This is the negotiating position of their powerless, oh-so-moderate intellectual - it's the Palestinian equivalent of a utopian peace gesture:

The Palestinians would be prepared to forgo the right of return for millions of refugees in return for a full Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders, including east Jerusalem and the Old City, Palestinian academic Sari Nusseibeh told The Jerusalem Post Sunday... "Israelis have to give in on Jerusalem, and Palestinians, in return, have to make concessions on the right of return," he said. Under Nusseibeh's formula, those refugees who wished to do so would be allowed to resettle in the new Palestinian state with compensation. "In return for the right to independence and a sovereign Palestinian state, the Palestinians would be willing to make concessions on the right of return for refugees," Nusseibeh said. "Today we have to choose between the two, and that's why we must decide which right we want to give priority to."

(1) Most of the evidence indicates that Abbas is actually not willing to make that deal

(2) Even if Abbas was willing to make that deal, the overwhelming evidence is that he would be opposed by the Palestinian public.

(3) And even if the Palestinian public is willing to make that deal - which they're not - why wouldn't they then switch to the military option to see what else they can get? That's exactly what Arafat did. It took 5 years, Arik Sharon, and the ability to withstand withering international criticism for Israel to take back half the tangible land that the Israelis had given away. Even leftists concede that the Palestinians may be willing to live with Israel as long as they can't destroy it (which they then excuse with "well what do you expect?") - so we're a little skeptical of the "but the Palestinians would like Israel and oppose Hamas" argument.

(4) Even if large amounts of the Palestinian public tried to stick with a peace deal, all the evidence shows that Abbas is about to get rolled by Hamas, who will suspend the agreements anyway. This is what happened after the last Palestinian election.

(5) Even if Abbas got the political capital to beat Hamas in the short-term, some other "extremist" Palestinian faction would make up some other excuse and continuing to fight. This is another flavor of the tangible / intangible problem. Sometimes Israel's Arab enemies suspend their agreements. Other times they simply move the goalposts and insist - based on their own definition - that Israel isn't fulfilling its own obligations. This is what's happening with Har Dov.

Not that the Palestinian Right of Return is anything but an ethical lie anyway (fourth-generation refugees? Really?). So that's Nusseibeh's generous offer: the Palestinians will give up something they're not entitled, make promises that are impossible to verify, undertake obligations that they promise to fulfill some time in the future - all in exchange for getting all of their territorial demands. Very moderate. [Photo]

References:
* Nusseibeh: We'd trade right of return for withdrawal to 1967 borders [JPost]
* People Who Say That Abbas's Referendum Endorses a Two State Solution are Either Ignorant or Lying [MR]
* Mere Rhetoric Evaluates Palestinian Opinion Poll, Walks Away Unsurprised [MR]
* US To Hamas Arms Trasnfer Watch - Abbas Support Low [MR]
* The Saudi Peace Iniative: A Discrete Way to Destroy Israel, Based on an Ethical Lie [MR]

Previously:
* Done and Done: Abbas Takes US Money and Cutting Edge Weapons, Tells the US That He's Siding With Hamas Anyway
* US State Department Has Been Funding Hamas Terrorists For Years. No Kidding.
* Smug Condescending Sophisticates Admit They've Been Lying Through Their Teeth About Israeli Security I - UN Admits Hezbollah Is Rearming