Well, not exactly, but the stage is set.
Meanwhile,
// Note: the title of this post has been corrected //
Israel responded positively Saturday, and the Palestinians negatively, to a formula for restarting negotiations issued by the Quartet that would place a December 2012 deadline on reaching an agreement.Though who knows? Violence is, again, threatened.
The IDF is gearing up for an escalation in violent demonstrations in the West Bank this week amid concern that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's speech at the United Nations on Friday will motivate the public to increase their "resistance."It's a familiar pattern, or should be, to anyone who has been paying the least bit of attention to that part of the world for the past 85 years. International bodies propose a solution involving compromise on all sides, Israel says 'yes,' the Arabs say 'no.'
"We see calls for escalation on the Palestinian street and expect more stone throwing over the coming days," a senior IDF officer said. On Sunday, the Central Command will review its current deployment and depending on developments, consider the possible release of several units from active duty in the West Bank to return to training.
Meanwhile,
On Friday afternoon, Abbas said he was adamant about not recognizing Israel as the Jewish state.
"They talk to us about the Jewish state, but I respond to them with a final answer: We shall not recognize a Jewish state," Abbas said in a meeting with some 200 senior representatives of the Palestinian community in the US, shortly before taking the podium and delivering a speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
And today, he wants to walk back Oslo. Good idea.
So ... is it peace yet?
// Note: the title of this post has been corrected //
