Abbas: Only solution is to declare Palestinian state

Gina, if Arafat had accepted Baraks peace offer in 2000, the Palestinians would be about where they are now. At Camp David Barak offered 61% of occupied territories; strategic roads to be used only by Israelis; continued Israeli control of all borders; all Palestine external trade to go thru Israel; large settlement areas and East Jerusalem to be retained by Israel, including 250 sq kilometers adjacent to East Jerusalem. The offer was take it or leave it. Arafat left it. Probably you would have also.

Once again, the arabs don't get what they want so they demand it. Israel, you just might as well begin the war with the arabs again because it's going to happen that way. It is inevitable. It is the only language that the muslim world understands. Incidentaly, the "Palestinian People" was a made up title. These people are jordanians and syrians who were told to get out of the way when the arabs attacked Israel in the past. Now they're just a pawn for the muslim world to keep Israel broken up.

EU keeps disappiointing us , and pushes the Palestinian people to the wall. Have done that in the past and it keeps doing it. Occupation and Settlement activity are not unilateral actions but claiming our right in a state is!!!!!!!!! Shame on EU values

If you are referring to "true christians" as being roman catholics you should know that many protestants throughout the ages regarded the scarlet woman riding the beast in the book of revelations to be the romish church uniting with the mohammadans. So perhaps also as revelations says, G-D will set things right by destroying the governance of this unholy union.

The only solution for Abbas is to act unilaterally since Israel is not bending under his years of rhetoric. Abbas has not offered anything more than Arafat did, which was nothing. 'Give us the territories', 'Give us part of Jerusalem', 'Give us residences within Israel', 'Give us your resources' and 'We will give you nothing, not even our admission that you have a right to exist'. Its no wonder why Israel has not agreed to such a deal, which hasn't changed in 40 years; especially when Israel has the right to make demands from these belligerents who failed in their attempt at annihilation. The Arabs need to realize that they have to swallow their pride, realize that they lost the war, and try make the best deal they can rather than prolonging negotiations in hope that they can still get it all. Otherwise they will end up with less and no one except them will care.

Lary - Count on the Palestinians be always a thorn in your throat and those like you. They will get their state sooner or later, except that later will cost more dead Palestinians and with time more Israelis.

Isn't this the exact type of dialogue that Israel wishes to take part in: peace talks with no conditions, no deadline and no specific end, while it persists in building its illegal settlements in flagrant violation of international law, unabated? More, isn?t this what Palestinians, all Palestinians, have vehemently rejected? If you actually want peace, you don't build illegal settlement colonies in the Palestinian capital or on Palestinian land.

Abu Abaas you should know this is the very fast way to get into an Israeli jail together with all your "PA Authority" ! May be you will be transfered to Moscow.

17: "1. Jordan revoked their citizenship." 17: "2.They have never been the citizens of Israel." 17: "3.Arab Israelis vote in Israel." So what you are saying is that they are a stateless people who are living in a land that has no sovereign. Err, 17, maybe you should think a bit harder about what that implies..... As in.... they should be able to exercise their right to self-determination and decide that the answer to both THEIR statelessness **and** the lack of ANY sovereign in this territory is for them to declare one. You know, to declare a Sovereign State Of Palestine, to which they will be its subjects. Explain to me why they DON'T have that right. And explain to me why Any Other Country whose sovereignty is exercised Somewhere Else has the right to intervene to prevent that from happening?

With the "unilateral declaration", there will be an end to all the tables and all the negotiations". And the beginning of something new. Something all the Palestinians have always wanted in their secret dreams and ready to pay the price ! A slaughter in keeping with their illusions. All because talk is not a strong thing in the palestinians character. Sad ! A speech in Cairo all that Obama thinks can do the Job. The NEW that Obama promised. The time to solve this conflict peacefully was not there all of the time. Time to blame Israel, started to look academic. The Palestinians are loosing their claim for a state because of their many mistakes. This time the curtain will come down & many faces will disappear ! And no one will say: 'I was there".

The "only solution" for Abbas and for the arabs (who mendaciously perpetuate the roman fiction of palestine) to declare a state...in Jordan. They have been along using the post-modern excuse for thinking as a means of usurping the Jewish homeland. Enough with the lies. Get them out.

if Israel continues its annexation of the Palestinian lands at the end it will irrupt in violence that Israel cant stop, suicide bombings will continue this Israel is not thinking of right now but it will happen sooner or later.

... and attempt to build palestinians institutions and viable infrastructure etc". Zach Isn't that exactly what Israel Prime Minster Natenyahu advised to do for the Palestinians, when he came to power,by saying that he wants to improve the economy of the Palestinians first ! Everyone laughed at him including the Israeli Left ! And was accused of having no peace plan in mind ! How you can have a viable state without having a viable economy ! And help people to catch up with what is the most essential in the 21st century ! The Palestinians & others, rushed asking for an independent & un-viable state;as if without a viable economy things will take care of themselves ! As if, a viable state can be built without public services & sound economy ! Nathenyahu was right & all the rest were wrong. All the rest did nothing all these many years but to let the Palestinians sink in their cheap illusions. Time passed & nothing left for the palestinians except to be sorry for their mistakes

Enough of appeasing the Palestinian zealots and anti-Zionists suggesting Jews should not build or live anywhere they want in Jerusalem. Racist laws and attitudes in the ME must be called out. The relevant Israeli law, that applies to all Israeli citizens (Jewish, Christian or Muslim) can build anywhere in Jerusalem ONCE RELEVANT MUNICIPAL applications are handled. This is the case with the 900 units. This is not 'occupied Palestinian West Bank'. This is Jerusalem! Meanwhile the Palestinians enforce capital punishment against any real estate transactions with any Jew (not any Israeli mind you, but any Jew). This reflects the genuine racist issues involved that need to addressed with real peace making, not the 'settlement' bs canard.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Palestine-recognition-map.png

nelson, jews will never accept a one state solution because our recent history has shown we need a territorial state that is committed to us, a place of refuge and self determination. use your head, man, how on earth shall the jews trust the palestinians for fair governance ? And vice versa, why should they trust us ?

Thank you ! you are right !

Oy, another nut case !

mr Jocker: "when you defend you don't move actually out of your borders" ??? This is really quite a little piece. Where, sir, is this written as law ? rather, sir, a defensive war can take one belligerent party into the territory of the other as a matter of course. As I recall, the US occupied Japan and England occupied Germany ! Was this illegal ??

unilateral declaration of Palestine is the same as surrendering the land permanently to Israel ??? What fantasy world do you live in ??

CM, yes , AFTER WW2 it became ILLEGAL to acquire land by war ! Why ? Simple ! because the of horror of war seen in ww2, the major powers wanted to outlaw war as such, by this they mean aggression. So no one is allowed to acquire land by war. And only wars of defense are legal. Even then, defensive wars CANNOT make acquiring evenmy land legal. All the victim of aggression can get is political gains and monetary compensation. Btw, when did Poland, Russia, France acquire land by war in a defensive war AFTER such acquisition was declared illegal (after WW2) ?? Never have these countries acquired land by naked war after WW2.

Moshe ! the Palestiians LACK voting right because they are not citizens of Israel, just like the Japanese LACKED voting rights in US institutions during the US occupation ! Simple. BTW, you are right, THAT is not oppression. On the other hand, the occupation MUST lead to negotiations and these CANNOT be prejudiced by illegally altering the demographics. In other words, the US could not introduce Americans into Japan as settlers and then expect to negotiate a territorial peace with Japan ! Now, I think VOTING rights have not been the main issue for the Palestinians for decades, if they had been, they would have created the governance which would lead to voting rights in their own territory a long time ago and occupatin was NOT an impediment to that. The law of belligerent occupation requires that the occupying power allow municipal and other regional governance to continue with restrictions by othe occupying power only in specific issues.

If he comes to the table, he'll get told no sovereignty, no independence. So what is the purpose of coming to the table? Hamas will be emboldened and what will he gain? So Israeli bodyguards when he reports back to the Palestinian people that they can have no independence and no sovereignty and no prosperity except if they move to the US or otherwise abandon their homes for foreign lands? Netanyahu already promised in his speech - No sovereignty and no independence, EVER, for Palestinians, even in Gaza. So what is the point of coming to the table? Israel already told Obama "NO WAY on any past promises to the US." Why would Israel treat the Palestinians better than the US? Nothing promised can or could be believed.

Quote " Sure, this is the only way for Abbas to avoid compromise Because compromising is the one thing Palestinians refuse to do." Arab league , OIC and pals refuse to politically and economically compromise in order to be in line with int'l community and EU standards . Turkia also refuses to politically and economically compromise in order to be in line with int'l community and EU standards .

israel is occupying palestinian land as a fair result of war, whether the palestinians declare a state or not. A right to your land flows from the legal requirements of "attachment" to "you country". Both Jews and Palestianins fulfill those requirements. Now, you may be right that this may spark a regional war, because it further polarizes the current political situation, but declaring an independent state does not give Palestinians only "rights" of a sovereign state, it also forces them to comply with significant obligations. Also, whether they are mature enough can only be answered by looking at what they do as a state. The requirements of a state actor are not very different from what they have been required to do up to now, they still have to have governance, diplomacy, representaion and compliance with international law. I am totally in favor of a declaration as a state and I do not feel Israel has anything to worry about "procedurally" speaking.

Lior: Good question ! Simple answer: belligerents may not alter the demographic composition of disputed territories, BECAUSE such alteration will PREJUDICE negotiations. If Jews want to live in the West Bank, they will have to wait until the West Bank is a sovereign state and apply for residence or immigration. They could conceivabley also live there as illegal immigrants and take their chances, after all, illegals often get periodic amnesties. As far as the Etzion bloc, however, I believe the Palestinians have to swallow the consequences of their own intrasigence. Some things are not amenable to reversing the clock. Had they recognized Israel immediately after the 1967 war, they would not have risked losing the land around the Etzion bloc. Now that settlement is so dense that moving is not feasible. In any case the Clinton parameters called for a land swap of equal value for the Etzion bloc, not a bad outcome after all, if you ask me.

mr moshe, you are wrong. Israel CANNOT acquire Judea and Samaria "by right". There is NO such law which gives a right to acquire by force. The warring parties only have a right to negotiate their mutual demands and reach a peace treaty. Israel was supposed to get peace for land. I am all in favor for the Palestinians declaring a state. A sovereign people does not need anyone's permission to declare themselves sovereign. Since the West Bank was never a legal part of Israel the Palestinians do not have to negotiate a cession. And by declaring a state they obligate themselves to acting according to international norms, they become more accountable. They will be forced to create the institutions of governance, all this will lead to greater stability for them. I see nothing in the declaration of a state by the Palestinians which contradicts the achievement of peace. By being a sovereign actor they have more standing and more rights in any peace negotiations.

"Only solution is to have the last intifatha!" - Akram Zekaria Correct. Israel will never negotiate a peace with Palestine. Palestinians will inexorably be driven off their land and into ever contracting ghettos until they do not exist anymore. The world will not help Palestinians. Thus the only two choices open for the Palestinians are to meekly submit to extermination or go down fighting. Some will chose the first and others the second. The inevitable results is the same. Extermination.

"The European Union has not rejected. a Palestinian bid for unilateral declaration of a state." Ummm, the Palestinians put in their bid, and the EU rejected it. Are you completely clueless, or what?

The EU and Obama want to wait 2yrs to try one last time on peace talks. The EU already have a plan drawn up but Obama asked to 2yrs if no deal in that time he will abstain in UN SC vote. Obama alone controls the US vote in the UN not Congress.

Israel didn't unilaterally declare independence in 1948 it was based on a UN General Assembly vote which was 33 states in favour, 13 against and 10 abstained. The palestinians are talking about going to the Security Council where they don't have the islamic states supporting them. They have to deal with the US, UK, France, China and Russia who all have vetos. Even if they went to the General Assembly its not likely they would find alot more countries against than they would have expected simply because everybody knows that if they vote in favour of creating this state without Israel being onboard then they are voting in favor of a war which possibly may even turn into a regional war which nobody wants. Abbas has no intent on going to the UN its all empty threats. He is hoping this will suddenly make Bibi feel under pressure to accept all Abbas demands and its not going to work, Abbas knows a state created without Israels agreement will be dead on arrival so he wont do it.

Spain would be the first to reject it just as it never recognised Kosovo. If they recognised a unilaterally declared Palestinian State what's to stop Catalonia and the Basque region doing exactly the same thing. Or are the Palestinians and the Arabs saying that Catalonia etc can never be independent states. Perhaps Israel should push the boat out and seek recognition of these 2 states. The try Corsica, Brittany next.

Because compromising is the one thing Palestinians refuse to do

for the Palestinians that they have such an incompetent leader. He attempts to redundantly implement failed calls of his predecessor to unilaterally declare independence. Abbas should follow in the footsteps of his smarter colleague and attempt to build Palestinian institutions and a viable infrastructure before he is able to accomplish anything. (This is the toned down version of my previous post)

It’s been 16 years since the Oslo Peace Accords, with numerous attempts and efforts from the Israelis, Palestinians, United States, European Union and the Arab League to bring to bear a two state solution. Although, one side will blame the other for this, the truth is both the Palestinians and Israelis are equally to blame for this failure. This disappointment is partially due to the many mistakes that were made along the way, but also due to the fact that the two state solution is a very ambitious idea since its repercussions bring about unacceptable compromises to both sides. However, all of these reasons are irrelevant at this point. What is relevant is that the two state solution has failed and the hope brought about by it has only caused more bloodshed and violence and has caused a worse situation than 16 years ago. Not to mention the fact that, day by day, two states are becoming more and more difficult to achieve due to the reality on the ground with the weakening of the PA and.

"Abbas: Only solution is to declare Palestinian state". He failed to bring Hamas on board. He left it too let after all the bloodshed split & the whole idea of peace infested with the drums of war; Abbas wants to declare a Palestine at War with its neighbors; hoping that the world community will give him a helping hand ! Turing his back on the world community who gave him one thing; a rejection no ! Why he is doing a mad thing like that ? Because self destruction is one of the many wrong things the Palestinians knew well ! Those who will be worried of a unilateral Palestine are the Arab Countries. Worried not about Palestine but of 'the man in the street'. Watch the space !

Gina, if Arafat had accepted Barak's peace offer in 2000, the Palestinians would be about where they are now. At Camp David Barak offered 61% of occupied territories; strategic roads to be used only by Israelis; continued Israeli control of all borders; all Palestine external trade to go thru Israel; large settlement areas and East Jerusalem to be retained by Israel, including 250 sq kilometers adjacent to East Jerusalem. The offer was take it or leave it. Arafat left it. Probably you would have also.

Marshall of the famous plan predicted we wouldn't survive the expected Arab onslaught. Yadin gave us less than 50-50 chance, etc etc. With all the threats, we did it, and so should the Palestinians.

So much confusing headlines in our daily news papers that I have now come to the conclusion that both Israel and the Palestinians are becomming so confussed that they now suffer from Logorrhoea an excessive flow of words incoherent talkativeness. The spoken form of logorrhoea is a kind of verbosity which uses superfluous words to disguise an otherwise useless message as useful or intellectual, and is commonly known as ?verbal diarrhea?

To Mr. Abbas: Declare the Palestinian State; all of Islam and true Christendom will be with you even if some international politicians are not! If your state is considered illicit, well, the zionist state of "Israel", declared unilaterally in 1948, is just as illicit, if not more so. The new State of Palestine, at least, will not insult the memory of Jesus on the Cross in His last agonies. One day, God will set things right, and all of the Holy Land will be under Muslim and Christian governance.

"a country that wins territory in a defensive war" my friend.... this line is outrageous.... when you defend, you don't move out of your actual borders....

It's ten years since Arafat walked out on negotiations. Just think of how far the Palestinians would have progressed if they'd accepted their state back in 2000.

"It is our strong belief and conviction that the best means to achieve the common goal of a contiguous and viable Palestine is through negotiations between the parties," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. U.S. senators visiting Israel said earlier in the day that on Monday that Washington would veto a Palestinian declaration of statehood in the United Nations Security Council."

So, on the very day, Abbas is told he must not be naughty and make any unilateral moves. Israel confirms it's going to be build 900 new homes east of the Green line. Th EU and the world needs to stop asking the victim to negotiate with the armed robber.

Declaring a Palestinian state unilaterally is akin to surrendering the land permanent to Israel and I hope they will as it's the right and moral thing to do. Once the Arab occupation ends, peace will come.

What is Israel's problem of declaring an independent Palestinian state? I guess this just shows the true face of Israel about this idea. Because if Bibi and his team are calling for negotiations then what should negotiations lead to? They want to give us a state through negotiations that have led to nothing since tens of years. How long shall we the Pals need to wait until we can live just like any other country in the world! Bibi's game of negotiation is clear, neither by negotiations nor unilateral declarations will give us a state.

It should be clear as day now this conflict needs to be taken out of Israeli and American hands and sent back to the UN. You and your ministers should help move that process along. Dutch

Russia, Poland, France, Kosovo, Abhasia, Osetia are all examples of a country being attacked, capture teritory and keep it. If you agree to go a bit earlier in time (before WWII) you will find USA, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, GB , Italy just about every country did it!

You speak of oppression, yet the Arabs of Judea and Samaria were never oppressed. Lack of national voting rights in a foreign country does not constitute oppression. I may not be allowed to vote in Brazil, but I am not oppressed by them. If the Arabs of Judea and Samaria had refrained from attacking Jews, as they pretty much did from 1967 until the first intifada in 1987, they would have continued to have full personal and property rights, much more than they had under their Jordanian dictatorship. Instead, they initiated violence against their Jewish neighbors, which gave Israel the right to defend its citizens against them. As for the worldwide solution to occupation, I think the dictatorships which rule the world are a much bigger problem. Before trying to solve the voting rights of the tiny minority of Arabs who live in Judea and Samaria, we should be demanding the personal and property rights of the Arabs who live in the 22 Arab countries.

Okay, Moshe, then what country can you name that has been attacked, kept the land after victory, and oppressed its citizens for decades? There are millions of people - yes in God's eyes they are people - that are living under occupation. What is the moral solution to that?

...is a country that is attacked by another country, and manages to capture the territory from which the attack was launched, then compelled to commit suicide by giving the enemy population in those territories the right to vote??? The idea that one country can attack another without running the risk of losing territory in the ensuing battle is an affront to logic and morality. It creates a "nothing to lose" scenario for the aggressor who, not caring about the lives of its own soldiers (after all, we're talking about dictatorships) can keep attacking and attacking until it succeeds in wiping out the other side. Each time it loses, it gets its land back from which to mount the next attack. This would only make sense to someone who favors aggression and war at the expense of the victim of aggression.

An what have the EU got to do with it. It come down to the UK an French governments whether they would support or block the Palestinians move, an so far they have not said a word. If both countries decides to support the Palestinians there nothing EU could do to stop them.

How can a Palestinian state be declared in West Bank and Gaza when Hamas is still the ruling faction in Gaza? Before a Palestinian state is declared the West Bank and Gaza must be brought under the same rule. Otherwise it is impossible. Period.

they live in and have the vote" M/UK Sir, 1. Jordan revoked their citizenship. 2.They have never been the citizens of Israel. 3.Arab Israelis vote in Israel. I thought you knew it.

Israeli Arabs can vote. They even have a party and representatives in the Knesset (parliament). Gaza and the West Bank are not Israeli territories, so the people living there cannot vote in Israeli elections. Thus making it clear that the problem are the settlements in the West Bank, not the right for the Israeli Arabs to vote.

Any unilateral decleration of statehood would result in a war with Israel and the palestinians and it could even turn into a regional war. Jordan the legitimate palestinian state 80% of its population are palestinians and if their brothers in Judea & Samaria go to war because Israel is no occupying what the UN has declared their state then they will pressure Abdullah to attack Israel. Israeli arabs may start their own mini intefadah. There are around 500,000 palestinians in refugee camps in Syria and Lebanon so at the very least Hizbollah would be involved so that means Israel attacking Lebanon. Iran will get involved just to make trouble It would be a bloodbath and the only way to achieve a ceasefire would be for the palestinians to renegotiate the borders of their state. Also going it alone doesn't solve issues like refugees, water or anything else which needs to be worked out to create a state its like having a car without an engine.

"There are hundreds of minorities in Europe with real - really long- history with attachments to the land they live on without separate states." Of course, but they are all citizens of the country they live in and have the vote. Imagine if the UK said Scots couldn't be full UK citizens or the Belgians said that about the Flemish. 17 you should tell Israel to give all the people on the WB Israeli citizenship or to let the WB go free.

Palestinians have built institutions, schools, universities etc many have been destroyed by Sharon a few years ago. Do you remember ? is this a way to keep palestinians in misery and extremism ? i think so. Palestinians have also organised many elections despite occupation and difficulties created by israelis in the territories. Elections have been held perfectly well. What you call "imature people" have very well educated people that are perfectly willing to run a State and/or other functions. Please stop being condescending. Palestinians need freedom, not lessons from Israel and the Europeans.

a Palestinian bid for unilateral declaration of a state. The Swedish Foreign Minister has saidd the timing is not ywt ripe. That suggests that the European Union has asked the Palestinians to postpone their bid for a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian State.

The biggest division of 'Palestine' right now is not the settlements but Gaza and the West Bank. If 'they' declare unilateral independence, will that be a Fatah declaration ? If so, it would not include Gaza........which might be for the good of all......Maybe there should be Palestine (the West Bank) and Gazastan separately........then, we'll have Lebanon change its name to Hizbolahstan or 'little Iran', and finally all is clear cut. .........end of story.......of course not, this is the Middle East !

You are right, the conditions are not ripe yet because there are settlements everywhere, a wall cutting the west-bank and jerusalem, no control over borders, see, or air, etc.. I really wanted to hear him saying about these rather speak in very abstract words. Negotiations failed and they're failing all the time. Bibi and Liberman want to declare Israel as the land promised by GOD to jews! This just reflects how the so called "civilizations" treat the right of other humans to live. What can we do poor Palestinians except to belief.

Why is it that the world refuses to allow Jews to live in the territories, yet Arabs must be allowed to live in Israel ?

Those who reject should find other solutions.Negotiations:how long?

The Palestinians are a nation of bluffs they the Palestinians are not capable of building state institutions now or in the near future.They are still an imature people. A major index to their disorganization will always be the conflict between their radicle factions. Until they overcome their frustration , radical aggression,insecurity,compulsive conformity,stereotype thinking and total lack of insight they will always be there for handouts.

"The Palestinian people are only seeking the same rights and freedoms that the those in the EU enjoy ..." Sir, There are hundreds of minorities in Europe with real - really long- history with attachments to the land they live on without separate states. ps. You mean the rights British or French enjoy? How you decided that Arab residents of Judea and Samaria have the same rights as French?

some morbid imagination. EU could "accept" or "reject" but apparently came temporarily to their senses and realized that whatever they do is not consequential.

They are Arabs, just like the ones in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. The "Palestinian People" were invented in order to give the Arabs an excuse to demand yet another (23rd) Arab state. The Jewish people, on the other hand, have only one state which was established in indefensible borders following the Arabs' attack. When the Arabs lost Judea and Samaria in 1967, Israel acquired them by right. To think that a country that wins territory in a defensive war should have to give back that territory is a corruption of basic morality. What the Arabs need to do now is work on giving their citizens basic rights and freedom and stop trying to destroy Israel. When they do that, peace will be achieved, and not before.

For Palestinians it's unilateral declaration of independence,resistance,intifada, anything but accepting Israel as the Jewish state it is. For the US and EU a 2 state solution means a Jewish state and a Palestinian state. There will be no Palestinian end runs around this.

The problem is how to live with them anyway. They are not less a part of Israel than Jews.

"It is our strong belief and conviction that the best means to achieve the common goal of a contiguous and viable Palestine is through negotiations between the parties," how can there be negotiations over a contiguous Palestine when the land that would be Palestine is being more and more fragmented every day by settlement expansion, checkpoints, road blocks, the continuation of settling Jews in Palestinian neighborhoods in E Jerusalem (see Ateret Cohanim, Sheikh Jarrah, the old city)? The EU is silly and living an illusion, perhaps just as much as the US.

there moment of history's losers, of irrelevance is approaching. They have only themselves to blame.The cheap propaganda of Erekat is coming back to haunt him.He will bite the dust with his Boss and Cronies.

The EU's rejection of a Palestinian state without any debate proves that the EU ministers are hostile toward the Muslim and Arab world and cannot be trusted to achieve peace. The Palestinian people are only seeking the same rights and freedoms that the those in the EU enjoy and falsely claims that they support, but once again they prove they will persecute the weak until war becomes the only option. Fools!

Everything about the Arab position since 1947 has been a long-lasting but unfulfilling combination of outright non-acceptance of modern Israel where Israel always was and a call to violence which has, sadly, for the Arabs of mandatory Palestine, brought on them retaliations and hardness far tougher than their own. What they have yet to try is the kind of significant compromise that will get Israel to trust and sign and, moreso, the US and the EU saying to Israel "this time you have a partner and this time you make the compromises too". The EU rejection of a unilateral Palestinian declaration to the 67 borders may be a huge step in getting the Arabs and their Palestinian brother (who have lost much at the hands of the Arab League's unworthy intransigence)to finally give up the notion of the destruction of Israel. After 63 years it doesn't take a genius to recognize that Israel will not willingly trade away its right to live for "peace" with people who detest them.

just a bit of nonsense fayyad dreamt up Ereket is much more in tune, it will be a PLO announcement of the end of a two state solution and that the "Dayton Government" (PA) is being dissolved

Again now we know where all stand... IT was fine for U/N to uniteral declare the state of Israel!!and partition Palestine

PA and Israel have been talking for 18 years since Oslo. Isn't there limit for negotiations? I wonder!! Israeli Governments intentionally change leaderships to avoid making meaningful peace, and to continue stealing and annexing Arab Land. A Time Limit on Negotiations IS Essential. Freezing settlements IS Essential!

Israel is never going to give a fair deal to the Palestinians unless someone forces it to. The best deal it ever offered was a mini-state now follwoed by a real state possibly, perhaps, maybe in 15-20 years' time, a 15-20 years that Israel could use to build more settlements and maybe change its mind. Since that deal was offered, Israel has become more extreme and more religious, to the extent that it's now npt even clear that Israel is prepared to relax its grip on any of the West Bank.

I guess theres a lot of "peace lovers" really upset with their goverments right now....