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Kerry's Shuttle Diplomacy

(Commentary) Jonathan S. Tobin - Palestinians fired rockets again into Israel from Gaza this week, showing that the cease-fire Hamas agreed to after Israel's November counter-offensive to stop such outrages may be collapsing. This shows that despite Washington's focus on propping up Abbas as a credible partner for peace, the independent Palestinian state in Gaza still has the ability to veto any hopes for an end to the conflict. The armed terrorist camp in Gaza not only maintains the level of violence on a low if persistent flame, but also keeps the pressure on Abbas to find more excuses to not talk to Israel. The reality of Palestinian politics has an unfortunate way of outstripping American diplomatic initiatives. The issue of the prisoners is often represented in the international press as one of concern for the fate of Palestinian protesters who have been unjustly jailed by Israelis in order to suppress dissent. But the prisoner who just died is a perfect illustration of just how misleading that assumption can be. The late prisoner was incarcerated for his role in sending a suicide bomber to blow up an Israeli cafe. The real obstacle to peace isn't Israeli settlements or building in Jerusalem. It is the hate for Jews and Israel that is fueling the rocket fire from Gaza. Instead of trying to mollify Abbas' bogus concerns about prisoners, Secretary of State Kerry, who is returning to the region to push for a renewal of peace talks, would do more to advance the cause of peace were he to address the ongoing fomenting of hatred by the official PA media. PA propaganda isn't just outrageous; it directly contradicts President Obama's endorsement of the right of Jews to live in peace in their historic homeland. Until that changes, Kerry's shuttle diplomacy will be just a waste of time.
2013-04-05 00:00:00
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