Martin Indyk, who for the past nine months has been shuttling between the Israelis and Palestinians in the latest round of peace talks, gave an expansive post-mortem of the failed negotiations in which he blamed both sides for not wanting peace badly enough.
“One problem that revealed itself in these past nine months is that the parties, although both showing flexibility in the negotiations, do not feel the pressing need to make the gut-wrenching compromises necessary to achieve peace,” Indyk, speaking at a dinner held by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said.
Indyk had particularly pointed criticism for the Israelis, who pursued the construction of settlements in the West Bank during negotiations, stoking the ire of the Palestinians.
At one point in December 2013, Israel announced additional settlements along with the release of a tranche of Palestinian prisoners, which was part of an agreement reached earlier in the peace talks.
Israelis then claimed that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas had agreed to more settlement activity in exchange for the already agreed-upon prisoners, which caused Abbas to “shut down,” Indyk said.
Indyk specifically blamed the faction of Israelis who did not want peace talks to succeed, and used settlement activity as a way of “sabotaging” negotiations.
“I can tell you firsthand that that had a very damaging effect. And by the way, it was intended to have a damaging effect,” he continued.
He also warned that continued settlement activity could lead, ultimately, to a de facto bi-national state in which an increasingly large Arab population overwhelms a Jewish minority living in the same state.
“Rampant settlement activity – especially in the midst of negotiations – doesn’t just undermine Palestinian trust in the purpose of the negotiations; it can undermine Israel’s Jewish future. If this continues, it could mortally wound the idea of Israel as a Jewish state – and that would be a tragedy of historic proportions,” he said.
Read more at ABC NEWS.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
Why does he do this???
Mavchrivayich u’maharisaych mimaych yatzayu
The Palestinians have destroyed all the green houses which were left for them when we pulled out of areas 5 years ago
How can 1 sign a contract with others who only want our destruction.
If Indyk is mad, then we must be doing something right. Let him be mad.
Indyk has been a thorn in Israels side going back to the Clinton days. He is a worthless piece of meat who Obama sent on purpose to harass Israel.
He”s a MADMAN
What’s indik thinking? or is he?