According to a letter sent by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to the international peacemaking quartet of Russia, the United Nations, the United States and the European Union, cited by AFP, containing a counter-proposal to the US 'peace plan', Palestinians are ready to revive long-stalled peace negotiations with Israel. The letter also notes that the PA is "ready to have our state with a limited number of weapons and a powerful police force to uphold law and order".
The text also suggests "minor border changes that will have been mutually agreed, based on the borders of 4 June, 1967". The letter noted, however, that the counter-proposal would be pulled if Israel moves forward with plans to extend sovereignty over "any part of the Palestinian territory". The letter to the quartet said:
Direct talks, if resumed, will break a six-year pause in negotiations between the Jewish state and the Palestinians over the territories, Jerusalem and an independent Palestinian state."No one has as much interest as the Palestinians in reaching a peace agreement and no one has as much to lose as the Palestinians in the absence of peace.
"If Israel declares the annexation of any part of the Palestinian territory, that will necessarily mean the annulation of all signed agreements."
Comment: Do the Palestinians have any clout or leverage to adequately counter yet another steam-rolling Israeli land grab? Do they have any champions willing to come forward to countercheck Israel's insatiable greed?