Netanyahu, Abbas break ice and shake hands at climate change conference

[Jefferson23]

It was the leaders' first face to face exchange since 2010.

PARIS – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas briefly shook hands during a “family picture” of the nearly 150 world leaders gathered here for the climate change conference.

It was the leaders' first face to face exchange since 2010.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address the conference Monday afternoon for three minutes, the time given to each of the leaders attending the parley.

Netanyahu, accompanied by his wife Sara and Minister of Environmental Protection Avi Gabbay, arrived in Paris mid-morning on Monday, and went to the sprawling Le Bourget fairgrounds just outside of Paris for the conference.



http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahu-Abbas-break-ice-and-shake-hands-at-climate-change-conference-435818

[King_David]

1. Great

Is there a pic?

[Jefferson23]

3. Check at the link. n/t

[azurnoir]

5. Here ya go quite evocative don't you think

[marble falls]

2. About F'ing time. Thought it was going to be a Onion piece at first glance.

[Jefferson23]

4. Netanyahu: I Don’t Want Palestinian Authority to Fall Because Alternative May Be Worse’

http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.689348

[shira]

6. Duh....and that's why many politicians & Shabak won't criticize Abbas like they should. n/t

[Jefferson23]

7. Shabak would never have let that alleged quote go by, if that's what you're referring to.

Not a chance. Bibi has no good reason to consider Abbas a threat..the US knows this too.

[shira]

8. Sure they would. And it's not alleged, it's fact. n/t

[Jefferson23]

9. nope. n/t

[Israeli]

10. Instead of Seeking Peace With Abbas, Netanyahu Tattles to the Teacher Obama

Israeli leaders used to accuse their Arab interlocutors of doublespeak; Netanyahu has upgraded his diplomacy to triplespeak.

Haaretz Editorial Dec 02, 2015

Tuesday’s newspapers were adorned with front-page photos of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Paris climate conference. The prime minister quickly explained that his rare gesture was only done out of politeness (“it’s diplomatic protocol”) and media spin. He told reporters: “It’s important that the world see that we are prepared to speak to the Palestinians, but I have no illusions about Abu Mazen” — Abbas.

After the photo-op, Netanyahu buttonholed U.S. President Barack Obama in a hallway to complain about the Palestinian leader. “I said to Obama, look at how Abu Mazen is continuing his incitement,” the prime minister said. According to Netanyahu, “Obama told me that he plans to speak with Abu Mazen about this, and that he agrees with me that it has to stop.”


So here’s an interpretation of Netanyahu’s performance. In front of the cameras, Netanyahu made it appear that he was seeking peace, and later explained in Hebrew for domestic consumption that all was show so that Education Minister Naftali Bennett wouldn’t threaten to break up the governing coalition.

When the photographers left the room, he explained to Obama that there was no one to talk to, like a kid tattling on his friend to the teacher – “but he started it.” Israeli leaders used to accuse their Arab rivals-colleagues of doublespeak; Netanyahu has upgraded his diplomacy to triplespeak.

That’s Netanyahu’s policy: The main thing is to get through another international conference, another news broadcast, another meeting with Obama without entering a serious discussion on Israel’s future, a solution to the conflict and delineating the state’s borders. Everything is PR, spin and clumsy attempts at winning media points in a confrontation with Abbas’ “incitement” while maintaining the stability of the right-wing government.

Netanyahu can’t persuade the international community that the terror in France and the stabbings at Gush Etzion Junction stem from the same source. Western leaders are fighting the Islamic State while supporting independence for the Palestinians and expressing their opposition to the settlements. Instead of taking advantage of the chance to join with Obama, the European Union and the Sunni Arab countries to achieve the two-state vision that Netanyahu is ostensibly committed to, he focuses on postponement.

The current wave of violence should be a catalyst in efforts at dialogue, compromise and a solution to the conflict, not pretense for staged photographs. Instead of laying out Abbas’ sins to Obama, Netanyahu should have gone into a room with Abbas and talked seriously about ways to push the peace process forward.

Tattling to the teacher and fears of the bullies in the coalition aren’t a substitute for an initiative that seeks to improve Israel’s security and international standing.

Source: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.689503