Arab (What-Passes-For) Thinking

NYT reports:

Saudi officials and political experts say...The Arab countries...believe they have already made their best offer and that it is now up to Israel to make a gesture, perhaps by dismantling settlements in the West Bank or committing to a two-state solution.

“What do you expect the Arabs to give without getting anything in advance, if Israel is still hesitating to accept the idea of two states in itself?” said Mohammad Abdullah al-Zulfa, a historian and member of the Saudi Shura Council, which serves as an advisory panel in place of a parliament.

While not dismissing the possibility of some movement on the peace process, the Saudis say the Arab world made substantial concessions in the Arab Peace Initiative, which was endorsed by a 22-nation coalition during an Arab League summit in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2002. That proposal offered full recognition of Israel in exchange for Israel’s withdrawing to its 1967 borders and agreeing to a “just settlement” to the issue of the Palestinian refugees.

Concessions?

After attacking Israel in unprovoked acts of aggression?

In 1947? Rejecting the UN Partition resolution and starting an intra-communal war.

In 1948? Invading nascent Israel by seven Arab countries.

In 1949? Launching terror attacks by fedayeen.

In 1967? Closing Suez Canal, dismissing UN troops, shelling Jerusalem.

In 1994? Initiating Oslo terror campaign.

In 2000? Faking Israel Temple Mount takeover and beginning Al-Aqsa Intifada.


Oh, and as for the Saudi/Tom Friedman Initiative, as it sneaks in Arab refugees, it's a non-starter. Jews can't live in Judea and Samaria but Israel has to take in those who sought its demise?


And they go on, those Saudis:-

A Saudi official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to discuss details of the presidential visit, said that Arab nations might be willing to accept certain incentives to expedite the peace process, but only if they occur simultaneously with Israeli action.

“It depends on what the Israelis give,” the official said. “Israelis say, ‘We opened a passage.’ Come on, you open a passage, you close a passage. That is not one of the issues. Let’s deal with the major issues.”