[Will Israel be smart or stupid?] Indirect talks will cover core issues

Dr. Aaron Lerner
IMRA
02 May '10

Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA:

What does it mean that the indirect talks will cover core issues - this at the same time that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that the core issues will be resolved in direct talks?

Possibility A: The indirect talks focus on defining the parameters of the core issues rather than resolving them. For example, in the case of the "refugee" issue there would be a discussion of how one defines a "refugee" - something that in and of itself is hardly a minor issue given that one normally defines a refugee as someone who himself left a geographical area as of a certain time and had a certain status in that geographical area at the time he left. In contrast we have Palestinians claiming that if one of someone's 8 great grandfathers was present in Mandatory Palestine for any period of time under any circumstance then the person qualifies as a refugee. Defining what "Jerusalem" is no less complicated. And there's more on the list.

Defining the parameters while important, can be pretty monotonous. It can be boringly technical and thus a challenge for both media coverage and overt third party pressure.

It would take more than four months to resolve the above definitional issues even if there was 100% good faith negotiations between the parties.

Possibility B: Some idiot presents a working paper that, instead of discussing the definition of parameters actually presents Israel's opening positions. And "idiot" is a generous term. Because once the ball is in play everybody and his brother will present counter proposals. It doesn't take a crystal ball to predict this one. Various organizations are already putting their foreign funding to work in the preparation and promotion of counter proposals in media events and other actions planned to coincide with the talks.

So which will it be?

Will we be smart or stupid?

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Indirect talks will cover core issues
By TOVAH LAZAROFF, HILARY LEILA KRIEGER AND KHALED The Jerusalem Post
02/05/2010 02:49
www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=174450

Arab League endorses process; Mitchell returns early this week.

Israel has agreed to discuss all core issues, including Jerusalem and refugees, when the proximity talks begin this week, a government official told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday night.

(Continue to JPost article)

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