For road to peace, Palestinians get very different maps from U.S., Russia

ORLY HALPERN

From Monday's Globe and Mail

March 24, 2008 at 4:44 AM EDT

JERUSALEM — Leaders from the two former Cold War superpowers visited Israel and the Palestinian Authority over the past few days and while they had a common goal - promoting peace - they expressed very different views on how to achieve it.

(That's because the US, especially under the PNAC Extremists, is not really interested in anything but allowing the Zionists to perpetuate their war as long as possible.)

U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney warned Palestinians yesterday that their actions may kill their chances for a Palestinian state.

(Yes, that is the point, isn't it there, Dick the War Criminal?)

"Terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians; they also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people," he said in a joint press conference with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

(Remember, that Israel's own defense staff warned that when it imposed measures of Collective Punishment on Gaza - in order to 'suffocate Hamas', the democratically-elected Government - this illegal policy would provoke the rockets. Given this context, this is exactly what Israel's ruling Extremists hope to achieve, and their main sponsor is only too happy to help them do it.)

Mr. Cheney did not mention Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, an end to the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip and support for Palestinian reconciliation talks under way in Yemen.

(Of course not. He accepts these crimes.)

Cheney on Israel

Vice-President Dick Cheney said Saturday the U.S. has an 'enduring and unshakable' commitment to Israel's security

(No, this Regime has aligned itself with the Israeli Regime. It has nothing to do with the people of those nations, nor their security.)

However, all of those were points that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointedly did make.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Mr. Abbas in Ramallah two days before Mr. Cheney's visit, Mr. Lavrov told reporters that Russia was "very much worried" about Israeli construction on land the Palestinians claim for a future state.

Two weeks ago, Israel announced it would build more than 1,000 housing units in the West Bank settlement of Givaat Zeev and in the East Jerusalem settlement of Pisgat Zeev.

Mr. Cheney's disregard of key concerns of the Palestinians was highly troublesome to Mr. Abbas and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority. Both are losing local popularity to Hamas, according to a poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research earlier this month.

Mr. Cheney told the press conference that both sides will have to make "painful" compromises, but he did not specify what those might be.

(That's because he only means the Palestinians will have to do this.)

The normally soft-spoken Palestinian president condemned Palestinian attacks from Gaza on Israeli border towns, but he also blasted Israel's actions.

"Security and peace will not be realized with the continuation of the settlement activities, the establishment of roadblocks around cities and villages, the military escalations in the Gaza Strip and the continuing military operations in the cities and towns of the West Bank," he said.

In an unusual dig at the United States, Mr. Abbas added that to reach peace, "what is required is will, courage and strong support from the international community, especially the U.S."

To boost the peace process, Russia has offered to play host to a follow-up conference in Moscow. Mr. Abbas said Friday it should be held "at the soonest possible opportunity." Israel did not immediately respond to the idea.

Meanwhile, after days of tough talks in Yemen, the rival Fatah and Hamas parties signed a reconciliation deal, promising to revive direct talks in April to politically unify the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Canadian Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day was also in Israel, and signed a declaration with Israeli Minister of Public Security Avi Dichter in Tel Aviv to enhance co-operation to stop organized crime and terrorism.

The two countries agreed yesterday to share information about common threats, such as border security, illegal immigration and organized crime. Mr. Day said in a statement the deal is a way for Canada and Israel to better protect their citizens.

Special to The Globe and Mail, with a report from Canadian Press

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