BLAIR: NO PALI STATE UNLESS COHERENTLY RUN

Blair: There Won't Be Palestinian State Unless It Is Coherently Run - Barak Ravid, David Landau, Aluf Benn and Shmuel Rosner
Quartet envoy Tony Blair said in an interview in Washington on Wednesday he no longer believes that "land for peace," in and of itself, is sufficient. What is no less important, in his view, is the character of the Palestinian state. He constantly warns senior PA officials: "There won't be a Palestinian state unless it is coherently governed and run, and anyone who tells you different is misleading you."

What Blair has tried to explain to the Arab world and to the Palestinians is that they must understand how the events in Gaza have affected the Israeli public and leadership. If one looks at it from the vantage point of Israelis, they left Gaza, evacuated 7,000 settlers, and ended up with a Hamas takeover. Blair believes that anyone who wants to reach a solution has to understand that Israelis' security concerns are genuinely and deeply felt. (Ha'aretz)

JEWISH DIPLOMAT APPOINTED BLAIR AIDE

Jewish diplomat appointed Blair aide (JTA)
The Bush administration named a veteran U.S. diplomat to assist Tony Blair in promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Don Bandler, a former ambassador to Cyprus and a former director for Israeli and Palestinian affairs at the State Department, will be based in Jerusalem, a State Department statement said. He will represent the former British prime minister, who is now the lead Middle East envoy of the Quartet, the coalition of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Bandler, the scion of a Philadelphia Jewish family, most recently worked for the Kissinger McLarty consulting firm headed by Henry Kissinger, the former secretary of state. The Quartet's other members must affirm Bandler, but that is believed to be a formality.

JUMPING TO FINAL STATUS TALKS A MISTAKE

Don't Relinquish the Road Map - Dov Weisglass (Ynet News)

• For several years the international community widely maintained that Palestinian terror would cease with the establishment of a Palestinian state. Ariel Sharon's cabinet did not believe this would be the outcome. Israel demanded first the cessation of terror and its demise, and only later diplomatic progress.
• The Road Map plan for managing a reconciliation process between Israel, the Palestinians, and the Arab world was prepared by the international Quartet and adopted in a UN General Assembly resolution.
• In its initial phase the Palestinians were required, among other things, to end terror: Disarm terror organizations, confiscate their weapons, establish efficient intelligence, security and policing apparatuses in order to prevent terror, enforce the law, develop appropriate government and administrative systems - namely, create a regime free of terror that functions properly and is fit to run a state.
• In the second phase - following the probation period - a Palestinian state would be established within the current borders of the Palestinian Authority, and only later - in the third phase and following an additional probation period, negotiations would commence with the aim of achieving an agreement pertaining to borders, refugees and the status of Jerusalem.
• This is the Road Map: Advancement to a later stage subject to full implementation of the previous phase; the entire process is conditioned on the establishment of an efficient and functioning PA that prevents terror and enforces the law; judgment as to whether the phase was implemented in a manner that enables commencement of the next phase would be in the hands of the U.S.
• In recent weeks there have been indications of a change in Palestinian activity towards switching from gang rule to a functioning government; yet it still comes nowhere near the first phase of the road map. Skipping to talks on a final-status agreement in the current situation means that the conditions stipulated in the phased progress of the road map are being ignored and Israel's most important diplomatic achievement in recent years is being relinquished.
• The Road Map constitutes recognition on the part of the majority of the international community of Israel's right not to accept a Palestinian state as long as it cannot guarantee that it can prevent terror from within its territory. This premise must not be relinquished and should not be ruined.

SEE: Peres: Talk to P.A. without preconditions (JTA)
Shimon Peres said Israel should not place preconditions on peace talks with the new Palestinian Authority government.

Israel Radio quoted Peres as saying Thursday that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who set up a new, Western-backed administration in the West Bank after breaking with Hamas over its Gaza takeover in June, deserve to be treated as full negotiating partners.

"I get the impression that Abu Mazen wants to hold serious negotiations, and we have to talk to him without preconditions," Peres was quoted as telling visiting U.S. congressmen.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has recently signaled willingness to talk to Abbas about the formation of a Palestinian state, though the latter has yet to prove the extent of his mandate after the schism with Hamas.

BLAIR MORE ENVOY TO PALESTINIANS THAN PEACE NEGOTIATOR

Blair Will Be More an Envoy to the Palestinians than a Peace Envoy - Tim Butcher
Tony Blair was told by the U.S. Thursday that he had no authority to tackle political negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians as he spent his first full day as special envoy to the Middle East. Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. secretary of state, insisted at a meeting of the Middle East Quartet in Lisbon that America would retain leadership of the "political track" while Blair would work on raising funds for the Palestinians, as well as building their economy and infrastructure. He will be more an envoy to the Palestinians than a peace envoy. The Quartet reiterated its policy of refusing to deal with Hamas on the grounds that it is a terrorist group, instead backing Mahmoud Abbas. (Telegraph-UK)

E.U. TO BLAIR: "TURN THE SCREWS ON THE JEWS"

EU to Blair: Turn the screws on the Jews (JWN)
Ten European Union foreign ministers Monday messaged newly-appointed Middle East envoy Tony Blair to increase the pressure on Israel to make more "concessions for peace."

And they let the former British prime minister know that they want to see an international conference on the Arab-Israeli conflict convened, one at which Israel would stand decidedly alone against the pro-"Palestinian" world.

Ynetnews reported that, in an open letter to the new big-power envoy, "the foreign ministers of the EU's Mediterranean states – Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Romania and Slovenia – welcomed Arab states' efforts for peace following the stalled US-backed 'road map.'"

"The Road Map has failed," the ministers reportedly said in the letter that appeared in the newspaper Le Monde. There was therefore a need to "redefine our objectives."

Europe and the Quartet of Middle East mediators should firmly tell Israel to make more concessions in support of Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, they continued. One of their new objectives was "to obtain from Israel concrete and immediate measures in favor of Mahmoud Abbas.

"Among these, the transfer of all taxes due, the release of the thousands of prisoners who do not have blood on their hands, the release as well of the main Palestinian leaders [like Marwan Barghouti who does have blood on his hands] to ensure succession within Fatah, a freeze in new [Jewish] settlements and the evacuation of unauthorized settlements, [read ethnically cleansing the land of Jews]" they said.

While these challenges were surely daunting, the ministers said, "we know how inventive and resolute you are," the ministers told Blair. They also called for an examination of the idea, put forward by Abbas, that a robust international force be brought into the PA areas to impose a ceasefire between rival Arab factions. Israel has always resisted suggestions that foreign troops be introduced into the Jews' ancient homeland, knowing that once inside it would be difficult to get them out.

THOUGHTS ON BLAIR AS QUARTET ENVOY

Blair's Mission: Impossible - Youssef Ibrahim
The move to hire Blair by the Quartet would have been amusing if it were not so obviously misguided. What's the man supposed to do? The Palestinian Arab territories are run by two warring mini-authorities. Neither side has any constituents who can make a deal, keep one if it were made, or even deliver on any pact with other Arabs, let alone with the Israelis. That has been true for 60 years. In this circus, Abbas has been nothing but a convenient distraction. He has never commanded anyone and, like most so-called Palestinian Arab leaders, he is just one of a series of tired, old faces - unable to manage, but unwilling to move on.

So Blair's first mission will be to reconcile the Palestinian Arabs - something that the Saudis, the Egyptians, and the Jordanians have been unable to do since 1948, when Britain gave up its mandate to run the Palestinian Arab territories. Blair has nothing special to contribute to this mess. Attempting to fiddle - again - with the one Middle East problem that has been a constant since 1948 is glaringly artificial and pretentious. Tony, we love you. Please get a life. (New York Sun)

See also Four Reasons Why Blair Is the Perfect Envoy - Anshel Pfeffer (Jerusalem Post)

Advice for Blair: Stop Patronizing the Palestinians - Gerald M. Steinberg
Real Israeli-Palestinian peace requires the type of societal transformations that take many years. This process will also require a basic change in international perceptions with respect to Palestinians. In particular, the patronizing and ineffective emphasis on Palestinian suffering and helplessness that has dominated actions since 1948 must end. Palestinians must be given the opportunity and the external push to take control over their own destiny, and stop seeing themselves simply as passive victims. The rampant corruption and failed leadership in Palestinian society is, to a large degree, a product of the massive welfare system in effect since the 1948 war. (ICA/JCPA)

The Real Obstacle to Peace: Genocidal Jihad - Saul Singer
The first thing Tony Blair should do is rethink the whole concept of a "Mideast envoy." What the job needs most now is not a mediator but a truth-teller. The more Israel embraced Palestinian statehood, the more violent and radicalized the Palestinians have become. During last summer's war in Lebanon, Blair hit on the real obstacle to peace. He said Hizbullah was not fighting "for the coming into being of a Palestinian state, but for the going out of being of an Israeli state." The struggle for peace is no longer between Israelis and Palestinians. It is between the jihadi axis (Hamas, Hizbullah, al-Qaeda, Syria and Iran) and the West, moderate Arabs and Israel, who want to resolve the Palestinian problem and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Blair's first task for peace should be to expose the real obstacle to peace: the jihadi front's genocidal dream of destroying Israel. (Washington Post)

BLAIR NAMED QUARTET REP.

Blair named Middle East troubleshooter.
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Tony Blair was Wednesday named envoy of the Middle East peace quartet tasked with spearheading efforts to create a Palestinian state, hours after he stepped down as British prime minister.

"Following discussions among the principals, today the quartet dealing with the Middle East is announcing the appointment of Tony Blair as the quartet representative," UN spokeswoman Michele Montas announced.

She said that as "quartet representative, Mr Blair will mobilize international assistance to the Palestinians, working closely with donors and existing coordinating bodies."

Blair, 54, will also "help identify and secure appropriate international support in addressing the institutional governance needs of the Palestinian state, focusing as a matter of urgency on the rule of law," a quartet statement said.

WHEN DID THE QUARTET BECOME EXCLUSIVELY ABOUT CREATING A PALESTINIAN STATE? ISN'T THAT PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE. I THOUGHT THE PURPOSE OF THE QUARTET WAS TO ENCOURAGE PEACE. DOESN'T THAT MEAN WORKING FOR AN END TO TERROR, INCITEMENT, AND ASSURING ISRAEL'S SECURITY?

Blair leaves legacy of Israel support (JTA)
As the Jewish community lauds outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair for his commitment to Israel and Jewish causes, the question is whether his successor will follow suit. Full Story

BLAIR TO BE QUARTET REP?

Bush, Blair Discuss Role as Middle East Envoy (NYSun)
Could Represent the Quarter of Peacemakers

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush has talked with British Prime Minister Blair about taking a role as a Middle East peace envoy after he leaves office next week.

Assistant Secretary of State Welch, the State Department's top diplomat for the Middle East, talked with Mr. Blair in London on Wednesday, while the White House and State Department spoke glowingly about the prime minister's credentials but said there was nothing to announce yet.

Israeli Prime Minister Olmert also expressed support for Mr. Blair playing a role in the Middle East.

"Officials in the prime minister's office are aware of this idea and Prime Minister Olmert is very supportive of Prime Minister Blair and of his continuing involvement in the Middle East and the peace process," Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said.

Mr. Blair steps down next Wednesday.

HAMAS: TO PEACE WITH ISRAEL, ROCKETS TO CONTINUE

Hamas Leader: Rocket Attacks on Israel Will Continue - Ian Black
Khaled Mashal, the political leader of Hamas, speaking in Damascus Tuesday, insisted attacks on Israel will continue despite Israeli retaliation. Hamas has been the main force behind more than 250 Kassam rockets fired at southern Israel from Gaza in the past two weeks, killing two civilians. Mashal rejected demands by the Quartet that Hamas accept three conditions - recognition of Israel, an end to violence, and acceptance of previous peace agreements with Israel.

Mashal is described by Western sources as the channel for Iranian financial support for Hamas. The U.S. has pressed Syria to close down Hamas' Damascus offices but Syria insists it will not. Contemplating the forthcoming 40th anniversary of the June 1967 Middle East war, Mashal underlined his view that armed resistance will eventually succeed. (Guardian-UK)

UN EXPERT TO QUARTET: RECOGNIZE HAMAS

UN expert to Quartet: Recognize Hamas (JPost)
UN Human Rights investigator Dugard says recognition is "indispensable" to peace.

An independent human rights expert called Tuesday for the United States, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union to fully recognize the Palestinian government - including Hamas members - as an "indispensable requirement" to peace.

John Dugard, the UN Human Rights Council's investigator on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said the Mideast Quartet has to treat both sides equally if it wants to broker a successful peace agreement.

Israel has consistently rejected Dugard's reports and statements as one-sided. In March he compared the Jewish state's treatment of Palestinians to apartheid - comments that drew strong criticism from Israeli officials, who called them "inflammatory and inciteful."

U.S., QUARTET HOLDING FIRM ON EXPECTATIONS FOR NEW P.A. GOVT.

Wary of Hamas, U.S. Is to Trim Aid to Palestinian Forces - Helene Cooper
The Bush administration will reduce by about 40% the aid it is seeking from Congress for the security forces of Mahmoud Abbas, and set new conditions for monitoring the money because of concerns that some of it could end up with Hamas, administration officials said Wednesday. Secretary of State Rice told a House panel on Wednesday that she would soon send Congress a revised package that would try to restrict the use of the money to security forces loyal to Abbas. (New York Times)

Rice: PA Must Recognize the "Foundational Principles for Peace"
Secretary of State Rice told a Congressional committee Wednesday: "It is extremely important to continue to show American commitment to the development of a political horizon so that the Palestinian people can see that their future rests with moderate forces like Abu Mazen [Abbas], not with those forces that are extreme. In that regard, frankly, the formation of the Palestinian unity government has provided something of a challenge because the Palestinian unity government as formed does not meet the Quartet principles. I have stopped calling them the Quartet principles; I now call them the 'foundational principles for peace,' because quite clearly you cannot have peace unless you recognize the right of the other party to exist, unless you're prepared to renounce violence, and unless you're prepared to live up to past agreements."

"The U.S. is not prepared to change its assistance policies toward this government because it does not recognize those foundational principles for peace. We will nonetheless not suspend our contacts with those in the Palestinian government who have a record of fighting for peace." (State Department)

Quartet: PA Government Must Demonstrate "Credible Commitment to Quartet Principles"
Representatives of the Quartet discussed by telephone on Wednesday the establishment of a Palestinian national unity government. The Quartet reaffirmed its previous statements with regard to the need for a Palestinian government committed to nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap. The Quartet expressed its expectation that the unity government will act responsibly and demonstrate clear and credible commitment to the Quartet principles. (State Department)

See also Israel Welcomes, Palestinians Slam Quartet Boycott Extension (AFP/Yahoo)

QUARTET SEEMS TO HOLD FIRM ON PALI GOVT. DEMANDS

Quartet: Palestinian Government Must Recognize Israel, Renounce Violence, Accept Past Agreements
A statement by the Middle East Quartet following its meeting in Berlin on Wednesday said: "The Quartet reaffirmed its statements regarding its support for a Palestinian government committed to non-violence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap." (United Nations)

See also Quartet: Palestinian Government Must Abide by Our Terms - Assaf Uni
The Quartet has said it will withhold judgment on the unity coalition until its policies are known. British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday told PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in London that the new Palestinian unity government must abide by the conditions laid out by the Quartet. (Ha'aretz)

See also U.S. and Europe Minimize Differences on Palestinian Accord - Glenn Kessler
European and U.S. officials on Wednesday sought to play down emerging differences over the new Palestinian unity government during a meeting of the Quartet. (Washington Post)

See also Splits Emerge Between U.S. and Europe Over Aid for Palestinians - Helene Cooper (New York Times)

OLMERT READY TO SURRENDER

Olmert: Relations with Peretz 'intact' (JPost)
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday that if the new Palestinian unity government were to free kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit, Israel would have to reconsider its position on the PA coalition.

At the previous day's cabinet meeting, Olmert said that Israel neither accepted nor rejected the Mecca Accord. He said that his government had "urgent consultations" over the weekend about the Hamas and Fatah agreement, but had not decided whether to reject or accept it.

WHAAATT???? WHAT ABOUT THE QUARTETS CONDITIONS? WHAT ABOUT THE ROAD-MAP? WHAT ABOUT RECOGNIZING ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO EXIST AND CLAMPING DOWN ON TERROR?

HAMAS: NEW PALI GOV'T WON'T RECOGNIZE ISRAEL OR STOP TERROR

WITH THEIR SHAM UNITY GOVERNMENT IN PLACE, HAMAS AND FATAH ARE DEMANDING THAT THE U.S. LIFT IT'S AID EMBARGO. THE U.S. AND ISRAEL HAVE BEEN INSISTING THAT THERE CAN BE NO PROGRESS TOWARD PEACE UNTIL THE PALESTINIANS CLAMP DOWN ON TERROR AND RECOGNIZE ISRAEL. GOOD LUCK WAITING FOR THAT:

Hamas: We will not recognize Israel or stop violence (PMW)
by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook - Feb. 12, 2007
A Hamas spokesman has reiterated that the new Hamas-led coalition government will neither recognize Israel nor stop terror. According to Hamas spokesman Mushir Al-Masri, Hamas interprets the Mecca agreement to mean that the Arab and Islamic worlds have accepted them as they are, and that "international legitimization" will follow.The following are excerpts from the article:

Hamas movement spokesman, Mushir Al-Masri, said: “Hamas remains as it is: following its principles. It did not retreat, but advanced forward.” He confirmed that it will not recognize Israel, will not abandon the resistance [i.e. terror] and will not discard its principles.” He further said: “The Hamas [that existed] prior to the government, is Hamas of the government. Hamas prior to the unity [government] is Hamas after the unity.”

This was said during a rally organized yesterday by the Islamic University student council, as part of a series of activities of identification with the university. Thousands of university students and a group of representatives from the Legislative Council and ministers participated in the rally…Al-Masri added: “Hamas received national legitimization through the gathering of masses around it and around the option of resistance [i.e., terror] and received legislative legitimization through its victory in the Legislative Council elections. It now received Arab and Islamic legitimization and will receive international legitimization.” [Al-Ayyam, February 12, 2007]

SEE ALSO: New Palestinian govt won't recognize Israel: Hamas (Reuters)

SAUDIS PROMISE PALESTINIANS $1 BILLION

Saudis Promise Palestinians $1 Billion - Khaled Abu Toameh
Saudi Arabia promised $1 billion in aid to the Palestinians after they agreed to the formation of a unity government, a senior Hamas official said Thursday. Hamas and Fatah agreed that the political platform of the unity government would not require Hamas to abide by previous agreements signed between the PLO and Israel, one of the three conditions the Quartet had set for granting the Hamas government legitimacy.

Moreover, the Fatah-Hamas agreement does not require the unity government to explicitly recognize Israel's right to exist or Hamas to renounce violence, other Quartet requirements.

Even if they are part of a unity government that accepts the Quartet principles, the U.S. government would continue to boycott Hamas ministers, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Jewish leaders Thursday. Vice Premier Shimon Peres issued a statement saying "a united Palestinian government without a united policy in favor of peace doesn't solve any problem....The Palestinians don't only need to form a new government, they need to embark on a new path toward peace." (Jerusalem Post)

The Saudis and the Palestinians - Youssef Ibrahim
The Saudis have no special formula to end the killing among the Palestinian Arabs. Indeed, they have promoted, with their checkbook diplomacy, the fundamentalists in Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other groups for years. They have built scores of mosques and madrassas in the West Bank and Gaza to spread their fanatical Wahhabi creed and have actively undermined Palestinian Arab Christian political leaders and mayors in the West Bank. (New York Sun)

Globalizing Wahhabism - Johann Hari
The champion of globalization is in fact a puritanical desert-nomad from the sands of Arabia who died in 1792, and the evidence was there in this week's Islamic panic front pages. Mohamed ibn Abd al-Wahhab had a dream. He dreamed of an Islam stripped down to a cold list of mechanical rules, strictly enforced, severely upheld. He ordered whippings and beheadings of Muslims to "purify" the faith. He smashed up and burned down the worship places of the softer, more mystical Muslims all around him. And - his smartest move - he cut a deal. He met the chief of the desert bandits who lived in nearby Najd - a man named Mohamed Saud - and offered him his allegiance, in return for enforcing his severe, new brand of Islam. The Saud ruling family and the Wahhabi doctrine have been locked in a stiff waltz ever since.

More than two centuries later, oil was discovered under the territory of these bandits, and billions of dollars began to soak into the kingdom. True to their ancestor's deal, the House of Saud used this black gold to promote the ideas of Wahhab across the world. By paying for thousands of schools, mosques and trained imams, they dispersed the reactionary preacher's ideas to every continent. Slowly, steadily, they are succeeding in eroding other, gentler forms of Islam. They are globalizing Wahhabism - and your petrol purchases are paying for it.

In Sweden, almost every Islamic school is either funded by the Saudis or seeking out their cash, according to the investigative program "Kaliber." In the U.S., 80% of imams are trained by the Saudis, and in France 70%. In Pakistan, there were 246 madrassas at the time of independence in 1945. Today, there are 6,607 - the majority using Saudi textbooks provided for free. (Independent-UK)

A WOLF IN WOLF'S CLOTHING

THE FATAH-HAMAS POWER SHARING AGREEMENT ISN'T EVEN A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. IT'S A WOLF IN WOLF'S CLOTHING. BUT WILL THE THE U.S. AND ISRAEL BE STRONG AND STALWART ENOUGH TO RESIST PRESSURE FROM EUROPE, RUSSIA AND THE SAUDIS TO HOLD THE LINE AND INSIST OF FULL, TRUE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL CONDITIONS BEFORE THE AID BAN IS LIFTED?

Palestinian Deal Troubles U.S. - Anne Gearan
A power-sharing deal between the secular, U.S.-backed Palestinian leader and his Islamic militant rivals complicates an emerging U.S. effort to invigorate dormant peace prospects with Israel. The deal announced Thursday between warring Palestinian factions does not expressly commit the new government to conditions the U.S. has called essential first steps toward any political accommodation between Israel and the Palestinians. Officials were troubled at the prospect of a unified Palestinian government that will not renounce violence or recognize Israel. (AP/Washington Post)

See also State Department: New PA Government Must Meet International Demands - Hassan M. Fattah
Israel and international powers have said that they would lift their boycott of the Palestinian government only if it agreed to three conditions: recognize Israel, renounce violence against Israel, and abide by previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. The Mecca accord addresses only the last of those and does so rather imprecisely. In Washington, a State Department spokesman, Tom Casey, said, "The international community has made it clear that in order to be able to have a broader relationship with the Palestinian Authority government, that those principles are going to have to be met." (New York Times) [ED. DOES ANYONE THINK IT'S IRONIC THAT THE NYT'S REPORTER'S NAME IS "FATTAH"?]

Israel: New Palestinian Government Must Accept All International Conditions
Speaking Thursday after agreement was announced in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, between Fatah and Hamas for a unity government, Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said: "Israel expects a new Palestinian government to respect and accept all three of the international community principles." (AP/International Herald Tribune)

See also Israel: Quartet Will Not Accept New PA Government - Rebecca Anna Stoil
Iranian influence over Hamas will preclude the Quartet from approving a Palestinian national unity government, Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter predicted on Thursday. Dichter said that the talks in Mecca were "one of the main issues" he discussed this week in Washington. "We have found common ground between America and Israel that the creation of a unity government without accepting the three conditions of the Quartet is meaningless." (Jerusalem Post)

Abbas' Top Concern Is Avoiding Civil War, Not Compliance - Herb Keinon
PA Chairman Abbas wanted a national unity government agreement in Mecca to stave off a Palestinian civil war, even if it meant antagonizing Israel, the U.S. and the EU, according to Western diplomatic assessments. The widespread feeling in Jerusalem is that the U.S., along with Britain and Germany, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, would remain adamant about the need for the three Quartet principles to be upheld, while Russia would push to recognize the unity government even if it did not fully meet the requirements.

According to Western diplomatic assessments, the Palestinians themselves have no illusions the unity agreement would satisfy the Quartet principles. However, there was a feeling among the Palestinians that this was the most that could be gotten from Hamas at the present time. Nobody expected that Hamas would change its fundamental positions. (Jerusalem Post)