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The Balkans have arrived By Akiva Eldar Click here for more articles by Akiva Eldar It is difficult to imagine that a veteran political hack and smart lawyer like Ehud Olmert did not understand that once Israel's prime minister loudly set the bar for an agreement with the Palestinians at the 1967 borders, no Palestinian leader will settle for less. Like the heiress apparent, Tzipi Livni, Olmert knows that there is no point in continuing to bargain. Both have concluded that the old game of the endless peace process that leads nowhere has reached its end. The mantra "if they give, they'll get, if they don't give, they won't get" that Benjamin Netanyahu waved arrogantly in the Palestinians' faces has changed direction: If Israel gives the territories, all the territories, it will get a Jewish state. If Israel does not give the territories, including East Jerusalem, it will get the Balkans. But Olmert and Livni, not to mention the Zionist left, have not managed to pass on to the public their anxiety over losing the two-state option. The right's frightening scenarios that Palestine will launch missiles at the homes of Kfar Sava and planes landing at Ben-Gurion Airport are scaring people much more than the danger of one state for two peoples; that is, the loss of the state's Jewish character. In fact, Israelis have lived for 41 years in a binational reality, but the regime, and that is what counts for them, has consistently remained unitary. Advertisement The numbers of Arabs living five minutes from Israelis' homes, between settlements and army bases, does not bother them. To ease their conscience, most Israelis (55 percent according to the Steinmetz Peace Index from last March) define the West Bank as "liberated territory" and only 32 percent have adopted the term "occupied territory." As long as Israel does not annex the territories and does not give its inhabitants civil rights, the "demographic threat" is a statistical paper tiger. Even "international pressure" to reach a settlement has turned out time after time to make momentary headlines, accompanied the next day by the report of a new outpost and two days later by an invitation to another peace conference. It appears, therefore, that there is a long-range alternative to a two-state solution other than the one-state solution for two peoples: a Jewish and democratic state west of the Green Line and Jewish and undemocratic rule east of the line. The Palestinian Authority, which was intended to be a temporary arrangement until the establishment of an independent state, has become a fig leaf covering the nakedness of a deluxe version of occupation. The European taxpayer, rather than the Israeli one, is paying the salaries of teachers and doctors in the West Bank. And Mahmoud Abbas' police have become the subcontractors for the Israeli security forces. In an interview with Haaretz last week, GOC Central Command Gadi Shamni praised the Palestinian police for their raids on mosques and their arrests of imams. The voices of Palestinian public figures like Professor Sari Nusseibeh, who called on Abbas to end the theater of the absurd of the diplomatic talks, dismantle the PA and begin an international struggle for equal rights in all of Mandatory Palestine, have fallen silent. The pollster Khalil Shikaki found that only 25 percent of the West Bank's inhabitants support a one-state solution. The Palestinians have come to know the Jewish community and they know it will not agree to give up its dominance by force for the sake of egalitarian coexistence with the Palestinian community. Their support for Hamas does not stem from a loss of support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines - it stems from a loss of faith in the possibility of bringing Israel back to those lines without a fight. But the distorted reality of neither two states nor one, neither peace nor war, cannot last. Abbas and his little band are the slender finger in the dam holding back an Islamic flood like that in Gaza from inundating the West Bank as well. The attack on Professor Ze'ev Sternhell reminded us, for a moment, that religious-nationalist zealotry knows no boundaries. Those who are indifferent to the abrogation of their neighbor's universal basic rights, such as the right to a state, are not free in their own state. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Holocaust remembrance Host of UN Holocaust memorial skips event after U.S. Jews threaten walk-out. Obama on Arab TV WATCH: In interview with Al-Arabiya Obama urges Palestinians, Israel to talk.   1.   PA is the "moderate" figleaf for the take all Pal. covenant 09:28  |  PETER SM 05/10/08   2.   eeeeeYUP! the status quo has reached its limit! 09:28  |  eric 05/10/08   3.   Jews liberating their land 09:37  |  Dani 05/10/08   4.   Farsightedness = Not the "strength" of the Israeli people 09:50  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/10/08   5.   Fig leaf 10:34  |  Ralph 05/10/08   6.   MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THIS 10:53  |  indrajaya 05/10/08   7.   The Jewish population has grown to know the Pals equally Akiva 11:20  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 05/10/08   8.   Even under the best of circumstances an independent state in the 11:31  |  Avihu 05/10/08   9.   THE PA said it all when Abbas met the "Arab hero" 13:48  |  PETER SM 05/10/08   10.   Avihu, what you`re asking is imposible 14:23  |  Goldenberg 05/10/08   11.   When an Israeli PM blame Israel ! 15:24  |  Akram Zekaria 05/10/08   12.   Unsupported utterances presented as `facts` Poor Journalism 15:27  |  Shalom Freedman 05/10/08   13.   Long live the Israeli occupation - over the Hamas occupation!! 15:40  |  Dr Eric 05/10/08   14.   I diagree with you, Goldenberg, regarding the Jordanian Option 15:43  |  Gadi 05/10/08   15.   FIG LEAF Covering JIHAD and Hate 15:53  |  B 05/10/08   16.   Aussie Zionists 15:59  |  Truth 05/10/08   17.   #13 gadi has the ultimate dream machine 16:12  |  victor hardman 05/10/08   18.   Gadi, nakhon ... aval ... 16:50  |  Goldenberg 05/10/08   19.   Unfortunately 17:39  |  jackie 05/10/08   20.   The future of Palestine 17:51  |  khairi janbek 05/10/08   21.   FATAH OPTION IS CONDI-OLMERT FICTION NOT BASED ON REAL WORLD 17:54  |  G Marcus 05/10/08   22.   HOW CAN ISRAEL GIVE ANY LAND TO THE ENEMY WHEN... 18:20  |  Joel Stein 05/10/08   23.   Israelis & Palestinians not interested in continuing contention.. 18:27  |  Smadar 05/10/08   24.   pa is fig leaf for incompetent left and pa elite 19:05  |  ralph 05/10/08   25.   Slogan repetition 21:18  |  ScotGuy 05/10/08   26.   When an Israeli PM blame Israel ! 21:21  |  Akram Zekaria 05/10/08   27.   Forget The 1967 Lines, Mr. Akiva Eldar 21:38  |  Jeff Northridge 05/10/08   28.   Smadar 21:54  |  x-ray 05/10/08   29.   Israel needs to hold every inch to make a whole Jewish state..... 22:47  |  Nona 05/10/08   30.   One state with equal civil rights and liberty for all 23:15  |  nael 05/10/08   31.   #19 x-ray I understand what you`re implying but, 23:31  |  Smadar 05/10/08   32.   #7 MARGIE 00:17  |  Courcey 06/10/08   33.   #18 ScotGuy 00:26  |  Courcey 06/10/08   34.   No Peace Ever For Anyone 02:47  |  UsedToPostHere 06/10/08   35.   All this talk about an "attack" on sternhell 04:06  |  Arie 06/10/08   36.   The PA used Israeli words! 04:16  |  rigma 06/10/08   37.   status quo? 04:18  |  rigma 06/10/08   38.   And the fig leaf is growing thin 04:35  |  Mark Lincoln 06/10/08   39.   #30 nael in san fairyland and dreams 08:18  |  victor hardman 06/10/08   40.   #33 Courcey - anti-semitic slogan repetition 08:29  |  ScotGuy 06/10/08   41.   Eldar correct: One State is coming unles two aredivided fairly 08:54  |  Ivar 06/10/08   42.   Courcey 08:57  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/10/08   43.   Akiva Eldar wants to settle pal "refugees" In Israel 09:58  |  Absolute Sweden 06/10/08   44.   The Balkans Have Arrived 02:15  |  Kepha ben Epraim 29/10/08

Read & React IAF strikes Hamas tunnels in response to Gaza border blast Responses: 43 Editorial: Obama must let Israeli voters know he won't allow settlement building Responses: 15 Iran arms ship released by U.S. Navy now 'sailing to Syria' Responses: 44 Eyal Benvenisti: Independent probe of alleged Gaza war crimes needed now Responses: 9 Hamas captives tell Shin Bet: We used Gaza mosques to hide arms, for training Responses: 25 More Headlines 13:29 In Egypt, Obama envoy says extending Gaza truce is 'critical' 10:48 Gaza rocket hits Negev; IAF strikes Hamas tunnels after soldier killed 10:05 Top UN official blasts Hamas for 'cynical' use of civilian facilities 09:43 ANALYSIS / Border blast demands strong - but not excessive - Israeli response 13:19 Pope reaffirms 'solidarity' with Jews amid row over bishop who denied Holocaust 10:46 Iran arms ship released by U.S. Navy now 'sailing to Syria' 12:58 Report: IDF probing racist graffiti left by soldiers in Gaza 12:15 Hamas captives tell Shin Bet: We used Gaza mosques to hide arms, for training 12:15 Who puts up a mezuzah in space? A Jewish astronaut 13:41 Palestinians back to work on tunnels after IAF bombing 11:30 Ahmadinejad: Obama must apologize to Iran if he really wants change 13:04 IDF censures officer for distributing incendiary religious pamphlets to troops 10:57 Peace Now: Israel settlement building accelerated in 2008 10:20 Top IDF reserve officer: Israel passed up 'historic opportunity' in Gaza 07:46 Abbas to tell visiting U.S. envoy: Israel does not want peace 07:29 For some young visitors, Holocaust exhibit on righteous Muslims calls up thoughts of Gaza 01:44 Family keeps name private of IDF tracker slain on Gaza border 00:38 Europe suggests joint PA and Israel transport office 06:23 Judge says evidence suggests mother involved in murder of 4-year-old Rose Previous Editions Select Day 27 jan 26 jan 25 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 19 jan 18 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan

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