Ha'aretz - By Aluf Benn (in full)

Government officials are vehemently critical of a draft constitution prepared by a Palestinian team. One source called it "eyewash, meant to perpetuate the conflict - this is not a constitution for a people thinking about conciliation and living in peace."


A legal analysis by Foreign Ministry experts led to the conclusion that the constitution's preamble includes terms hostile to Israel, said the sources, adding "we won't accept this and neither will the Americans. The terms extend the conflict and do not reflect an end to the conflict but a perpetuation of hostilities."


The preamble to the constitution, which was drafted by Palestinian Minister Nabil Sha'ath, says that throughout history, "the Palestinians conducted their legendary jihad against the colonialist forces of the old and new world," and speaks of "the depth of the wound caused by the superpowers in their handling of the Jewish problem and division of the Middle East, where the Palestinians bore the burden of the arrangements made to reflect the balance of power and the results of the first World War, to this very day."

Sounds like an uplifting document already. I'd certainly want a country based on that foundation living next to me. Way to move forward.

Israel also rejects Article 2 of the draft, which says the Palestinian state will be established within the June 4, 1967 borders or "according to international decisions." According to the government sources, the Palestinians are ignoring previous agreements, which said the borders would be determined through negotiations and agreements between the sides.


But the government sources do admit the article concerning refugees is relatively easy for Israel to accept, since it does not refer to a mass return of refugees to Israel.


The sources said the structure of the government branches proposed by the constitution would perpetuate the role of the president, giving him veto powers over laws. "The Palestinian prime minister will be a rag, and all the praise Arafat has received for the impending appointment of a prime minister are nothing more than eyewash," said the government source.


The sources attacked the British team that helped the Palestinians draft the text, saying, "if this is what the Palestinians are going to adopt, and the British and Europeans are prepared to accept it, then it's a very grave matter. It turns out the Europeans are either naive or so hostile to Israel that they are ready to accept any Palestinian story instead of reading what is said there."

Update: MEMRI has a longish piece on the subject.