Buried in this morning’s Ha’aretz:
The Europeans have made it clear that revival of the political process between Israel and the Palestinians is part of the price they will demand in return for an upgrading of relations with Washington. European diplomats have already held preliminary contacts with Kerry’s advisers…
In the past few years the format of a settlement has taken on final shape according to the “road map”: the end of the Israeli occupation that began in 1967, and the establishment of a Palestinian state in the territories…
And more for those of you who have been screaming about Sharon “moving too quickly” on unilateral disengagement:
Sharon is concerned that the issues of the final-status settlement, the borders, Jerusalem and the refugees will find their way back onto the agenda… Whoever succeeds Arafat will be called on to move quickly into talks on a final settlement, and Kerry is more likely than Bush to listen to such calls… it’s not certain that a Democratic administration will be pleased to see Israel’s annexation of the West Bank settlement blocs, a move that was hinted at in Bush’s letter to Sharon on April 14 of this year.
This is Aluf Benn, arguably the best Israeli diplomatic journalist and a vetern for the not-exactly-right-wing Ha’aretz, making absolutist, unequivocal statements. Don’t say that Krauthammer didn’t warn you.
