If This What A Moderate Looks Like, Clearly There Is No Palestinian Partner For Peace

Through a miraculous PR coup, Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayad has been labeled a "moderate voice of leadership" for a Palestinian state, after distributing a position paper entitled "Ending the Occupation, Establishing the State: Program of the Thirteenth Government - August 2009" to the UN, EU and American and Russian governments. In an article for Philadelphia newspaper "The Bulletin," David Bedein shows how immoderate Fayad really is.

The paper, which has been promoted by the Geneva Accord's website, has an abstract that calls for "peace, security and stability in our region on the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital." As Bedein points out, it seems that no one bothered reading past the first page.

Throughout the position paper, Fayad refers to Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state, not East Jerusalem. He accuses Israel, "the occupying authority," of "implementing a systematic plan…and eradicating [Jerusalem's] Arab Palestinian heritage." His plan includes returning all refugees and their descendants to their pre-1948 homes according to UN General Assembly Resolution 194. He also demands the release of Palestinians convicted of murder or attempted murder from Israeli prisons, because Fayad seems to think that jailing Palestinians who committed capital crimes is a "violation of international law and basic human rights."

If this is the "moderate voice of leadership" amongst Palestinians, it is clear that there is no Palestinian partner for peace. It is impossible to negotiate with a group that supports murderers and denies the legitimacy of Israel's capital. For this reason and many others, the Palestinian Authority is an obstacle to peace and a danger to the entire region. Therefore, an alternative partner must be found: Jordan.

The Israeli Initiative favors strategic cooperation with the Kingdom of Jordan as the sole representative of the Palestinians. Should Jordan grant citizenship to the Palestinians of Judea and Samaria, the Palestinian Authority could be disarmed and would no longer be recognized as a representative body. With Jordanian citizens in Judea and Samaria, the refugees would no longer be refugees, Iranian influence on the Palestinians would be diminished, and regional stability would be increased.

For more information on the Israeli Initiative and cooperation with Jordan, click here.

For Bedein's article, click here.

For Salam Fayad's position paper, click here