Haaretz-You read that headline correctly! Abbas will punish Israel by giving them control of the West Bank.That'll fix Israel and the US right up! Yup. Don't mess around with Abbas. He's a tough negotiator!You have to read this article. Seriously.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has reportedly told Israel that if negotiations with the United States about establishing a Palestinian state within the 1967 lines fail, he will transfer responsibility of West Bank lands to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The report emerged Monday in the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, citing transcripts of a meeting in Doha between Abbas and Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The newspaper published a photograph of the document, which appeared to come from the emir’s office. According to the published protocol, Abbas conveyed this messages to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a meeting with an unnamed Israeli defense official in his Ramallah offices around two weeks ago.
Abbas reportedly told his counterparts at the Doha meeting that he told the Israeli official: "The peace process failed after 20 years, so our new strategy is that the United States and Israel agree to establish a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital in a limited amount of time, and that both sides immediately begin determining the borders.
“If both sides agree,” Abbas continues, "we will continue the talks about the rest of the core issues. And if not, we will take the following measure: Cessation of the security coordination and transfer of responsibility for PA territory to Netanyahu, who will bear the responsibility for them.”
I don't think I am misreading this? Abbas is saying that if the US and Israel can't agree on a Palestinian state based on the 67 borders he will transfer responsibility of the PA to Netanyahu. That's pretty clear.Is Israel going to agree to this establishment of a Palestinians state, at all. Let alone a state with defined borders that may not be, exactly, to Israel's liking?Isn't this absurd?Abbas goes on to allege that Hamas attempted to foment a coup in the West bank against Abbas, as claimed by Israeli intelligence.
,Abbas was very angry during the meeting in Doha. The main part of the conversation, most of which focused on Hamas’ behavior toward the Palestinian Authority, was what Abbas characterized as Hamas’ attempted coup in the West Bank. “We agreed on a unity government in elections, but it seems that it will not go into effect. You are smuggling money and ammunition into the West Bank, not for a confrontation with Israel but to carry out a coup against me,” Abbas said. “All of this went on until the Israeli intelligence commander came to me [it is not clear whether he is referring to Yoram Cohen or a different intelligence official].”
“A security official came to me two weeks ago [in early August] and told me about the cell that had been arrested, which had been planning a coup against me," Abbas added. "That cell is connected to a person named Jawad who is staying in Jordan. That person reports to Saleh al-Arouri [a high-ranking Hamas operative living in Turkey].”
Throughout the protocol there was an argument between Meshal and Abbas, in addition to Moussa Abu Marzouk and Khalil al-Hayya, high-ranking Hamas operatives who were also at the meeting and quarreled with Abbas for having adopted the Israeli version of events and believing everything Israel told him.
Meshal: “I don’t know anything about reports from the Israeli Shin Bet,” referring to Israel’s security service, “and nobody knows about it. Since the meeting started, you have been irritable and I understand your anger, but you must not build a theory or base a position on an Israeli story that talks about a coup. You come to meet with us, but you don’t trust us.”
Abbas answers: “I believe Israel’s reports.”
Hmmm..... I smell the odour of divide to conquer here--- It's foul.Would Israel have concocted a coup, real or imaginary, to cause a split between the Palestinians?UPDATE: Egypt slams Israel plan to seize Palestinian land
On Sunday, Israel said it would expropriate 400 hectares (988 acres) of Palestinian land around Bethlehem, and allowed 45 days for any appeal.
On Sunday, the Israeli army department tasked with administering civil affairs in Palestinian occupied territories said: "On the instructions of the political echelon... 4,000 dunams at Gevaot (settlement) is declared as state land
Related? Air Corridors & Bogus Humanitarianism as cover for wider war in the Middle East? -Particularly Turkey's willingness to fly our Palestinians
How does Turkey wanting an “air corridor” in agreement with Israel/Egypt fit into this whole scenario?Turkey is seeking Israeli Egyptian agreement for an “air corridor” to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza
ANKARA, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Turkey is seeking Israeli and Egyptian agreement for an air corridor to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and evacuate possibly thousands of injured Palestinians for treatment, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Wednesday.
Related?- Jordan: Threatened by Western pressure applied via ISIS- Chafe at US/Israeli peace plan Recall? Not Hamas- Sinai based 'terror group' claims responsibility for student deaths