'Israel offering mini-state of cantons'

The Jerusalem Post, May 5, 2008

By Khaled Abu Toameh

Palestinian Authority officials said Monday that Israel was offering the Palestinians nothing more than a “mini-state of cantons” in parts of the West Bank.

The officials told The Jerusalem Post that Israel’s proposals were “completely unacceptable” and “provocative.” They also claimed that the US Administration was supporting the Israeli position.

“Today, it’s clear to us that Israel has no intention of withdrawing from all the territories that were occupied in 1967,” said one official.

“If the Israelis and Americans think that they will ever find a Palestinian leader who would accept less than the 1967 borders, they are living under an illusion.”

Another top PA official said that maps presented by the Israeli government to the Palestinians in the past few weeks showed that Israel is planning to retain control over nearly half of the West Bank and large parts of eastern Jerusalem.

The Israeli maps, he said, “turn the Palestinian communities in the West Bank into cantons surrounded by Israeli military bases and large settlement blocs.”

The official added: “We have made it clear to both the Israelis and Americans that they should throw away these maps. No Palestinian will ever agree to the presence of settlements or Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. This is in violation of [US President George W.] Bush’s vision of two states living next to each other in peace.”

The officials said they were unaware of dramatic changes in Israel’s position regarding final status issues, adding that it was “premature” to talk about progress in the negotiations between the two parties.

They said they were surprised to hear reports in the Israeli media about certain progress that was ostensibly achieved during Monday’s summit between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Continued . . .