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As Hamas leaders and supporters see it, Bush's talks with Abbas can count for little if they are kept out. And so with Abbas's talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert just ahead of Bush's visit.
The visit is "no more than an attempt by Bush to boost his image before he leaves office," Dr. Salah al-Bardawil, spokesman and member of the Hamas-affiliated Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in the Palestinian Legislative Council told IPS.
In an interview with Israeli Television on Sunday, Bush said that before the end of his political career he wants to urge Israel and the Palestinians to reach a final agreement on establishing an independent Palestinian state.
Hamas is not convinced. "Bush can't sincerely be speaking about a Palestinian state, since Israel has always refused to define distinct and clear-cut borders for, and thus recognize, a viable Palestinian state," Bardawil said.
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Unfortunately, there is a problem with that. IN ADDITION to things like complete control of (their side of) their borders with the outside world, zero occupation, etc. the Palestinian state will absolutely need a number of OTHER things from Israel in order to be viable. Extras which they have no right to demand even though their very survival would require them. Things they will have to negotiate for an PAY for, and sadly, the only coin they possibly have is territorial concessions. They simply don't posses anything else gthe Israelis would want or need.
Peace you say? Well actually the Israelis don't NEED peace. When one state shoots across the border into another state, that's WAR if the attacked state chooses. And while we can object to collateral civilian casualties when an occupation is resisted (responsibility of the occupier to use great care to prevent those) that is not true when it's war. The generally accepted standard of care is less.
So what WILL the Palestinians need? (in addition).
a) Special transit rights across Israel. Sorry, cannot DEMAND these as was the case when it was SURROUNDED quasi states in South Afrika. Israel would not be surrounding eityher half the the Palestinian state. COULD get from Gaza to West Bank via Egypt, down the Sinai, ferry across the Red Sea to Jordan, up throuhg Jordan. And tough shit it's too long and round about a route with poor infrastructure.
b) Transhipment of goods and people via Israeli port facilities and airports. A port facility could be built for Gaza if somebody was willing to donate the money. But for the West bank, see "a" above.
c) Restraint when attacked; willingness to treat the attacks as "by bandits" and not to hold the Palestinian state responisble. This is always the attacked state's call not to demand that the state from which the attack comes control its border. Even if that means civil war. Remember that in war the stornger party doesn't HAVE to try to end it by occupation. They can just deliver crushing/punishing counterfire and armour raids WITHOUT trying to stay and hold the ground afterwards.
Do you NOT think that the Palestinians will need "a", "b", and "c" in order to be viable? If you do think they will absolutely need one or more of these concessions from the Israelis, with what "coin" can they pay for them?
Israel has asked for 3 things from the Palestinians:
1. Recognition of Israel as a Jewish state
2. Acceptance of past treaties
3. A cessation of violence
Acceptance of these "demands" is all that Israel has asked for.
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