According to PA sources, a victory by Shaul Mofatz (currently the transportation minister) would destroy the "peace process" as it would be the end of one sided concessions. In fact Mofaz told his first formal campaign rally Tuesday that as prime minister, he would "preserve united Jerusalem as Israel's eternal capital."A senior PA official responded: "God have mercy" on the final-status talks if Mofaz wins the primary.
For more about the disaster that is Tzipi Livni, I urge you to go to Israpundit and read Revisiting Res 1701 otherwise known as Livni’s fiasco
PA: Mofaz as head of Kadima would be disaster for peace By Avi Issacharoff and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents
A victory by Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz in next month's Kadima Party leadership race would be a disaster for the peace process, senior Palestinian Authority officials say.
The officials said that an American-Palestinian plan for the continuation of the process is based on Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni winning the primary. A Mofaz victory, in contrast, would send the talks into a deep freeze, given his hawkish views on them.
Mofaz told his first formal campaign rally Tuesday that as prime minister, he would "preserve united Jerusalem as Israel's eternal capital."
To that, a senior PA official responded: "God have mercy" on the final-status talks if Mofaz wins the primary.
For now, however, PA President Mahmoud Abbas is continuing his talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The two will meet in Jerusalem Wednesday for the first time since Olmert announced that he would not run in Kadima's primary.
Palestinian sources said Abbas wants to hear Olmert's views on continuing the talks, given his declared intention of resigning after the primary. The PA would like the talks to continue during the transition period, especially because of the likelihood that Olmert will remain in power for some time after the September 17 primary, possibly even until new elections in early 2009.
A senior Israeli official commented that Olmert intends to continue the talks in their current format, but "we are growing reconciled to the fact that there will be no breakthrough. Mainly, we want to see how we can pass a live diplomatic process on to the next U.S. administration and the next Israeli government."
Olmert himself has indicated that he wants to make progress in the talks, but Livni has some reservations. At a meeting in New York with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week, she even hinted that given his political situation, Olmert has lost the legitimacy to make far-reaching concessions. However, she added, "The Israeli public can continue to support the process as long as it gives expression to the state's interests."
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