Israel v. Palestine in 2012 - by Stephen Lendman
Palestinian suffering to continue and maybe worsen in 2012.
Palestinians have endured decades of ruthless occupation. World leaders decline support. They're left largely on their own despite growing millions globally supporting them.
Life in occupied Palestine is harsh and repressive. On December 26, Jerusalem's mayor, Nir Barakat, delivered another blow. The Municipality will classify 70,000 Israeli Arab citizens non-residents and involuntarily transfer them to West Bank locations.
At issue is entirely Judaizing Jerusalem through forced ethnic cleansing to facilitate escalated settlement construction. It's also part of creating a greater Jerusalem and preventing a two-state solution.
Two new Haaretz reports are also significant heading into 2012, one by writer Barak Ravid .
After refusing peace negotiations with Israel unless illegal settlement construction stops, he said:
"The Palestinian leadership submitted a proposal to renew peace talks with Israel that drops their longstanding demand that Israel ceases all West Bank settlement construction, a top Israeli official said on Wednesday."
In mid-December, PA officials told Quartet members peace talks could resume if Israel releases 100 long held Palestinian prisoners in good faith.
Abbas faced heavy pressure for months, no matter decades of past peace process futility because Israel won't tolerate it. It needs enemies to justify confrontation and violence.
Nonetheless, EU and other Quartet members told Abbas he'll share responsibility if talks don't resume by late January.
"There's real concern in the Quartet that after that date, Abbas will return to UN initiatives," an unnamed Israeli official said. At the same time, Netanyahu vowed no talks if Fatah/Hamas unity government plans proceed, saying:Fatah will have to "choose between peace with Israel or peace with Hamas." Reconciliation shows "weakness. There cannot be peace" if both sides unite. "What happened....in Cairo is a tremendous blow to peace and a great victory for terrorism."
Israel wants Hamas marginalized, isolated, and bogusly accused of terrorism. In fact, it's Palestine's legitimately elected government.
Baseless accusations are Israel's stock in trade. Hamas wants peace, equity and justice for all Palestinians. Numerous times its present and past leaders expressed willingness to recognize Israel in return for self-determination in peace inside pre-1967 borders - 22% of historic Palestine. Moreover, they agreed to unilateral ceasefires in spite of repeated Israeli violations.
