U.S. and France: Mideast peace conference useless if sides unwilling to negotiate

[Jefferson23]

Clinton, Juppe agree that return to talks is crucial ahead of UN vote in September, but there is no agreement among Israelis and Palestinians about the terms of negotiations.


U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe on Monday agreed that Israeli-Palestinian peace talks must resume, but stressed that there was no point in setting up a peace conference before the parties showed a willingness to negotiate.

"We strongly support a return to negotiations," Clinton said in a joint press conference with her French counterpart. "But we do not think that it would be productive for there to be a conference about returning to negotiations. There has to be a return to negotiations, which will take a lot of persuasion, a lot of preliminary work, in order to set up a productive meeting between the parties."

"Right now we are still in a wait-and-see attitude, because we don’t yet have any assurance from either party that they are willing to return to negotiations," Clinton added.

Juppe strengthened Clinton's statements, saying that "the Palestinians reacted positively and the Israelis didn’t say no. We will only have this conference if there is sufficient work done," he said, adding that "our main concern is what we are heading in September. This situation will be difficult for everybody and the only way to avoid it is to boost the re-launch of the negotiations."

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-and-france-mideast-peace-conference-useless-if-sides-unwilling-to-negotiate-1.366356

[Never Stop Dancin]

1. Israel

doesn't need these outside powers butting in. She can figure out how to make peace on her own, when the time comes. She has the highest concentration of PhDs on the planet.

[tootrueleft]

2. You don't make peace on your own.

[shira]

3. What makes you think the Palestinians want peace?

They rejected the Olmert offer of 2008 which was similar to the Geneva Initative.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/haaretz-exclusive-olmert-s-plan-for-peace-with-the-palestinians-1.1970

The map...
http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/images/iht_daily/D171209/olmertmap.pdf

You don't have a problem with the outright rejection of that offer, without so much as a counter-proposal in response?

[Never Stop Dancin]

4. Exactly

Israel shouldn't be forced to negotiate when she has no partner for peace--it's criminal!

[bemildred]

5. France to pursue Mideast conference despite U.S. reservations

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe says France will pursue efforts to organize a Middle East peace conference despite reservations expressed by the United States and Israel, AFP reported on Wednesday.

"I have the feeling that our initiative has moved things" in the peace process, Juppe told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York. "I think there will be positive developments in the next weeks."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/france-to-pursue-mideast-conference-despite-u-s-reservations-1.366613

[Jefferson23]

6. From the OP:

"Juppe strengthened Clinton's statements, saying that "the Palestinians reacted positively and the Israelis didn’t say no. We will only have this conference if there is sufficient work done," he said, adding that "our main concern is what we are heading in September.

This situation will be difficult for everybody and the only way to avoid it is to boost the re-launch of the negotiations."

There is so much concern over September when Obama has said all along, this would be just an empty meaningless gesture for the Palestinians.

All this effort to prevent a meaningless gesture, hmm.

[bemildred]

7. The US government is actually very fond of meaningless gestures, so yeah, it's confusing. nt