Middle East Peace Deal Politically Impossible At Moment Says UN Human Rights Rapporteur

Israeli government policies on settlements and forced evictions contradict the international community’s framework for the peace process and will likely prevent any consensus on a two state solution,says Richard Falk, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human right in the Palestinian Territories.

  “The basis of international negotiations seems increasingly problematic as a solution because it would require the substantial reversal of the settlement process. The political realities in Israel and among the settler population make that a non viable possibility. “ Falk told reporters at a press conference in New York today.

 Israeli officials maintain that settlement issue should be part of final status negotiations and not prevent the continuation of peace talks.

 The Middle East Quartet, a group of US, British, Russian and UN diplomats tasked with advancing the peace process, has repeatedly called on Israel to stop all settlement activity while specifying that the end of a moratorium on settlements would not justify the end of negotiations.

 Falk, who presented his last report as Special Rapporteur to the General Assembly on Wednesday, says the accelerated expansion in East Jerusalem and the end of the Israeli settlement freeze in the West Bank are contradictory to the condition of withdrawal in Security Council resolution 242 on the Occupied Territories and a violation of international law.

 A Princeton professor and long time international law expert before being appointed to in his post by the Human Rights Council in 2008, Falk believes civil society groups in both countries will need to continue boycott and divestment initiatives and increase their efforts at challenging the legal aspects of the occupation.

 US officials have in the past opposed measures at pressuring Israel through boycotts or divestment as counter productive and criticized the Special Rapporteur’s mandate for being biased and overly focused on Israeli responsibility, failing to consider Hamas role in the Gaza humanitarian situation. 

 On Friday, Falk argued that the limited mandate and context of his report had no bearing on the charges against Israel or his assessment of humanitarian law situation in Gaza, West Bank or East Jerusalem.”The larger context is helpful in understanding the interaction, but it isn’t helpful in excusing Israeli behavior.”

Obama Holds Out Carrot And Stick To Iran

The US and its allies have not closed the door on a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue but Tehran will need to display a clear and credible commitment to the development of nuclear capabilities for peaceful purposes, President Obama told the UN General Assembly today in New York.

” As part of our effort on non-proliferation, I offered the Islamic republic of Iran an extended hand last year and underscored that it has both rights and responsibilities as a member of the International community. I also said , in this hall, that Iran must be held accountable if it failed to meet those responsibilities. That is what we have done.” said Obama

In his second address in front of the world body since taking office, Obama said his main focus over the past two years had been to  rescue the American economy from a “potential catastrophe” with the help of its international partners. “America has joined with nations around the world to spur growth and the renewed demand that could restart job creation. We are reforming our system of global finance, beginning with Wall Street reform here at home so that a crisis like this never happens again.  And we made the G-20 the focal point of international cooperation because in a world where prosperity is more diffuse we must broaden our circle of cooperation to include emerging economies. “

A substantial portion of Obama’s speech focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the importance of the international communities support of the most recent talks between Israelis and Palestinian leaders. The President said he understands the skepticism surrounding these new rounds of negotiation and is aware of the challenges ahead but believes their is no other solution. “Rejectionists on both sides will try to disrupt the process with bitter words, bombs and gunfire” said President Obama “If an agreement is not reached, Palestinians will never know the pride and dignity that comes with their own state, Israelis will never know the certainty and security that comes with sovereign and stable neighbors who are committed to coexistence”

The President also spoke about the change in policies towards the Iraq and Afghan wars, saying that the recent draw down of troops in Iraq and the scheduled draw down in Afghanistan next July were part of a new approach that would increasingly focus on local capacity building and partnerships.”We are moving towards a more targeted approach, one that strengthens our partners and dismantles terrorist networks without deploying large American armies.”

Cuba: Fidel Castro's New Role

Jeffrey Goldberg’s article in the August issue of The Atlantic had already drawn criticism from many journalists for over-playing Tehran’s nuclear capabilities and endorsing Israeli military strikes on Iran , when it caught the eye of an unlikely reader: Fidel Castro.

The article apparently sparked enough interest in the 84 year old former Cuban leader for him to invite The Atlantic’s national correspondent to Havana for a discussion on Iran and the Middle East. Goldberg in turn invited Council on Foreign Relations Cuba expert Julia Sweig to accompany him and both met with Castro in Havana early last week.
 
After more than four years of very limited statements due to his illness, Castro has surprised many observers with a recent increase in public and media appearances, but also with the variety of topics he has addressed. In the past few weeks he has apologized for his governments persecution of gays in the 1960’s, condemned Iranian leaders for inciting anti-Semitism , discussed his fear of nuclear conflict in the Middle East and the problems of the Cuban economic model.  
 
During a Council on Foreign Relations conference call with Sweig on Monday to discuss their visit to Havana, Goldberg said he thought Castro’s statement on anti-Semitism in Iran might have some sort of positive effect on other Non-Aligned member countries,  noting that Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez, a great admirer of Castro and important political ally to Havana, issued an announcement saying he would reach out to his country’s Jewish population, two days after Castro’s statement appeared in The Atlantic.com.
 
CFR fellow and author of “Inside The Cuban Revolution” Julia Sweig says that while current President Raul Castro’s has been building political consensus for significant reform of local private industry , public sector jobs and the sale of real estate to foreign investors, Fidel Castro is creating a new role for himself on important international issues. Sweig believes the US would gain a significant strategic advantage in Latin America and the world  if it realigned its “obsolete” policy on Cuba.
 
“Of an ideological wide range;  Latin America, Canada and the rest of the world; have been on record saying “Your policy makes no sense, its time to change” she said Monday. “It would throw a wrench in Chavez’s world view were Washington to move closer to Havana. It would open some doors in Latin America that are currently closed to the United States”  
 
 
While the Obama administration has already eased some restrictions , like allowing Cuban-Americans to travel back to Cuba without restraint, Sweig says that the coming changes to the Cuban economic system or  even possible benefits of renewing diplomatic relations will likely have no impact on American policy. The current stability in Cuba and the many other urgent domestic and international matters facing the Obama administration will continue to make the 50 year old embargo the easiest option.
 
“Cuba policy is domestic politics. It has to do with the perception of the importance of the Cuban American vote in Presidential electoral politics, especially in Florida. The weight of campaign finance money being thrown around, Republican campaign finance money going into Democratic party coffers, keep the status quo in place.Those two things really have little to do with foreign policy, with national security strategy. But they have until recently dominated” said Sweig.

Netenyahu, Abbas Agree To Meet Again In Two Weeks

UPDATE - 5:00pm - Both heads of state, Prime Minister Netenyahu and President Abbas, agreed today to meet for another round of talks in mid-September, according to U.S. President Barack Obama’s special Mideast peace envoy, George Mitchell. The meeting will take place in the Middle East, though an exact location has not yet been specified.

WASHINGTON - After two years of silence, direct negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders begin today.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet at the State Department, presided over by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to begin discussions of compromise and long-lasting peace.

A major factor in these negotiations is the expanded settlement of Israel in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.  There is currently a moratorium on the settlement expansion that played a major role in building the trust for advancing Thursday’s peace talks. The moratorium, however, is scheduled to expire September 26 and if it is not extended, peace talks between Israel and Palestine will take a heavy blow.

President Barack Obama met with the two leaders yesterday, along with the leaders from Jordan and Egypt, to emphasize that this is an opportunity that must be seized. Despite lingering skepticism, Obama said he believes both countries are looking to achieve a peaceful resolution.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas are two leaders who I believe want peace [and] both sides have indicated that these negotiations can be completed within one year,” Obama said in an address following meetings with both Netanyahu and Abbas. “Now is the time for leaders of courage and vision to deliver the peace that their people deserve.”

Settlement Moratorium A Deal Breaker For Egypt, Palestine

Ambassador Soliman Awaad, spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency, told reporters at a briefing Wednesday that he, along with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, believe that newly launched peace talks between Israel and Palestine will only be successful if Israel ends their settlement expansion.

President Mubarak said in a New York Times Op-Ed that the success of these negotiations is contingent upon whether or not the current moratorium on Israel’s settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is extended. 

“For its part, Israel should make no mistake; settlements and peace are incompatible,” Mubarak said. “A complete halt to Israel’s settlement expansion… is critical if the negotiations are to succeed.”

Awaad reiterated to the press that the moratorium’s extension plays a very pivotal role in bridging the gap between Israel and Palestine.

“This twenty-sixth day is of crucial importance,” Awaad said. “If [the moratorium] is not extended, all bets are off.”

The spokesman said Egypt wants the moratorium extended and would sympathize with Palestine in breaking negotiations if Israel does not comply. If the 10-month expansion moratorium, scheduled to expire on Septermber 26, is not extended, Awaad said negotiations will likely cease and a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine will end once again.

“The expansion of Israeli settlements have led to a collapse of trust on both sides,” Mubarak said. “For the talks to succeed, we must rebuild trust.”