US to Israel: Abu Mazen Has Been Harmed, Strengthen Him

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October 8, 2009

by Maya Bengal and Amit Cohen - Ma’ariv - 6 October 2009

After the three-way summit in New York, envoy George Mitchell is coming to the Middle East this evening for another round of talks. However, he can expect to find a PA chairman who is in a state of embarrassment after rejecting the Goldstone report on Operation Cast Lead, riots in Jerusalem over construction in East Jerusalem, and rising security tension in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. All this is reducing the chance of renewing direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

Nonetheless, officials in Jerusalem believe that a breakthrough is attainable, and that it will be possible to overcome the obstacles and announce the renewal of negotiations in the near future. Senior political officials say that it is possible that the renewal of diplomatic negotiations will be announced after Mitchell’s current visit.

President Obama has allocated only two weeks to this round of talks by Mitchell with Israel and the Palestinians. On October 18, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will submit a report to the president that will sum up the progress in the process. Tomorrow, Mitchell is scheduled to meet with Defense Minister Ehud Barak. In the meeting, the two will try to bridge the remaining gaps. On Friday, the envoy will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu, in order to solidify the understandings that will be reached.

The Americans, who worked behind the scenes to help Israel prevent the Goldstone report from coming before the UN institutions for discussion, are now demanding that Israel show greater flexibility on the diplomatic process. Political sources in Jerusalem admit that the Americans asked Israel to strengthen Abu Mazen, who suffered a severe blow and was weakened on the Palestinian street when he backed down from his demand that the UN adopt the Goldstone report.

The [American] attitude is that after the prime minister’s declaration that the adoption of the Goldstone report would damage the renewal of the diplomatic process, he has to prove that he is willing to be flexible. The prime minister will be expected to provide Abu Mazen with a way down from his high horse, after the latter announced preconditions for the renewal of negotiations. Indeed, as of now, the Palestinians are holding firm to their position that the talks will not be renewed until Israel announces a complete freeze of construction in the settlements and East Jerusalem. The riots on the Temple Mount make it even more difficult for Abu Mazen, who is exposed to great public criticism in any case, to back down from this position.

In light of the severe criticism he has suffered, Abu Mazen is considering renewing the support for the Goldstone report and the demand that the UN adopt its conclusions. Officials in Jerusalem voice harsh criticism of the conduct of the Foreign Ministry representatives in Geneva, who embarrassed the PA chairman by hurrying to the media with the news that the Palestinians withdrew their proposal to the UN. “The conduct of the representatives who ran to the media immediately after the Palestinian turnabout, in order to take credit for the move and brag about it, caused serious diplomatic damage,” said a senior political source in Jerusalem. “Israel’s representatives to the UN should have restrained themselves. They acted hastily and caused severe damage to Abu Mazen.”

The main criticism is directed at Israeli Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Roni Leshno-Yaar, who hurried to give media interviews on the matter. The Foreign Ministry refused to comment.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the PA intended to take a series of legal and political steps to bring Israel to justice for the war crimes it committed in Gaza. He also clarified that Abu Mazen intended to reveal all the details regarding the postponement of the discussion on the Goldstone report.