Readers React ---When has negotiating with Israel ever helped the Palestinians?
Dannyh Danon
To the editor: Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, writes that "the modern history of Israeli-Arab peace-making has taught us that only direct negotiations between the two sides can actually achieve results." ("Israel's U.N. ambassador: Direct diplomacy is the only way to peace," Opinion, April 25)
Exactly the opposite is true. Past peace “processes” have resulted in Israel confiscating even more Palestinian land. Nothing positive has ever happened for Palestinians.
Yes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “extended himself … in his pursuit of direct negotiations with the Palestinian Authority,” but he has also said that he would never allow a Palestinian state. So what is the point of negotiations except to pretend that something positive is being done?
Palestinians would be insane to subject themselves to yet another peace “process.” Their only hope appears to be with the United Nations and the success of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) initiative.
And why does Danon refer to “Israeli-Arab” negotiations instead of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations? Palestinians are, for the most part, an Arab people, but they are a separate people who have inhabited Palestine for many centuries and have hopes and aspirations of their own apart from other Arab countries.
Doris Rausch, Columbia, Md.
To the editor: Danon blames Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for the failure to hold more peace talks. But he curiously neglects to mention the rapid growth in Jewish-only, illegal settlements under Netanyahu.
When Israel carves out more and more land from the West Bank for Jewish-only developments, how can anyone believe its government is serious about allowing for a Palestinian state?