Obama Made Secret Promises to Israel, Palestinians Over Peace Talks
Contents of 'Letters of Assurance' Will Remain Classified
President Obama presented “letters of assurance” to the negotiating teams for both Israel and the Palestinian Authority today containing a series of promises with respect to US policy in an attempt to fuel peace talks, according to Israeli officials.
Those familiar with the Israeli letter say that it included a pledge that the US would not support the 1967 borders, that the US declares Israel a permanently “Jewish state,” and that the US opposes any right of return to Israel, believing all refugees should settle in the future Palestinian state.
All of those pledges are entirely speculative at this point, however, and what promises were included in the Palestinian letter are entirely a mystery, as the Obama Administration has declared the contents of the letters “classified” and won’t disclose what promises were actually made.
Secret letters are nothing new for the US in this seemingly endless conflict, with Israeli officials loudly throwing a secret Bush promise that Israel would get to keep major settlement blocks back in Obama’s face in recent weeks. This suggests that sooner or later we’ll here what was promised, though it may not be until after Obama’s term in office ends.
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nomange
July 30th, 2013 at 8:23 pm
If the author's sources are solid then Obama's assurances are guaranteed to prevent meaningful negotiations, but we knew that from the get-go when poor George Mitchell was left hanging at the beginning of Obama's first term and the President and his team have reconfirmed it so many times by that the words have become tired. So, what's new? and why the secrecy? As for Kerry, read Jeffrey St. Clair's punch to the solar plexus at: http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/07/26/what-john-… Let's hope they don't blow it with Iran.
mojo
July 30th, 2013 at 9:08 pm
For some reasons I am sure I have heard this before, if it was during Bill Clinton, or if it was during Tony Blair, Father Bush or that son of "his"…., but I am 150% sure I have heard this story again. De Jason vue.
Auustbrhm
July 31st, 2013 at 1:32 am
These US presidents keep allowing the zioinist to make fools out of them the only way out is the EU and the UN America/Britain were the cause of this so stay out being dishonest brokers.
Lee Luttrell
July 31st, 2013 at 5:35 am
If you really want to support the peace process then support the Palestinians going to the ICC and then support the decision of the Court. The ICC is the only neutral partner for peace in the Middle East.
Roger Lafontaine
July 31st, 2013 at 7:28 am
They do allow them to make fools out of them – but they are fools whose pockets are filled with money. So that leaves me to think that the real fools are the American people.
marko
July 31st, 2013 at 8:43 am
So, it's just another OMG! My Legacy! Show It's absolutely shameful how the US has used the Palestinians. Why the hell should they even bother to show up? But if they don't then everything is their fault. Disgusting.
John
July 31st, 2013 at 9:49 am
When Martin Indyk suppose to 'negociate', then everyone knows this is frautd. Don't be a fool to
believe more lies.
tom dee
July 31st, 2013 at 12:28 pm
The 1967 borders is UN 242. Does this mean that people get to pick which mandates matter. I kind of think the United Nations was screwed when Bush realized NATO was the best organization to start useless wars. It was such a bad think to bomb a United Nations member but Libya was not a member of NATO as Iran is not.
There will never be peace in the Middle East and one day the USA will not be able to afford a permantent war state in the region.
Richard Estes
July 31st, 2013 at 5:02 pm
"All of those pledges are entirely speculative at this point, however, and what promises were included in the Palestinian letter are entirely a mystery, as the Obama Administration has declared the contents of the letters “classified” and won’t disclose what promises were actually made."
Too funny. Obviously, there weren't any.