to be a future Palestinian state, the existence of the IDF is unacceptable, so there will be no acceptable arrangement.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks lbryce.

"We will accept any arrangement short of Israeli military presence on the soil of a future Palestinian state," said Maen Rashid Areikat, the PLOs chief U.S. representative, in an interview with The Washington Times... he said, "we are willing to discuss with the Israelis whatever arrangements that can achieve the same objectives that the Israelis desire in the area of security, but with the involvement of third parties in this area -- Americans, a combination of forces, United Nations, NATO. Whatever is acceptable to the Israelis, we will not have a problem."

[rightwingcrazy]

...but with the involvement of third parties human shields in this area...