Palestinian negotiators lower Annapolis expectations

Thursday November 08, 2007 21:14 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC

Following a disheartening speech by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian negotiators have lowered their expectations of what can be accomplished at the upcoming Annapolis conference.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Previously, the Palestinian leadership had pressed for a binding agreement that would hold Israel to upholding their end of previous signed agreements, but now, the Palestinian leadership has stated that they will not seek anything that will bind the Israelis to carry out their responsibilities under international law.

The Palestine Liberation Organization, whose leadership lives mainly in the Palestinian diaspora outside the area of what is now Israel and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza, have pressed the Palestinian negotiating team not to give up their core demands for a Palestinian state, cessation of illegal Israeli settlement activities and return of refugees.

Chief Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat recently reportedly told the international press that he will wait until after the summit to begin pleading the case for an independent Palestinian state.

The Israeli side has, from the start of diplomatic negotiations leading up the summit, pressured the Palestinian side to renege on their core demands. Israel has continued its settlement expansion and military invasions of Palestinian, despite having been asked by the U.S. to decrease the number of attacks during the lead-up to the summit.

The Palestinian leadership had, prior to Wednesday night’s talk by Olmert, asked for a timeline to be established by which Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories could be implemented. They had also asked for a timeline for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, free of Israeli occupation.

As in previous summits, in 2000, 1997 and 1993, the Israeli side refused to even speak with the Palestinians unless the Palestinian leadership agreed that any talks would be non-binding on Israel – the Palestinians would be required to carry out certain steps according to a timeline, but the Israeli side would not.

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