By Stephen Lendman
1-3-14

On January 2, John Kerry arrived in Israel. It's his 10th visit since becoming Secretary of State. He's manipulating sham peace talks.

He's doing it disgracefully. He's Israel's man in Washington. He operated the same way throughout his Senate tenure.  

His conflict resolution plan is one-sided. It favors Israel. It deplores peace. So does Netanyahu. Multiple rounds of talks for years produced nothing.

Israeli settlement expansions continue. Around 1,400 new units will be announced. Netanyahu delayed doing it until Kerry returns home.

Palestinians never had a legitimate peace partner. They have none now. Longtime Israeli collaborators represent them.

Continuing a sham process shames them. They do so for special privileges they derive. They betray their own people in the process. They've done it for years. Why Palestinians tolerate them they'll have to explain.

Kerry plans four days of talks. He hopes both sides will accept his one-sided framework. It mocks legitimacy. It denies what Palestinians want most.

It includes an independent state within 1967 borders. It represents 22% of original Palestine. Letting diaspora Palestinians return is fundamental.

So is East Jerusalem as Palestine's exclusive capital. Palestinians want control of their land, borders, air space, coastal waters and resources.

They want stolen land declared part of Palestine. They want occupation ended once and for all. They want Israel held accountable for decades of high crimes.

They want negotiators representing their interests, not Israel's. They want long denied peace, equity and justice.

They want what they've never gotten. They want world community support with teeth. They want what they won't get. Washington and Israel conspire against them. So do world leaders able to make a difference.

Pursuing sham talks mocks legitimate ones. So does Kerry's shuttle diplomacy. It's more hypocrisy than real.

On January 2, an unnamed senior State Department official (called SDO below) briefed unidentified questioners by teleconference.

SDO said both sides held "intensive" talks. All "core issues" were covered. Unsaid was that months of negotiations produced nothing. Israel is all take and no give. So is Washington.

"We are not coming (this time) with an American plan that would be imposed on the parties," said SDO.  (W)e want (both sides to) bridge gaps which could lead to (an) agreement on the framework for permanent status negotiations."

"(T)his is not an effort to achieve an interim agreement." It aims for "a full and final peace treaty between the parties."

False! Peace is impossible when one side deplores it. Palestinians never had a legitimate partner. They have none in Netanyahu.

They have none in the most extremist ever Knesset. They have none because Israel rejects peace. So does Washington.

Peace defeats their agenda. Conflict and violence advance it. So does unconditional surrender.

Netanyahu claims a divine to all valued Judea and Samaria land. He demands Jerusalem as Israel's exclusive capital.

He continues land theft and dispossessions. He's terrorizing Palestinians into submission. He intends giving them no rights.

He wants exclusive control of their resources. He won't let diaspora Palestinians return. He mocks peaceful conflict resolution. He scorns equity and justice.

Peace in our time is laughable on its face. Continued conflict and occupation harshness are certain. It's been this way for over 46 years.

It's worse than ever now. War could erupt in Gaza anytime. Repeated Israeli provocations make it more likely. Palestinians show enormous restraint.

They respond defensively only after repeated attacks. Israel considers doing so terrorism. Air, ground and sea attacks follow.

So far they've been modest compared to Cast Lead and Pillar of Cloud. Things may not remain that way for long.

When Israel wants war it provokes it. All Israeli wars begin this way. So do smaller scale campaigns. Palestinians are blamed when they happen. They do so with disturbing regularity.

Israeli forces are poised to attack any time. Targeting civilians is an Israeli specialty. So is blaming Palestinians for its own crimes.

A previous article cited Professor Jeremy Salt. He commented during Cast Lead. He wrote "A Message to the brave Israeli Airmen."

His comments and this writer's apply to what happens numerous other times. It happened in late December. It'll repeat often this year.

What’s it like firing missiles at people you can’t see, asked Salt?

Does it help not knowing who you're killing?

Is your conscience eased by inflicting disproportionate force on people unable to fight back? Is destroying vital civilian infrastructure OK?

Are you comfortable about slaughtering defenseless civilian men, women, children, infants, the elderly and infirm?

Does it weigh on your conscience, or are you at ease?

Do you sleep well or have nightmares about defenseless civilians slaughtered at home, in beds, kitchens, living rooms, schools, mosques, at work, or at play?

Do farmers in their fields, mothers with children, teachers in classrooms, imams in mosques, children at play, the elderly, frail or disabled threaten your security?

Do you ever question what you’ve done and why?

Have you no shame, no sense of decency, no idea of the difference between right and wrong?

Do you know inviolable international law? Why do you violate it repeatedly? Doing so makes you guilty of crimes of war and against humanity? Do you know or pretend not to?

Do you blindly follow orders or have a mind of your own?

Have you murdered civilians before? Will you do it again if ordered? Will you keep following orders blindly or do the right thing?

"Brave" Israeli airmen, soldiers, sailors, and other security force personnel are cowards. They've acted lawlessly for decades. They inflict horrendous pain and suffering.

What's it like talking peace while waging war? How can daily state terrorism end conflict? How can saying one thing and doing another?

How can decades of broken promises solve anything? How can it when one side categorically refuses? How can it with Washington's dirty hands involved?

How can it when permanent war and state terror are official policies of both countries? What chance have Palestinians with these type peace partners?

Israel's main threat is its own belligerence. Palestinians' best hope is their longstanding redoubtable spirit. They've survived on determined will to do so. They won't quit now.

Sustained resistance gives them hope. So is growing worldwide support. Ordinary people provide it. BDS initiatives get results.

It's vital to keep challenging Israeli vulnerabilities. It's high time America was targeted the same way. Rebel or perish should be a rallying cry for millions.

On January 2, Kerry and Netanyahu held a joint press conference. Kerry is pushing a so-called "framework." It's more a rigged process than legitimate peace initiative.

Resolution "will take compromise by both sides," he said. He means but won't say he expects Palestinians to relinquish their most precious rights. He wants them to accept Israeli demands.

Netanyahu was blunt like always. His style is bullying. It's bluster. It's serial lying. It's blaming Palestinians for his crimes.

"Palestinian government incitement is rampant," he said. "(Y)ou see it in the state-controlled media...in schools, in textbooks, in kindergartens."

"You see it in every part of Palestinian society. Instead of preparing the Palestinians for peace, the Palestinian teachers are teaching how to hate Israel. This is not the way to achieve peace."

His comments describe longstanding Israeli policy. Israeli children, youths, and young adults are taught to hate Arabs.

They're indoctrinated from kindergarten through higher education to become warriors. They're taught to believe wars solve problems. By inference they told peaceful conflict resolution is self-defeating.

Washington and Israel make peace in our time impossible. Both countries deplore it.

Palestinians are on their own like always. Liberation remains a distant dream. Maybe some day. Not now. Not anytime soon. Not as long as rogue states America and Israel oppose it.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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http://www.dailycensored.com/peace-process-hypocrisy-continues/