Kerry's One-Sided Vision of Israeli/Palestinian Peace

by Stephen Lendman

Decades of intermittent peace talks achieved nothing but continued occupation harshness for nearly half a century.

Oslo was a Palestinian Versailles, unilateral surrender. Israel wants all valued Judea and Samaria areas developed for Jews alone. It claims Jerusalem, a UN-designated international city, as its exclusive capital.

Palestinians got nothing for renouncing armed struggle, recognizing Israel's right to exist, and agreeing to leave major unresolved issues for later final status talks. They're still waiting after nearly a quarter century.

Major issues include an independent sovereign Palestine free from occupation, the right of return, settlements, borders within pre-June 1967 lines, resource rights, Gaza's blockade, political prisoners, along with East Jerusalem as Palestine's future capital.

Kerry's earlier shuttle diplomacy excluded peace in our time. It was pretense, old wine in new bottles, smoke and mirrors deception. A Hamas statement called it "based upon an American-Zionist agenda which sees settlements devour land and the Judaization of Jerusalem and holy sites."

Kerry endorses "national divisions," serving Israeli interests exclusively, Palestinian rights ignored like always.

Any plan letting Israel annex settlements amounts to legitimizing years of land theft. Palestine belongs to Palestinians. They'll settle for 22% of their historic homeland.

Israel wants all valued areas Judaized, Palestinians excluded, a prescription for endless conflict. Washington is no honest broker. Francis Boyle once said Israel "never demonstrated even one iota of good faith when it came to negotiating a two-state solution with the Palestinians."

Nor did America earlier going back decades, throughout Obama's tenure and from whatever Kerry proposes in his dubious December 28 initiative - presenting what the State Department calls a "comprehensive vision" for achieving Israeli/Palestinian peace.

Calling himself "a lifelong friend of Israel," his address will likely update his March 2014 "framework document," warmed over past failure serving Israeli interests exclusively, enough to give US diplomacy more of a bad name than already.

It'll likely be the basis for January 15 Paris peace conference discussions, dozens of international foreign ministers involved. A conflict resolution plan will likely be drafted for adoption by the Quartet and Security Council before Obama leaves office on January 20 if things go as planned.

Kerry's Wednesday address, followed by mid-January Paris talks, will be his last hurrah. 

A trilateral Russia, Iran, Turkey alliance on achieving cessation of hostilities and conflict resolution in Syria excludes Washington, NATO and their rogue Middle East allies - obstacles to peace, not supporters.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.