PA Spurns Netanyahu Concession

Arutz Sheva ^ | 5/8/11 | Gavriel Queenan

[Eleutheria5]

Palestinian Authority officials said Thursday they will pursue their statehood bid at the United Nations despite Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's offer to use the pre-1967 lines as a basis for negotiations.

Senior PA official Saeb Erekat characterized Netanyahu's concession as a publicity stunt intended to disuade the PA from its unilateral statehood bid outside the framework Oslo Accords that allow it to exist.

"The Palestinian train is now heading towards New York," Erekat said during an Arab League committee meeting in Doha, Qatar late Wednesday.

"Members of the committee reached a final agreement to request the full support for a Palestinians state within the 1967 borders with its capital Jerusalem," he said after the meeting.

The statehood request "will be ready to present before the next UN General Assembly session" in September, said Erekat.

Bilateral talks between Israel and the PLO have been on hold for almost two years with PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas periodically insisting on preconditions for talks known from the outset to be unacceptable to Israel.

But despite the PLO's visceral drive towards September they are faced with a promise of a Security Council veto by the United States, who insists PA officials return to the negotiating table.

Erekat has repeatedly urged the US government to "reconsider its position" to no avail.

[Eleutheria5]

I feel like Bre'er Rabbit, been let loose on the briar patch again. No '67 borders negotiations. No negotiations period. Let them try for statehood by UN fiat. Let them. Let them get all worked up, firing shots in the air and clicking their tongues and whooping and whatnot, and work themselves up to a frenzied frontal assault on the IDF. The more excited they get, the quicker and more humanely they can be deflated.

[ChocChipCookie]

My thoughts exactly. Netanyahu must have known his generous ‘concessions’ would be rejected, showing the PA for what they are and what they truly are after.

[Eleutheria5]

These concessions, though, have a way of coming back to haunt. I wish he’d stop.

[ken21]

bump.

[C210N]

Why stop with pre-1967 borders... lets go even earlier!

[Eleutheria5]

The 1967 border approximate the Gen. Ass. Resolution 181 recommended partition plan, and were sanctified by an armistice that the UN helped arrange. So therefore, they are sacredest of sacred. There is no border sacrederer than something the UN decides on, and it remains inviolable forever./sacrasm (sic)

Funny that the tribal territory of half the tribe of Menashe should happen to be on the East Bank of the Jordan, though. We have quite a few Menashites here in Kiryat Arba. Perhaps we should insist that Jordan stop occupying their homeland.