Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Building Confidence on Both Sides

While scanning the net news, I came across Jpost's story on the upcoming Netanyahu-Abbas negotiations. Jpost reported on a pre-meeting with Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak: "Barak and Abbas discussed the further easing of security conditions for Palestinians in the West Bank as a confidence building measure as peace talks are renewed."
Whenever negotiations with the Arabs begin Israel is forced to make "confidence building measures" - release Arab murderers from prison, take down life-saving road blocks, ease transportation for Arabs in Judea and Samaria, stimulate the Arab economy in Yesha.
After years of reading the same stories with different dates on them, I'd like to ask, "What are the confidence building measures on the part of the Arabs? What steps are they going to make in order to get Israel to the negotiating table?"
I mean, it's only fair, right? Israel gives and gives, unfortunately, even to the point of endangering the lives of its citizens.
So, what are the Arabs going to do? Prime Minister Netanyahu is always talking about "reciprocity." I'd just like to see some on the other side. Will the "Palestinian Police" make sure that every car leaving an Arab town is checked to prevent weapons from reaching the roads? Will the PA police try to pick up stone throwers and punish them? Will the PA even rescind its economic war against Israel? Or its entertainment war?
What about its school books? Will it agree to teach its children about peace, instead of jihad against the Jewish State?
How will the Palestinian Authority build up the confidence of the Jewish People?
Today's Israel National News reported that just as Israel and the PA are sitting down to "peace talks," PA Prime Minister Salam Fayad is encouraging anarchists to demonstrate against Jewish communities. He supports "efforts to organize the reception and delegations of international solidarity with the peaceful popular resistance against the settlements and the wall [security fence].”
Well, that doesn't sound so friendly or like a leader who is looking for peace.
I for one, do not feel my confidence is being built up. Mr. Netanyahu, where is the reciprocity?

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