Summary
Though the Quartet is seen to have withheld its final judgement on whether the formulation of the unity government constitutes an acceptance of its three conditions, either directly or by implication, Israel is embarking on its own diplomatic campaign to heighten pressure. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who was recently in Munich to attend a global security conference, has reportedly met EU's defense and security coordinator Javier Solana, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and foreign ministers of Austria, Sweden and other countries. She has also spoken to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice twice over the phone, as reported in the Israeli daily "Haaretz." Her phone diplomacy has also reached Germany, Britain and Norway. Livni's behavior is an expression of the attitude that is currently being developed in Israel: the international community must continue to pressure Palestinians until the three conditions are satisfied in full from an Israeli point of view.
The problem, however, is that Palestinians can never, under any circumstances and no matter how great their concessions, meet Israeli expectations. These expectations are crafted in so clever a way that it is practically impossible for any Palestinian leader or government to comply. Neither late PA President Yasser Arafat, who wore an Israeli flag pin side by side with a Palestinian one on his khaki jacket, nor his successor [Mahmoud Abbas] managed to live up to Israel's seemingly "reasonable" demands. Ironically, Abbas was elevated in his political relevance to the darling of Israel and Washington when Hamas swept the majority of the vote in the legislative elections of January 2006, which subsequently led to the devastating sanctions. The Israeli government labelled him "weak" and "indecisive." Why should we expect Hamas or anyone else to do better?There is no doubt that the Saudi position has finally revitalized the role of Arab states in regional conflicts (the Mecca Agreement was signed after incessant talks between Fatah and Hamas in Egypt and Jordan). London-based Saudi analyst Mai Yamani suggests that the Mecca Agreement is an attempt to quell Iran's growing influence in the region. "Iran has been financing Hamas, while the Saudis in the last few months even refused to meet (Hamas Prime Minister [Ismail Haniyeh]) Haniyeh. They realized that if there is more chaos in the Palestinian territories, Iran will have more influence."See the full content of this document
Extract
Saudi Brokering of Accord Is Important
The Mecca Agreement, signed between rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah on February 8 under the auspices of the Saudi leadership, was welcomed by thousands of cheering Palestinians throughout the Occupied Territories, and seen as the closing of a bloody and tumultuous chapter in their history. There is an equal eagerness to bring a halt to an oppressive command o...
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