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Editorial

3/9/2010

Dead end

Yesterday in Washington, the handshake between Mahmud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu opened a new round of negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis. Only change noted yesterday, the leaders agreed to meet every two weeks to progress towards a peace agreement. But nobody could ignore the discontentment that has prevailed for two weeks in the Palestinian Territories. The attacks this week by Hamas are merely one expression of it, more visible because violent. Since the announcement of the resumption of negotiations, the Palestinian civil society in its majority has repeatedly criticized the decision of Mahmud Abbas, whom she accuses of having sold the Palestinian participation at the conditions imposed by Israel.

Concerning Israel Prime Minister, no concessions are foreseen for the moment whether on the status of Jerusalem, the continuation of settlement or the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Although he spoke of "painful concessions" required from both parties, not one Israeli concession is looming on the horizon yet.

In his speech Benjamin Netanyahu also stressed that the withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip had not had the effect of stopping terrorism. It is obvious that the attacks this week by Hamas against Israeli settlers will reinforce the Israeli position in the negotiations. Netanyahu admits the creation of a Palestinian state only if the airspace and borders remain under Israeli control, and that for "safety reasons".

But the most controversial issue is undoubtedly that of the colonies. Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian chief negotiator announced early last week that the Palestinians would withdraw from talks if the moratorium on the settlement was not extended by Israel. But according to Haaretz, the U.S. administration is now pressuring Abbas to accept to negotiate, despite a resumption of settlement building.

The process of negotiations is thus already meeting a dead end where Mahmud Abbas cannot accept the resumption of settlement building while negotiating, with the risk of a political death. On the other hand, Netanyahu knows that an extension of the moratorium means the downfall of his government. So the common ground is thin, if not nonexistent. To get out of this cul-de-sac, two scenarios are possible. First, to let Mahmud Abbas impose the conditions of peace to his people by force. The consequence will be the establishment of a Palestinian police state, where freedom of expression and association will be restricted keep the Palestinian  Authority in Fatah’s hands.

The second scenario is preferable. Benjamin Netanyahu could indeed rebuild a new coalition including Kadima and excluding the supporters of the settlers. This would make possible the continuation of the moratorium on the settlement. To achieve this, the American pressure should influence the Israeli government, not Mahmud Abbas. Unfortunately it is very likely that the pro-Israel lobby will not allow the Obama administration to do so. The horizon of this new round of negotiations seems really bleak.

Nathalie Janne d'Othée

Next MEDEA events 

The EuroArab Forum is an initiative meant to establish a regular and sustained exchange forum in Brussels on relations between Europe and the Arab World. It follows a multi-disciplinary approach that includes political, cultural, religious, sociological, psychological, economical and other perspectives of analysis.

Next event :

Speakers:

- Ms. Eleonora Insalaco, Anna Lindh Report Coordinator, International Relations & Multi-cultural Organisations, Anna Lindh Foundation

- Prof. Yudhishthir Raj Isar, Professor of Cultural Policy Studies, Department of Global Communications, The American University of Paris

Moderator:

- Mr. Francesco Guarascio, Journalist, Reuters

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, 15 September 2010, from 19h30 to 21h00 at the "Cercle des Voyageurs", 18 Rue des Grands Carmes, 1000 Brussels.

To attend this event, please RSVP by registering via our EAF website: http://www.euroarab-forum.eu/registration.php or send an email to rouba.al-fattal@euroarab-forum.eu before Monday 13 September 2010.

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In collaboration with the European Movement Belgium, the MEDEA Institute is proposing you midday meetings around "mediterranean" themes : euromed cooperation, culture, regional news, politics, ...

(Program coming soon)

The "Midis de la Méditerranée" are organized from 12.30 to 2 pm at the European Movement Belgium, Avenue d'Auderghem 63, 1040 Brussels (near metro station Schuman).

P.A.F. (sandwiches & drinks): 5€ (members of EMB), 8€ (non-members)

Registration (mandatory): medea@medea.be or 02/231 13 00 

New items and Latest updates: 

Analyses :

- Will Syria say ‘Yes I do’ to the EU’s Proposal? by Rouba Al-Fattal

Chronicles by Professor Bichara Khader, Director of the Center for Study and Research on the Contemporary Arab World (CERMAC, Université Catholique de Louvain)  (In French) :

- Alliance des civilisations (2)
- Alliance des civilisations (1)
- Le nucléaire israélien
- Le pétrole et générations futures
- Il y a vingt ans : le Koweit
- Il y a dix ans Camp David (juillet 2000) : une rétrospective
- L'autre cauchemar du Soudan
- Géopolitique du Soudan
- La Ligue des Etats arabes ligotée
- Lettre à Naïm
- Sécurité durable au Maghreb
- Regard palestinien sur l'appel des juifs européens
- Histoire de Mouna
- Sommet arabe de Syrte
- Géopolitique de Jérusalem

Information files:

-Islamic Relief
- The global crisis and the Arab countries 
- Sudan
- ALGERIA, imports
- ALGERIA, Elections and Parliament
- ALGERIA
- EU- ALGERIA relations
- ALGERIA, State Institutions
- Movement for Society of Peace-Algeria
- Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia imports
- Saudi Arabia exports
- United Arab Emirates - imports
- Kuwait - exports
- Kuwait - imports

 

Special Files:

- Christians in the Arab world
- Barcelona Process : Union for the Mediterranean

 

Conference notes:

(The conference notes are reproduced in the language used by the speaker)

- Euro Arab Forum : NATO & the Arab World: Why and how to cooperate? (EAF, 5/5/2010)
- Institutions and Citizenship in the Mediterranean - Meeting with the Mediterranean Citizen's Assembly (MCA) (MEDEA & MCA, 14/4/2010)
- Les Midis de la Méditerranée : La Turquie sur la voie du nucléaire (MEDEA & MEB, 2/3/2010)
- The European exploration of Kuwait (MEDEA & Embassy of Kuwait, 16/2/2010)
- Les Midis de la Méditerranée : Macht en waarden in het Middellandse Zeegebied: Tijd voor een EU-Strategie (MEDEA & MEB, 18/1/2010)
- Les Midis de la Méditerranée : Debriefing du Congrès d’Alicante sur l’Education et les Migrations entre le Sud et le Nord de la Méditerranée (MEDEA & MEB, 17/12/2010)
- Les Midis de la Méditerranée : The Mediterranean dilemma : the difficulties of stability (MEDEA & MEB, 5/11/2009)
- Les Midis de la Méditerranée : La dépendance énergétique de l’UE : Vers un renforcement des relations euro-arabes ? (MEDEA & MEB, 19/10/2009)
- Les Midis de la Méditerranée : Migrations between the Maghreb and Europe (MEDEA & MEB, 21/09/2009)