„Representatives of some 20 political entities will be sharing their ‚thoughts‘ about the conflict for several hours, sandwiched between photo opportunities and a fine meal. Thankfully, such reliably constructive actors as the Arab League, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia have been invited.
France, which in diplomatic matters famously regards itself as superior to all others, and to the U.S. in particular, has looked a good deal like Abbott and Costello when it comes to the Mideast. Eager to curry favor with its large Muslim population in advance of upcoming elections, it recently backed a Palestinian resolution in UNESCO denying any link between Jews and Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Within days French President Francois Hollande announced that his government’s vote was the result of a ‚misunderstanding.‘
The government that was unable to ‚understand‘ what the Palestinians were seeking to do by its UNESCO gambit – and so many others like it – or to ‚understand‘ the ceaseless Palestinian con job, will be chairing the peace conference (…)
The French have said that their purpose is ‚saving the two-state solution‘ and ‚bringing the parties back to the negotiating table.‘ This is a head-scratcher, since the Palestinians have repeatedly rejected the two-state solution and have refused to negotiate with Israel for many years now, rejecting its request for negotiations as recently as last week. It is hard to believe that anyone is fooled at this point by the Palestinians’ song-and-dance, since all they have done since time immemorial is to say ‚no‘ to the very independent state they say they want — the independent state that would end the occupation that they declare with a straight face is the cause of the conflict. (…)
In Paris this week, the charade proceeds as before. The Palestinian rejection of the very two-state solution they profess to seek will continue. Their rejectionism will be excused, the rejectionists coddled. Israel will be lambasted, as always. The end of conflict that ought to be attainable if it were actually desired will remain unattained.“
(Jeff Robbins, ehemaliger Vertreter der USA beim UN-Menschenrechtsrat: „Paris ‚peace‘ talks the usual charade“)
