Palestinians: Netanyahu's claim to West Bank destroys peace efforts

Your opinions about something: I'm not sure what it is, are fascinating. Why don't you try again, get help if necessary, and address the substance of whatever posting or comments with which you disagree. It's difficult to accept or deny the charge of bias when one doesn't know the subject being discussed. If you are intellectually unable to address the subject, never mind, we will understand.

That Arabs rejected UN181 is completely irrelevant. It had no bearing on the Israeli declaration of statehood and the borders over which it accepted sovereignty. Once Israel declared statehood under Part II of UN 181, Jews no longer had any right to reclaim property outside the Israeli borders. If you think Israel is not in violation of the UN resolutions cited, read them. The International Court of Justice has ruled that the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory have been established in breaches of international law. The Court opinion concludes it concurs with assessment of UNSC that settlements constitute a flagrant violation of the 4th Geneva Convention. The US Secretary of State has declared agreement with that ruling. Breaches of the 4th Convention are considered war crimes.

What would be more appropriate? you Nepalese? What's wrong with, "you Jews?" You call Arabs, "Arabs," and Muslims, "Muslims." What do you want to be called? "Israelites?" You Jews have demanded that the Palestinians recognize the "Jewish" State of Israel. If Israel were to change its name to that, who would live there? "Apaches?"

Re Jews returning voluntarily to West Bank settlements: "voluntarily" is not the operative adverb. All Israelis moved to West BanK settlements voluntarily. Israel is in violation of the 4th Geneva Convention because it ("illegally," that's the operative adverb) permitted, encouraged and supplied the infrastructure for settlements to be built on occupied territory. The International Court of Justice has ruled that the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory have been established in breaches of international law. The Court opinion concludes it concurs with assessment of UNSC that settlements constitute a flagrant violation of the 4th Geneva Convention. The US Secretary of State has declared agreement with that ruling. Israel recognized borders of its sovereignty in declaring statehood under UN 181. Arab rejection is irrelevant.

Jordan is no more Palestine, than Israel is Greece. It was never intended that Jordan would be part of Palestine. In September 1922, a clause in the charter governing the Mandate allowed Great Britain to postpone or permanently withhold all of the provisions which related to the Jewish National Home on lands which lay to the east of the Jordan River. From that point Britain administered them as two separate entities, Palestine, and Transjordan. Transfer of authority to an Arab government in Transjordan, started in 1923. Jordan was declared a sovereign independent state in 1946. It had, and has, the same degree of sovereignty as Israel did when it declared statehood in 1948.

There is nothing to respond to in you posting, except maybe, "you are one too!" But that is childish, and one child-like mind at work here is enough: perhaps even one too many. Your response is typical. Jews must have a common chromosome that renders them unable to address the substance of any criticism of Israeli policies: they, almost without fail, attack the interlocutor, the bearer of the bad tidings. But, you may have set a record. You wrote 184 words, 1,040 characters, and didn't direct one word to the substance of the discussion. I don't know whether I have, "a lack of knowledge," "presumptuousness," "write to impress," "have dismal interpretation," "am a bully," "won't brook corrections," because I live in Virginia, write in English, am an American, or wrote something you don't like. Why don't you try again, and force yourself to address the subject at hand. Tell me if you disagree with my quotes of the Mandate, UN resolutions or the 4th Convention, if that's what bothers you.

"Commenting with a twisted notion on Arafat accepting the lies of Abass," is a non-sequiter: no idea what you are talking about. The name is Abbas not Abass. What's wrong with, "you Jews?" You call Arabs, "Arabs", and Muslims,"Muslims." What do you want to be called,"Israelites?"Nepalese? You Jews demand Palestinians recognize the "Jewish" State of Israel. Do you now want to drop the word Jewish? Do so, who cares? I wasn't at the Olmert/Abbas talks, but simply reporting what transpired is not naivete. I have no opinion about the talks, and they are irrelevant. SDHD called me an anti-semite. If you are going to comment on correspondence between SDHD and me, read it first. Your comments on the 1993 exchanges are not consistent with the facts, and you seem uninformed about the subject. But you Jews often get your propaganda confused with the facts. These non-substantive exchanges are tedious, and a waste of time.

There you go Ron commenting with a twisted notion on Arafat accepting the lies by Abass. If you don't resort to saying "You Jews" you begin by attacking the interlocuters ignorant. If Abass is supposed to have agreed to have peace in two days,you as the innocent poster believe it,then you must have great trust on not only Abass,but any of them,who promise,but never deliver on their so-called promises.How naive of you Ron. Again I notice the name calling of anti-Semitism.I have not read any responders applying the word,so far as I am aware.However,that you are an anti-Jews/Israel most definitely shows in every post you send. You wrote:In 1993 Arafat reached agreement with Rabin on a redrafted amendment to the PLO charter recognizing Israel. Bull, at the time he was supposed to have accepted it,but then the rat changed his mind because on reflection it did not suit him and walked away leaving Clinton nonplussed. You do tend to write the wrong interpretations on all the subjects. On your last paragraph you call yourself an ignoramus? By jove for once you are right.

Historical revisionists......are here! Q: What was the name of the state in 'Palestine' prior to the State of Israel? A: Israel! Thats why International Law and Treaties refer to the RE-Constitution of the Jewish Homeland. The Arabs have no political rights west of the Jordan by International Law and Treaties. Its illegal for the Israeli government to give any part of the land of Israel to a foreign entity. Its illegal for the USA to even ask Israel to give away land (anglo-american treaty of 1924). Unfortunately, the supreme court of Israel has made treason by government ministers lawfull.

You need to do some homework. Olmert's 2009 peace offer was not turned down by Abbas. In fact, Abbas said, " with that offer(93%of West Bank and Gaza) we can have peace in 2 days." The Quartet agreed and requested Israel make the offer binding. It never did. Palestinians had their land expropriated the first time the Israeli Govt took a piece of land outside its border to start a settlement or build a road. You should know that Jews for so long have called everybody anti-semites about every disagreement to the point that it has become a hackneyed phrase people ignore. Who cares? In 1993 Arafat reached agreement with Rabin on a redrafted amendment to the PLO charter recognizing Israel. Clinton also praised it. The PLO National Committee voted to accept the amendment. I don't know whether is was officially incorporated into the charter or not. Call me a liar about the Arab League peace offers if you find they were never made. Otherwise you're an ignoramus.

SDHD: "actually till borders are agreed you lot cannot legally prevent Jews returning there." Ahem. Actually, they can, because every single one of those "returning Jews" is **also** an "Israeli colonist". Q: Is there a law that prevents Israelis from colonizing the West Bank? A: Why, yes. Yes, there is. Article 49, GCIV. So whatever rights "Jews" may or may not have to "settle", if that "Jew" is also an "Israeli" then he/she is prohibited by law from colonizing this territory WHILE IT REMAINS UNDER AN ISRAELI OCCUPATION. So if that "settler" insists they have a valid title to land then they have two LEGAL avenues available to them: 1) Renounce their Israeli citizenship, or 2) Pressure Israel to end this occupation. Until then, so sorry PETER, but by law these dudes are there illegally.

SDHD: "Itemize the Clinton parameters, fool." I think you will find that I was not talking to Bill Clinton, but to Lisa. Unless, of course, Lisa is really Bill Clinton in drag. Or maybe you are really Bill Clinton in drag, dressed up as Lisa but pretending to be from San Diego. After all, such a hypothesis would make about as much sense as the drivel that you spout at such regular intervals. SDHD: "Itemize the Clinton parameters, fool." Talk. About. Try. To. Change. The. Subject!

Malone agreed.

Since I am a long & tiresome poster,I will apologize for boring so many responders who may find sleep is the better option in the long run.Yaaawn,yaaawn.

I have a problem that cannot be solved. Could anyone please help me cure myself? You see,I am under the impression/dreaming I see a HERMAPHRODITE under my bed all night

I am a fool to think that a woman can grow a "penis" exclusively without any operation. In the year now 2010 who knows,pigs might fly

Grew one between her legs,then she is a he. Bravo for your stupid assumption. Now bend over,and I'll take care of you TOO. Idiot

Found out your antecedents.Oh ah.So you are a palestinian eh? Well,if that's the case then it makes sense somewhat. I mean fighting desperately for your zero existence verbally that is. Please forgive my typo error.i.e Trans-Jordan "not trance".

"I have not been visiting Haaretz for quite sometime" You are surely making up for lost time. I remember you when you were KATH and Kathy and one or two others, oh yes your brother used to post on here too didn't he :) Today I see you here as KATE 'AND' Whiskey. The somewhat disconnected and faintly amusing style is unmistakable. Welcome back Kath.

I have not been visiting Haaretz for quite sometime and did not notice the exchanges you had with v-Hardman. That said I still maintain what I wrote. Whether V-hardman said it or not. There are no such people called Arab Palestinians.They are a mythical people. Therefore the reply of JORDAN is Palestine is appropos.You can browse the net as much as you like.And no I did not mean "Trance Jordan",unlikely. I meant Jordan the artificially created country by the devious Brits'. Why not re-read the whole chapter on that part of the B.Mandate to learn the true historical narrative. You'd be surprised what you'd find if you peruse diligently.But of course not with... "malice aforethought" instead with an impartial view point. p/s I drink only with my meals.

Is is agreeable to read from someone such as yourself the truth hidden beneath the lies perpetrated by some,here and elsewhere. Your points bear witness to reality. I will not belabor the subject,since you explained it truthfully. However,I am bound to inform the people here: LIKE IT OR NOT:"TO THE VICTORS GO THE SPOILS" ,since you explained

Is is agreeable to read from someone such as yourself the truth hidden beneath the lies perpetrated by some,here and elsewhere. Your points bear witness to reality. I will not belabor the subject,since you explained it truthfully. However,I am bound to inform the people here: LIKE IT OR NOT:"TO THE VICTORS GO THE SPOILS" ,since you explained

And your faulty assumption.I said thanks because I have not read said book(tho'heard of it)but racked my brain to remember its author. Having read your post today(Tuesday) I assure you I have never bothered to read the book.For the simple reason I need it not to hear it second hand. I have the written records of my family who are the very descendents of those PIONEERS who came to the Holy Land in the 1800's duh! What is more my family can trace our history from the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Unlike some Jews who became "conversos" ours did not and fled to many parts of the world. I will not enumerate the countries here.Suffice to say my parents have their family names. There you go #166.

Good post bar the the mention of demographics. If the Palestinians think by procreating they will achieve their goal,that was promulgated by their erstwhile leader ratifart (MHRIH)will not help,instead they will suffer from its consequences. The world is already over populated,worried on this particular incidence. Therefore in lieu of helping them they will suffer from mal nutrition,diseases,and worse catastrophically. Conversely some ultra religious Jews produce at least 10 child per family,and can afford it.Unlike the Palestinians.Bears thinking about don't you think Richard. Everytime the subject of the Pals comes up,people resort to demographics. Ridiculous to mention continually.

Again, regarding your last paragraph, which is unsupported and incorrect, "Arabs soon learned they could earn more, with less risk, as laborers on Jewish farms" (Florence, Lawrence and Aaronsohn, Viking Press, 2007, p. 73). There were intense debates among Zionists, in fact, many of whom were socialists, whether it was exploitive to use Arab labor. The Arabs who did work for Jews as laborers, though, made more than they did as tenant farmers for Arab owners (ibid.).

Please post both parts of my response to poster Ben Alofs on this thread, which I sent in recently. I know things may sometimes be overlooked once the forum/ thread is no longer on the Talkback cluster for the current day. Thank you, and have a nice day. Best wishes.

Your last paragraph is incorrect. The German Islamic scholar Gudrun Kramer writes that "return sales from Jews to Arabs actually occurred, and at reduced prices" (A History of Palestine, Princeton University Press, 2008, p. 248).

First, it was the Palestinian urban "notable" class that had exploited fellahin with regard to the land. Under the Ottoman Land Code, "a peasant could be deprived for the first time of his right to live on, cultivate, and pass land on to his heirs" (Khalidi, Palestinian Identity, Columbia University Press, 2010, p. 95). The notable class were able to register in their own names land "at the expense of the claims of peasants who cultivated the land" and turn them into tenant farmers (ibid., p. 98). It was they, not Zionists who later bought that land, who initially deprived the peasantry of the traditional forms of using and owning it.

except you forgot to mention that "burly" person has given numerous slices to the "thin person" which the "thin" person hides behind his back and continues to make demands as if nothing were conceded- and without offering any concessions in return. 2005 comes to mind- when the burly person forcibly extracted pizza slices from members of his family for the benefit of the thin person, only for the thin person to stomp them into the ground rather than eat them. This farce will continue for as long as the burly person allows- for the one accurate dimension of your analogy is that the burly person possesses superior force. His patience with the thin person appears to have run its course.

The extent of Jewish ownership on the date the State of Israel came into existence was 1,491,6999 dunums (or about 5.67 % of the total land area of Palestine. Abraham Granott, an Israeli land expert, made a tabulation of Jewish land acquisitions as they stood by the end of 1936. The list shows that 52.6% of the land was bought from non-Palestinian large absentee landowners (like the Sursock family in Lebanon and Heirs of Emir El-Jazairi in Syria). 24.6% was sold by large resident landowners, 13.4% by by governments, churches and foreign companies and only 9.4% was acquired from small Palestinian farmers (fellaheen), i.e. Palestine's rural backbone. The latter were often forced because of debt to sell their land. Once land passed into Zionist possession it became 'extra-territorialized'. The peasants were thrown off. No Arab was allowed to benefit from it in any way (through lease, cultivation or even labour). This lead directly to the upheaval of the 1920s.

Every six months Israel is claiming more territory as everlasting land of the Jews. Israel finally should define its borders. Israel also should tell the world about the fate and the future of peoples, nations and inhabitants of land Israel is claiming to be jewish.

You Jews ?? Not once, but twice.

All the UN Security Council members agreed from the beginning that Israel would not have to give up all the land it took in 1967. This is formed the basis for negotiations, not the 'need' for peace with the Arabs. Security concerns permit Israel to retain parts, or all, of the territory as agreed to by the Palestinians. The fact that the Pals are unwilling to negotiate doesn't change that basis. I believe Israel should keep all the territory under its administration as the US does with Pacific Islands it occupied during WW11.

"If you think Palestinians don`t want peace and their own sovereign state, which would ensure that peace, you are nuts. If you think the Palestinians haven't rejected every peace offer made to them, you're an idiot. "You think they prefer to remain subjects of a harsh and humiliating occupation for eternity." Well, at least until they finally accept an offer. "Are you sure they would like to continue to have their land expropriated" Did you give them this land? Exactly when did 100% of this land ever belong to them? "This problem would be easier to get a grip on if you Jews would stop your incessant lying about it. " Anti-Semite. "The Palestinians do not reject a Jewish state. In 1993 the PLO recognized the State of Israel." Their charter still calls for the destruction of Israel. It was never amended nor ratified. You know this, and you keep repeating this lie of yours. Is it JEWS who lie? Or YOU? "In 2002 and 2007 the Arab League recognized" Another lie.

"Part II of UN181 meticulously determined the precise borders of the Israeli state. " The Arabs meticulously rejected 181 and tried to cleanse the entire region of Jews. Where Arabs came into power, every single Jew WAS kicked out. "When Israel occupied the rest of Palestine in1967, and refused to withdraw from the newly occupied territory, it was in violation of UN resolutions 242,452 and 465." Bull, bull, and bull. Israel is entitled to occupy territory. It's simply not allowed to annex the territory without recognition from its neighbors. And given the fact that Jews moved back onto properties they were only cleansed from for 19 years is evidence that they have every right to reclaim their properties and develop them. "When it built in the West Bank and annexed Jerusalem it was in violation of articles 49, 53, and 147 of 4th Geneva Convention." Bull again. Nothing in the Geneva Conventions states that Jews are not allowed to reclaim their own properties and develop them.

Labhrat: The problerm with claim is it is one sided." The problem with your claim, is you forget that the Jews were all kicked out by Jordan, Jordan attacked again, and Jews moved back in -- NOT illegal, as you keep parroting. "The problem with your nonsense is the Palestinians were returning to Palestinian communities ethnically cleansed by Israel." Except Israel didn't ethnically cleanse them. Most of them fled to neighboring areas after initiating a war. The Jews didn't have any place to go -- except, into the sea, perhaps. The problem with your stupidity, is that Jordan attacked Israel again and lost -- which gave Jews the opportunity to reclaim their properties. If they stop attacking Jews, they would be in a better position. Where Jews control territory, BOTH Arabs and Jews live. Where Arabs came to control territory, not a single Jew was left. How's THAT for one sided, troll? Goose and Gander---SDHD--Or is that inconvenient.

Excellent comments #136 and 138-141. Well thought out, fact based and clearly documented. Yet still there are those who still dismiss you with their nonsensical responses that attack your character.....a tactic quite often used by someone who knows full well that they have lost the debate. Have you read "Expulsion of the Palestinians: The Concept of Transfer in Zionist Political Thought, 1882-1948" by Nur Masalha ? Very interesting read!

Whiskey, I mean drunk man, if Vhardman (v-hard-man) only in his wildest dreams btw, is going to make a statement, he best make it accurately. And no my fine 'bourbon', dim I am not, but old vhardman must be sick and tired of me back-handing him all this time. You can fingerprint me by scanning his face, that's how many times I had to put him in his place. As for your insistence that Palestine is actually Jordan, can you please post a link of the map stating this revolutionary concept which you have engraved in your miniscule mind? If you are referencing Trans-Jordan, you're still off base. Jordan may have administered Palestine, but they still called themselves Jordanian and us Palestinians. You're just another guy who thinks he is good at spinning fact to suit oneself and one's ill-conceived arguments. Don't you have a bar to get to...

Do not want peace,leadership will do everything to destroy any sign of peace. the west is in big trouble. They will impose Sharia law if America doesn`t wake up. Okay KS.America is already in big trouble owing to the constant attacks being premeditatedly occurring even as we speak. Britain is preparing to stop flights coming from certain quarters too. As for the US things are moving fast trying to avert another 9/11. So,nothing new in your predictions.But worry not,America can take care of itself.Think more about Europeans who are innundated by Islamists. They are somewhat asleep at present,but will awaken when the S..T hits the ceiling.

as well as free run in the UN GA &strong support from some EU governments,not excactly as powerless as you try to make out.

That sums up your position. A proponent of the greater Israel ideology. As espoused by Sharon the younger and the likes of Shamir in their day. "The provisions of the Geneva Convention regarding forced population transfer to occupied sovereign territory cannot be viewed as prohibiting the voluntary return ..." PSM The convention refers to transfer to OTs[not forced except where it refers to forced transfer "**from** occupied territory **to ** the territory of the Occupying Power". It often pays to read the original document rather than lift quotes directly from iffy websites. Ask vhardman. Geneva Conventions Art. 49. The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies. If the occupier offers powerful financial inducements to encourage settlement...? "...of individuals to the towns and villages from which they, or their ancestors, had been ousted." PSM Some 10,000 were there prior to 1948 who were ousted. Suppose they and their descendants returned. Fine. Now what about the other 300,000 settlers, many of whom settled for economic reasons? P.S Professor Eugene Rostow's views have long since been regarded as rather anachronistic and somewhat redundant. See Judge Thomas Buergenthal [the eminent Jewish authority on International Law] make plain his view, shared by the other 15 Judges who were ruling. Remember he had disputed the right of the ICC to hear this case, so was effectively agreeing with the official Israeli view on that point at the time of the case, hence his dissent. In his dissenting opinion on the 2004 decision of the International Criminal Courts ruling against Israels "Separation Wall" Judge Thomas Buergenthal wrote: "Paragraph 6 of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention also does not admit for exceptions on grounds of military or security exigencies. It provides that "the Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies". I agree that this provision applies to the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and that their existence violates Article 49, paragraph 6 ... " And what of the official legal counsel of the Israeli Government at the very beginning of the occupation? As recounted by Israeli journalist and historian Gershom Gorenberg , "the legal counsel of the Foreign Ministry, Theodor Meron, was asked whether international law allowed settlement in the newly conquered land. " In a memo marked "Top Secret", Mr. Meron wrote unequivocally, "My conclusion is that civilian settlement in the administered territories contravenes the explicit provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention."

It's rare to hear from someone who hasn`t read anything since 1948. One wonders why anyone but an historian would care about the Mandate.(Ron) Precisely my point too which is an indictment in your lack of knowledge trying to present here, all which is spurious speculative in the extreme. But then you seem to think you are an expert, Peter an ignorant who needs to read more. I gather from the tone of your presumptuousness toward your interlocutor. To impress rather than offer alternative quotations/information Read more Ron,and maybe,just maybe you will retract your response to Peter & apologize for the dismal interpretation you have indulged in.You do so repeatedly.(if memory serves). You are the sort of person who will not brook corrections, or discussing the opposing views. You have NO debating gift at all.You merely try to bully people who try to put their points. You discard what others may say. A very bad habit that is detrimental to anyone who may, just may have read, or experienced the real history during the British Mandate.

is Jews Returning Voluntarily to property posessed prior to Arabs kicking them out in 1948 "forced transfer" in defiance of the 4th gGeneva convention. The Mandate quote is essential as it is now fashionable to rewrite history removing any Jewish legitimacy in Palestine and trying to somehow imply it was all a result of the Holocaust. Jews have lived in many places in Palestine for millenia Hebron Safed Jerusalem are but a few examples Before the Arab League Khartoum declaration of Sept 1967 :- No Peace No Negotiations No Recognition of Israel There was no settlement movement, settlement movement followed. Mutually negotiated borders are needed Abbas sitting back is not the answer.

Try Article 80 of the UN Charter. Funny you missed a word that exists in Hebrew the word "AS". So you are wrong. We don't have to annex anything that belongs to us already. How about a treaty or law that states that the Arabs have any claim to the land? Still didn't answer that one did you?

Yet again it is not just the mandate I'am and have repeatedly quoted as the legal basis AND historical background,vital when people try so hard to rewrite and eradicate Jewish history in Palestine.Quoting one part as the whole is plain dishonest. Arab do have serious issues with minorities it is NOT a generalisation it is fact whereas you quoting ONE person as representative of the whole is plain racism. Whenever you have no further argument you change topic to keep attacking,you can play that game others dont have to. Its like me asking you when are you going to bring down your aparthheid wall or with your country in a giant economic hole how is it you spend all day here.?

I doubt it would work with Mitchell,who's doing Nobama's work.There is also Emanuel, and Axelrod. Vain hope David.We have to look ahead for Obama to sort out the dire fiscal problems we are facing.Oddly but no surprise his ratings have gone dpwn at an alarming rate.Even the ones who voted forhim are turning their backs. Grand expectations,especially by the Jews who feverihly and great enthusiasm picked him as Commander in Chief. Still a nice gesture by Netanyahu...

You spend more time misquoting expired treaties than anybody any of us have ever witnessed. The Arabs who lived in Palestine at the time of the Mandate had as much legal claim to land as Jews who lived there. The Mandate says...home for Jewish people, but not all of Palestine, and that nothing should be done to prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities. You've been told that. It is nonsense that Mandates never die. The British Mandate for Palestine expired at midnight, 14 May 1948. You've been told that over and over. Ottomans did allow Arabs to own land. Such Arab owned land was called, "Mulk or milk", land and could be cultivated and bestow absolute ownership. TAPU law of 14 Dec 1858 allowed issuance of title-deeds and transfer of old titles. Jordan became an independent sovereign state in 1946, two years before Israel. It has no legal role to play in future of Palestine. Next time, try hard to get something right, or stop writing.

is Jews RETURNING Voluntarily to Hebron,Jerusalem,Gush Etzion etc to their properties a forced transfer. 4th Geneva Convention contravention?? How?? No recognised borders was at Arab insistence? No Peace No Recognition No Negotiations That was the Arab approach and it was not the 1930's it was 1967. The settlement movement started after that!

Either Israel is or it is not. The whole country is Israel. A divided state or country will fail and that is what the world wants for Israel. Reclaim all of Israel and do not give up one centimeter.

good friday agreement not worth the paper its written on ! wait till blair is asked to explain it ? just like iraq ! and now mitchell is faking another negotiation !

6% bought from absentee landlords-that leaves 94% to steal. Let's just legitimize the 94% by referring to the 6%. statistics not your strong point then.

Both slightly scatty and enjoy backslapping more than original contributions. Too much thinking required?

Ron who goes up and down to find a poster who may be the weak link in the chain to prove his points which bears no resemblance to any cogent truth but still pursues relentlessly. Poor,poor Ron.Were I in your place,I'd give up the ghost and write the reality which you are remise in understanding because your bias stops you.Nevemind eh Ron.If you cannot succeed try and try again. Good luck

That sums up your position. A proponent of the greater Israel ideology. As espoused by Sharon the younger and the likes of Shamir in their day. "The provisions of the Geneva Convention regarding forced population transfer to occupied sovereign territory cannot be viewed as prohibiting the voluntary return ..." PSM The convention refers to transfer[not forced except where it refers to forced transfer "**from** occupied territory **to** the territory of the Occupying Power". It often pays to read the original document rather than lift quotes directly from iffy websites. Ask vhardman. Geneva Conventions Art. 49. The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies. If the occupier offers financial inducements to encourage settlement...? "...of individuals to the towns and villages from which they, or their ancestors, had been ousted." PSM Some 10,000 were there prior to 1948. Suppose they and their descendants returned. Fine. Now what about the other 300,000 settlers, many of whom settled for economic reasons? P.S Professor Eugene Rostow's views have long since been regarded as rather anachronistic and somewhat redundant. See Judge Thomas Buergenthal [the eminent Jewish authority on International Law] make plain his view, shared by the other 15 Judges who were ruling. Remember he had disputed the right of the ICC to hear this case, so was effectively agreeing with the official Israeli view on that point at the time of the case, hence his dissent. In his dissenting opinion on the 2004 decision of the International Criminal Courts ruling against Israels "Separation Wall" Judge Thomas Buergenthal wrote: "Paragraph 6 of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention also does not admit for exceptions on grounds of military or security exigencies. It provides that "the Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies". I agree that this provision applies to the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and that their existence violates Article 49, paragraph 6 ... " And what of the official legal counsel of the Israeli Government at the very beginning of the occupation? As recounted by Israeli journalist and historian Gershom Gorenberg , "the legal counsel of the Foreign Ministry, Theodor Meron, was asked whether international law allowed settlement in the newly conquered land. " In a memo marked "Top Secret", Mr. Meron wrote unequivocally, "My conclusion is that civilian settlement in the administered territories contravenes the explicit provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention."

Let's hope that Michell and Obama finally get the symbolism of this "ceremony". It's a symbolic spitting into their collective faces.How often will they have to wipe them clean of it ? David

There's a little more to it than you are letting on. Jews have no legal title to anything outside the borders they accepted under UN 181. Perhaps you forgot that God also said in Judges 2:21-23, IN THE FUTURE I WILL NOT EVICT ANY OF THE NATIONS THAT JOSHUA LEFT IN THE LAND WHEN HE DIED. The Jebusites who built Jerusalem and, by many, considered the forebears of the Palestinians, were there when God said that. So the Jews cannot claim all of Palestine. Israel accepted UN resolution 181 and declared itself a state, without Judea and Samaria within its borders. Therefore, Israeli settlements in the West Bank are a violation of UN resolutions 242, 452 and 465, and thus in violation of 3 articles of the 4th Geneva Convention. These are violations of international law and Jewish religious beliefs do not supersede international law. If international law had to conform to the beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Shintoism etc. there would be no international law

To the both of them you have responded. Surely by now you must have realized their thought process works one way.i.e anything that contradicts Palestinans will never be acceptable to nusseibeh particularely. As for sh? Well one law for him/her who lives in Israel(know not if said person is a Jew or not)and will not be acceptable were you to bring God from above to prove your points. Still well done for the effort.

If you think Palestinians don't want peace and their own sovereign state, which would ensure that peace, you are nuts. You think they prefer to remain subjects of a harsh and humiliating occupation for eternity. Are you sure they would like to continue to have their land expropriated, and their crops and olive groves destroyed to build Israeli settlements on their land and roads leading to them that they cant use, for ever. In Gaza they would all prefer to have a near genocidal blockade imposed on them than have their own state. Do you Jews expect us to believe that? This problem would be easier to get a grip on if you Jews would stop your incessant lying about it. The Palestinians do not reject a Jewish state. In 1993 the PLO recognized the State of Israel. In 2002 and 2007 the Arab League recognized the State of Israel in a peace offer. Israel didn't respond. The Sharia comment is a silly one.

I wonder where exactly you hail from? Since like you,many of us too do not put the domicile I can understand. But since your post is not only vile but anti Jews I'll leave you to rot in your dungeon. End of any dicussion we might have had pity.

A resounding YES.No other way to express my feelings as many others do too. No names will be mentioned.The ones who would agree with you and myself know it,too.

To educate Labhras.But then you have the gift of elucidating the history,effortlessly,with just a a few lines that express it all. Good one you matey.

"same year 1924 as the anglo-irish treaty labarse ! has it gone out of fashion in eire ? or does blarney only relate to israel and the mandate ! see anglo- american convention 1924." V hardhead Glad you moved foward two years--that,s a start. Now foward to the present or rather Good Friday april 10th 1998.It is called the Good Friday agreement. that superceded the 1924 agreement. read it Paul maybe it might help to get you closer to the 21 century.

"same year 1924 as the anglo-irish treaty labarse ! has it gone out of fashion in eire ? or does blarney only relate to israel and the mandate ! see anglo- american convention 1924." V hardhead Glad you moved foward two years--that,s a start. Now foward to the present or rather Good Friday april 10th 1998.It is called the Good Friday agreement. that superceded the 1924 agreement. read it Paul maybe it might help to get you closer to the 21 century.

LABRAHAS read the rest of the legal opinion changeing the subject means you have no answer I dont play that game. Your generic reference to"Jews" tells me where you are coming from. You are a racist."PSM ""The British Mandate (granted by the League of Nations) specifically encouraged "close settlement by Jews on the land."psm He is now telling us victors yarns re the Mandate giving the right to Jews to settle anywhere in Palestine----here is the kicker---he means right up to the present." Labhras Where is the racism psm Come on psm---what does the rest of a legal opinion on a mandate that is dead have to do with the argument--it is dead, of no further legal validity. The mandate is long dead and Jews who are citizens of Israel or Arabs for that matter are not allowed to settle in or be transferred to the west Bank--not that there are any Arabs being transferred or allowed to voluntarily settle there. You certainly are not worried about their right to return to their home in Israel. Dont give me your fake anti semitism and racist baloney. You have had the truth served up to you and you lost. The mandate died the day before Israel declared independence--you and Paul harris had better get used to it.

LABRAHAS read the rest of the legal opinion changeing the subject means you have no answer I dont play that game. Your generic reference to"Jews" tells me where you are coming from. You are a racist."PSM ""The British Mandate (granted by the League of Nations) specifically encouraged "close settlement by Jews on the land."psm He is now telling us victors yarns re the Mandate giving the right to Jews to settle anywhere in Palestine----here is the kicker---he means right up to the present." Labhras Where is the racism psm Come on psm---what does the rest of a legal opinion on a mandate that is dead have to do with the argument--it is dead, of no further legal validity. The mandate is long dead and Jews who are citizens of Israel or Arabs for that matter are not allowed to settle in or be transferred to the west Bank--not that there are any Arabs being transferred or allowed to voluntarily settle there. You certainly are not worried about their right to return to their home in Israel. Dont give me your fake anti semitism and racist baloney. You have had the truth served up to you and you lost. The mandate died the day before Israel declared independence--you and Paul harris had better get used to it.

This is all about restoring the ancient Kingdom of Judea. Jewish settler zealots attack Palestinians and walk away without punishment. Israel takes Arab land and forces Arabs into more confined ghettos. Human rights are violated continuously. Gaza is left devastated while Israel attacks an honorable Jew for speaking the truth about Israel's excesses. This is all for the greater honor and glory of God in the eyes of Israel's leaders, Israeli settlers and those that support them. This is truly an example of hypocrisy.

Right, I would not want either of you to spend any of the precious time you have reflecting on the issue raised by Churchill as to whether people who willingly sold their land at strong profits to Zionists whom they then claimed took the land from them are best described as dispossessed. As to the rest of the land, see the 1937 Peel Commission for starters and its offer of about 80% of the land between river and sea and the Palestinian rejection, followed by more complaints of dispossession. By the way, if you read the books I cited, as claimed, I invite you to a more detailed discussion of issues from them and other common sources. I did not see much in this regard from you so far.

I wonder if the"kosher Israeli" tree planted by Netanyahu was one of the many thousands that have been uprooted from the lands of Palestinian farmers. I wouldn't be surprised in the least.

The Palestinians are absolutely correct to not participate in this farce called the "peace process." It is futile and even more so as Netahyahu declares that more and more of the occupied territories are part of Israel. Of course, this is against international law but , hey, when did this ever matter to Israel. All of this sounds like two people, one big and burly and the other weak and thin, negotiating over the division of a pizza. While the "negotiating goes on, the big and burly person keeps grabbing more and more pieces of pizza leaving the weak and thin person with almost nothing. I don't think it is necessary to state which person represents Israel and which person represents the Palestinians.

It's rare to hear from someone who hasn't read anything since 1948. One wonders why anyone but an historian would care about the Mandate. It was to establish in Palestine (not all of it) a national home for Jewish people, but said clearly, that nothing should be done which might prejudice civil or religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine. The Mandate, however, is irrelevant because it expired on 14 May 1948, when Israel, under UN resolution 181, declared statehood. From that date, at midnight, it was no longer an instrument of international law. Part II of UN181 meticulously determined the precise borders of the Israeli state. When Israel occupied the rest of Palestine in1967, and refused to withdraw from the newly occupied territory, it was in violation of UN resolutions 242,452 and 465. When it built in the West Bank and annexed Jerusalem it was in violation of articles 49, 53, and 147 of 4th Geneva Convention. Such breaches of the Convention are war crimes.

I don't actually think you are dim. But judging your comment it does say a lot of your interpretation of what vhardman meant eh? Nah,nah not dim,but inconvenience to see the the truth behind what Vhardman wrote,which was absolutely accurate. i.e JORDAN IT WAS.

same year 1924 as the anglo-irish treaty labarse ! has it gone out of fashion in eire ? or does blarney only relate to israel and the mandate ! see anglo- american convention 1924.

means you have no answer I dont play that game. Your generic reference to"Jews" tells me where you are coming from. You are a racist.

If you do not have any cogent response,bar making a fool of some by calling them: Gee,Gee it would be best if you resist posting nonsense. Where are you posting from,a child's nursery? Grow up,if you have no decent response to post better just read what the many who have a brain that functions and take it from there. Otherwise,staying quiet is BEST.

As Professor Eugene Rostow, former Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs has written: "the Jewish right of settlement in the area is equivalent in every way to the right of the local population to live there" (AJIL, 1990, vol. 84, p.7 ? The provisions of the Geneva Convention regarding forced population transfer to occupied sovereign territory cannot be viewed as prohibiting the voluntary return of individuals to the towns and villages from which they, or their ancestors, had been ousted. Nor does it prohibit the movement of individuals to land which was not under the legitimate sovereignty of any state and which is not subject to private ownership.

one sided. "The problem with your nonsense is that the Jews were returning to Jewish communities which were ethnically cleansed by Jordan."SDHD The problem with your nonsense is the Palestinians were returning to Palestinian communities ethnically cleansed by Israel. Goose and Gander---SDHD--Or is that inconvenient.

Right to settle the areas according to the Mandate for Palestine.Jews have a legal right to settle the areas according to the Mandate for Palestine (specifically article 6 of the mandate concerning Jewish settlements) and to such documents as the Faisal Weizmann Agreement. Quite right and to the point of the nitty,gritty of the whole afair. It has to be drummed into the heads of some who have yet to instruct themselves on the pertinent subject they seem to lack. Thank you Peter for clarifying it.

"It was then that the surrounding peoples saw the miracle the Jews achieved.settled stayed,benefitted[sic] frrm[sic] it." Jasmine Peters. P.S. whatever happened to her?

erstwhile Kathy. The slightly slow very racist(about Obama)talk backer who prefers watching to participating.

Fantasia---have you. "The Jews who came to the Holy Land in the 1800` cleared the malaria infested swamps and made the desert bloom" Jasmine. Incidentally Jasmine a lesson in Democracy for you. Land ownership is not a pre requesite for Citizenship. Much as your somewhat confused mind may think so. Suggest you grab a few books on true democracy--omit Israel--it is not even in the running.

No need for your embelishments.What Lisa wrote is absolutely correct.Whether you dispute it or not,truth IS TRUTH. See,better than your elongated and paragraphical showing post.

No need for your embelishments.What Lisa wrote is absolutely correct.Whether you dispute it or not,truth IS TRUTH. See,better than your elongated and paragraphical showing post.

a goyim issue?

Just a short one.To:Everything you wrote. From your mouth TO G*D's Ears! **Am Yisrael Chai**

"The British Mandate (granted by the League of Nations) specifically encouraged "close settlement by Jews on the land."psm He is now telling us victors yarns re the Mandate giving the right to Jews to settle anywhere in Palestine----here is the kicker---he means right up to the present. You are truly nuts psm---I knew you would find a partner in spite of yourself--eventually.

"The Arabs were illegally occupying Gaza, Judea, and Samaria prior to the war."Gee Hmmmm???. 2,According to international law ALL land west of the Jordan River BELONGS to the Jews and cannot be given to any other government or group. That is part of the UN Charter." Gee Mind sharing that part of the UN cHARTER WITH US Gee. I sure cannot find a word on the subject. 3,Now tell us again how those territories are not ours. Go ahead I bet you cannot find a single law or treaty that supports your moronic claims. Nor can anybody else in the entire world." Gee Well --where to start. Okay lets begin in Israel. Israli High Court of Justice--close enough ???. Case # 2056/04 Beit Zourik V Israel. The court ruled that the West Bank(Judea/Samaria--defunct biblical--fairy tales)is held "Under Belligerent Occupation"-by Israel. A sovereign cannot occupy their own territory so it is not belong to Israel. Gee, Why dont you just annex it if it is yours???. Over to you--Gee.

"The Arabs were illegally occupying Gaza, Judea, and Samaria prior to the war."Gee Hmmmm???. 2,According to international law ALL land west of the Jordan River BELONGS to the Jews and cannot be given to any other government or group. That is part of the UN Charter." Gee Mind sharing that part of the UN cHARTER WITH US Gee. I sure cannot find a word on the subject. 3,Now tell us again how those territories are not ours. Go ahead I bet you cannot find a single law or treaty that supports your moronic claims. Nor can anybody else in the entire world." Gee Well --where to start. Okay lets begin in Israel. Israli High Court of Justice--close enough ???. Case # 2056/04 Beit Zourik V Israel. The court ruled that the West Bank(Judea/Samaria--defunct biblical--fairy tales)is held "Under Belligerent Occupation"-by Israel. A sovereign cannot occupy their own territory so it is not belong to Israel. Gee, Why dont you just annex it if it is yours???. Over to you--Gee.

Or Rafael,perhaps great minds think alike eh? Example: I have continuously maintained the difference between Abass,and Ratifart: The first wears a suit,the latter wore a kafiyeh.So no difference between the two. Same side of the coin.Abass follows his earstwhile chum without exception. Demands,without giving an inch he is not entitled to have in any case. My assumption on the Arab Palestinians acquiring a state,gets farther,and farther away on the horizon I fear.

If you think anyone here with an open mind accept/agree with your premise,even the written word or expressed by Churchill(in truth) for I have written in my posts elsewhere precisely the same excluding Khalidi-because (I do not know much about him)On the sale of properties even before the Balfour Declaration--FACT. The Jews who came to the Holy Land in the 1800' cleared the malaria infested swamps and made the desert bloom.It was then that the surrounding peoples saw the miracle the Jews achieved.settled stayed,benefitted frrm it. It was also during that period that,some reasonably wealthy Arabs (very clever)thought/prognosticated of things to come,began to sell their properties to Jews. In a nutshell,of course you are quite correct. But the naysayers dismiss this part of the historical narrative with rejectionism. Closed minds never learn..

Yeah, Robert, that would be great if Genesis was the only book in the bible. Unfortunately for you and those who think like you, there are many more books. Try reading Psalm 78:10-11, I Kings 14:15 II Kings 17:7-8 and 18-20, Jeremiah 32:30, and Amos 9:8. These passages might put things into a more realistic context for you. The Lord's promise to Abraham that you quoted was CONDITIONAL. It hinged upon the Israelites adhering to the terms of His promise, which they clearly did not. The Lord then took away that which He gave to them in Genesis because in His eyes, they clearly did NOT DESERVE WHAT HE GAVE THEM!!! They resorted to idol worship and that idol worship continues today with the "idol" being power and elitism!

and here is what you said:With all the changes happening in the world & ME politics, Israel is simply unwilling to take the slightest of risks. That is pure bull Carl,we take risks all the time.Point of fact far too many of them and it should stop forthwith. We have had enough propositions and by taking some risks it has diminished us to a degree. Enough talking rubbish by all the leftists here.(NO NAMES)they know who they are.

and here is what you said:With all the changes happening in the world & ME politics, Israel is simply unwilling to take the slightest of risks. That is pure bull Carl,we take risks all the time.Point of fact far too many of them and it should stop forthwith. We have had enough propositions and by taking some risks it has diminished us to a degree. Enough talking rubbish by all the leftists here.(NO NAMES)they know who they are.

Jake coming from you being such an astute poster I'll take it as read.But up to a poin that is.i.e Disband the P.A., distribute funds to the people, declare allegiance to Israel, and demand equal rights. That's as far as would go,and NOT the Part of the Israelis begin the apartheid because of our greed? Nah,nah Jake I thought at first you had a better proposition.Seems I erred. So,you think Israel is greedy? if that is the case the your finger should be pointing in the Arab nations surrounding Israel who are THE MOST GREEDY PEOPLE ON EARTH.Now that is what I call GREED. Twenty two Arab countries versus one tiny Israel.And you call Israel greedy?Shame on you

Alot of the position of the Palestinians and their remarkably Western naive apologists is based on presumptions which themselves have no basis in fact i.e. the "West Bank" is presumed to be "Palestinian", although it never was and was only re-named from Judea and Samaria in 1948 by Jordan. It is always presumed that Israeli building in the West Bank is on land owned by individual Palestinians rather than un-owned state land or land which was purchased by Jews before 1948. However,the most damaging presumption is that "Palestinian" is an ethnic group identity with the normally associated rights rather than an anti-Israel Arab political label held by some but not all Arabs that had resided in re-state Israel. Its time for folks to discard the "Palestinian narrative" as both un-historic and un-helpful.

Get your facts straight before pontificating on here. The British Mandate EXPIRED in 1948. Do you understand that? IT EXPIRED IN 1948!!!! The current year is 2010, and in the real world that you apparently do not live in, the settlements are ILLEGAL and the annexation of East Jerusalem is ILLEGAL. Netanyahu had one goal when he planted those trees and made that ridiculous statement of claim to the land. That goal was to undermine any chance of returning to peace negotiations by inciting the Palestinians to another intifada the same way that Sharon did when he marched into the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque surrounded by hundreds of Israeli security in 2000 and declared it "Jewish land". It's time for you to realize that the world community is no longer buying the stalling and sabotage tactics toward the peace process that Israel has grown so accustomed to employing.

Abbas is Arafat without the kafiya. Does anyone honestly believe that arabs would accept ANY Israel between the Jordan and the Sea? Let them start by recognizing Israel's right to exist as a Jewish State. How do you negotiate with someone who doesn't even acknoledge your right to exist??? Once they can accept us, then negotiate the West Bank minus the big settlemtments, and compensate for the refugees. Jerusalem is a non-issue. It's the center of Jewish thought and culture and CANNOT be divided. Even the Pals understand that!

"the problem with your Jews returning is they are stealing land to build Jews only settlements or enclaves." The problem with your nonsense is that the Jews were returning to Jewish communities which were ethnically cleansed by Jordan.

'Jews have a legal right to settle the areas' They have no legal rights to settle on Palestinian owned land even when Arabs can show legal documents proving generations of ownership in the territories. Nor do they have the moral right, but they do it regardless.

"Let`s itemise the "price" that Israel is willing to pay, shall we?" Itemize the Clinton parameters, fool.

But it doesn't address VictorPaul's contention that the "Mandate" gives somebody the right to displace millions. And each time I ask where the "Mandate" says that, I get a runaround. But thank you for the reference.

Would you like to report on the actual amount of land 'purchase' as a proportion of the lands of mandate Palestine. Was it of the order of something like 6%?

Or are you saying that all land now occupied by Israel was legally purchased by Jews? Well, I'm sure you aren't. Many of us have read the books you have at your fingertips. Instead of adroit parrying, it would be interesting to hear a few of your recommended solutions for a change.

In 1942 the Biltmore Program was adopted as the platform of the World Zionist Organization. It demanded "that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth." In 1946 an Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry, also known as the Grady-Morrison Committee, noted that the demand for a Jewish State went beyond the obligations of either the Balfour Declaration or the Mandate and had been expressly disowned by the Chairman of the Jewish Agency as recently as 1932.[60] The Jewish Agency subsequently refused to accept the Grady Morrison Plan as the basis for discussion. A spokesman for the agency, Eliahu Epstein, told the US State Department that the Agency could not attend the London conference if the Grady-Morrison proposal was on the agenda. He stated that the Agency was unwilling to be placed in a position where it might have to compromise between the Grady-Morrison proposals on the one hand and its own partition plan on the other. He stated that the Agency had accepted partition as the solution for Palestine which it favored.[61]

In 1942 the Biltmore Program was adopted as the platform of the World Zionist Organization. It demanded "that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth." In 1946 an Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry, also known as the Grady-Morrison Committee, noted that the demand for a Jewish State went beyond the obligations of either the Balfour Declaration or the Mandate and had been expressly disowned by the Chairman of the Jewish Agency as recently as 1932.[60] The Jewish Agency subsequently refused to accept the Grady Morrison Plan as the basis for discussion. A spokesman for the agency, Eliahu Epstein, told the US State Department that the Agency could not attend the London conference if the Grady-Morrison proposal was on the agenda. He stated that the Agency was unwilling to be placed in a position where it might have to compromise between the Grady-Morrison proposals on the one hand and its own partition plan on the other. He stated that the Agency had accepted partition as the solution for Palestine which it favored.[61]

n 1937 a British Royal Commission headed by Lord Peel proposed solving the Arab-Jewish conflict by partitioning Palestine into two states. The Jewish leadership rejected the plan and developed an alternate proposal. "here is that Benny Morris guy again. "A collection of private correspondence published by David Ben Gurion contained a leter written in 1937 which explained that he was in favor of partition because he didn't envision a partial Jewish state as the end of the process. Ben Gurion wrote "What we want is not that the country be united and whole, but that the united and whole country be Jewish." He explained that a first-class Jewish army would permit Zionists to settle in the rest of the country with or without the consent of the Arabs.[57] Benny Morris said that both Chaim Weizmann and David Ben Gurion saw partition as a stepping stone to further expansion and the eventual takeover of the whole of Palestine.[58] Former Israeli Foreign Minister and historian Schlomo Ben Ami writes that 1937 was the same year that the "Field Battalions" under Yitzhak Sadeh wrote the "Avner Plan", which anticipated and laid the groundwork for what would become in 1948, Plan D. It envisioned going far beyond any boundaries contained in the existing partition proposals and planned the conquest of the Galilee, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.[59]

The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine said the Jewish National Home, which derived from the formulation of Zionist aspirations in the 1897 Basle program has provoked many discussions concerning its meaning, scope and legal character, especially since it had no known legal connotation and there are no precedents in international law for its interpretation. It was used in the Balfour Declaration and in the Mandate, both of which promised the establishment of a "Jewish National Home" without, however, defining its meaning. A statement on "British Policy in Palestine," issued on 3 June 1922 by the Colonial Office, placed a restrictive construction upon the Balfour Declaration. The statement excluded "the disappearance or subordination of the Arabic population, language or customs in Palestine" or "the imposition of Jewish nationality upon the inhabitants of Palestine as a whole", and made it clear that in the eyes of the mandatory Power, the Jewish National Home was to be founded in Palestine and not that Palestine as a whole was to be converted into a Jewish National Home. The Committee noted that the construction, which restricted considerably the scope of the National Home, was made prior to the confirmation of the Mandate by the Council of the League of Nations and was formally accepted at the time by the Executive of the Zionist Organization.[54]

The Arabs were illegally occupying Gaza, Judea, and Samaria prior to the war. According to international law ALL land west of the Jordan River BELONGS to the Jews and cannot be given to any other government or group. That is part of the UN Charter. Now tell us again how those territories are not ours. Go ahead I bet you cannot find a single law or treaty that supports your moronic claims. Nor can anybody else in the entire world.

The Jewish national home In 1919 the General Secretary (and future President) of the Zionist Organization, Nahum Sokolow, published a History of Zionism (1600-1918). He also represented the Zionist Organization at the Paris Peace Conference. He explained: The object of Zionism is to establish for the Jewish people a home in Palestine secured by public law." ... ...It has been said and is still being obstinately repeated by anti-Zionists again and again, that Zionism aims at the creation of an independent "Jewish State" But this is wholly fallacious. The "Jewish State" was never part of the Zionist programme. The Jewish State was the title of Herzl's first pamphlet, which had the supreme merit of forcing people to think. This pamphlet was followed by the first Zionist Congress, which accepted the Basle programme - the only programme in existence.[53]

Jews have a legal right to settle the areas according to the Mandate for Palestine (specifically Article 6 of the mandate concerning Jewish settlements) and to such documents as the Faisal Weizmann Agreement. The British Mandate (granted by the League of Nations) specifically encouraged "close settlement by Jews on the land."

when he stated the following-- ""Knowing as I did the unsatisfactory nature of the 1967 line, I wasn?t prepared to use wording in the Resolution that would have made that line permanent. Nonetheless, it is necessary to say again that the overwhelming principle was the ?inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war? and that meant that there could be no justification for the annexation of territory on the Arab side of the 1967 line merely because it had been conquered in the 1967 war."Lord Caradon the problem with your Jews returning is they are stealing land to build Jews only settlements or enclaves. But hey---why would racism bother you.

Would a sentence, or more, Churchill spoke to an Arab delegation in which he told them "that land was not being taken from Arabs; that Arabs sold land to Jews only if they chose to do so" interest you (Fromkin, A Peace to End All Peace, 1989, p. 522)? From Rashid Khalidi about those whom you call the dispossessed, that "those profiting from selling land to the Zionists belonged to the same notable class [of Palestinian Arabs] whose members purported to be leaders in the resistance to Zionism" (Iron Cage, 2007, pp. 86-87)? Or the German Islamic scholar Gudrun Kramer that "the sales were economically motivated and the gains high" (History of Palestine, 2008, p. 245)?

May be not but If Zionists do not care about laws, why should i?

I could teach you a lesson, but OZ is to full of ex criminals from the UK, who speak Doolittle English I do not understand. Not being a Palestinian I cannot prevent zionist to travel to Palestine. But you, why are you not going there? Too easy to shout garbage from afar. PS Palestinians are not crying victims, but the zionists are. the Palestinians fight. What if, when borders are agreed your criminal friends find themselves before 1947 partition? Or back inn Kazarstan?

Get over it, it is just a tree. This is the problem over there making mountains out of mole hills!!!!

kurdistan ,n cyprus ,tibet , sri lanka ,afghanistan ,iraq . immigration world wide from 3rd world countries to the west! seem to have passed him by . his problem is called tunnel vision and he should get expert help immediately.

The venting should be about Netanyahu's coalition-preserving words, not the trees. Let both Israelis and Palestinians plant trees and swear never to uproot them. Let those trees bear fruit and maybe peace could be one of those fruits. Perhaps Gush Etzion's Rabbi Froman, his growing number of partners and his friends in surrounding Palestinian villages can explain this to Haaretz better, or better still, become leaders of such a tree-promoting project, together. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1144264.html

Are you sure it's not Texas that has the biggest prison system? And didn't Texas steal all the land on the north bank of the Rio Grande from poor helpless Mexicans? And isn't it Texas that used segregation and humiliation for dealing with former slaves? It's unrealistic to be talking about peace until you give back all the land your people stole and repay all the slaves and native people you starved and murdered to get what they had.

prevent Jews returning there.So are you going to show how tough you are "spear" and deep six some Yahoods? Time to pull your figer out instead and negotiate a state instead of refusing,relying on terror and crying victim.

Once again you make my point. History has passed 3000 BCE and even 1900 and 1922 and 1945. We made peace with our indigenous peoples before our methods and your Brit methods were outlawed. There have been treaties negotiated and signed, even by Israel since 1948. They govern the conduct of nations, without disappearing ink. You might want to read one of them. I'd suggest Geneva IV as a starter. English copies are available on the Internet. Or, If you look really hard, you might find one in Hebrew on an Israeli government website. Israel actually signed on, again without disappearing ink.

The only thing left is to surrender and then demand your rights as equal citizens under the law with full voting rights . Within 20 years you vote in a full palestinian government and then return the Palestinians driven out by the jews in 48 and watch the jews head back to europe

If you are good you will get six feet of it.

Palestinian leaders are whining their people's lives away - as usual. They have been offered a state - (almost all of it) more times than we can remember, and all they do is sit around killing each other and blaming Israel for their and the world's woes. If they sat across the table and called Israel's bluff, maybe they would achieve something , but they never learn!

before commenting on the world he needs to apply his hypocrisy to the usa ! where the native population was all displaced ! he needs to study the map of the world from 3000 bc before posting total tripe !

...is the original home of the Palestinians.

Disband the P.A., distribute funds to the people, declare allegiance to Israel, and demand equal rights. All the while stage protests demanding your rights and let the apartheid begin. The Israelis will then know what their greed has cost them.

and there will be no peace efforts, unless you counf the ones used for PR and window dressing.

LPL: "The Israeli public DOES want peace VERY much and is willing to pay a price but going bk to 67 borders is not even an option." Let's itemise the "price" that Israel is willing to pay, shall we? 1) Israel is willing to allow Jordan to shoulder the cost of looking after the Arabs of the West Bank (but not to own the WB! Goodness, no!). 2) Israel is willing to allow Saudi Arabia to shoulder the cost of caring for the refugees. 3) Israel is willing to allow the PA to sweep the streets in Arab towns, and will even allow PA garbage trucks to cross the Green Line to collect the garbage of "um el facham". 4) Israel is willing to allow the PA to defend itself with pointed sticks. Only, without the sharp pointy ends, OK? Gosh, Lisa, that's a mighty impressive list! Except... I'm not actually seeing any ISRAELI sacrifices being made; all I see is Israel palming off all the stuff that it doesn't want to do onto Someone Else.

Israel needs to keep a portion of the West Bank as a buffer zone against the Pals. This isn't news? Recently, in the last few weeks both Hamas and the PA have talked about no peace, no negotiations and increasing terrorism although the Pals like the euphemism "resistance". I think blowing up a bus of civilians is terrorism and murder, but hey, what do I know? It seems the Pals can commit any crime they want as long as they call it "resistance". Never mind the fact that in any other country around the world they would call it "murder" or "attempted murder". It seems many writers here like to excuse these crimes while at the same time feign moral outrage when Israel sneezes.

The Israeli voter said loud and clear no to 67 borders! The Israeli public DOES want peace VERY much and is willing to pay a price but going bk to 67 borders is not even an option. The likud solution is the correct and fair solution. yes to Palestinian self rule including sovereignty/flag/passport/free border crossing in Jordan. Arab leadership must pay the price for their colossal errors, starting the 48, 67 and 2000 wars and adamantly refusing compromise and peace. The arabs can solve the refugee problem in all the other arab countries. the arabs have endless amount of land and petro-$$. The PA state can include all the main arab population centers in the WB - It can and will have land contiguity and it can even include some arab neighborhoods near Al-kuds(jerusalem). It could even include some of the arab centers on Israel side (um el facham). It must be demiliatarized again because of what the PA did with the arms in 2000-04.

-Yehuda and Shomron never ever belonged to a never existing Palestinian State!! -King Hussain was well aware that Israel could never go bk tothe Aushwitz/67 borders!! -Israel won Yosh in a war that the arabs Initiated! - 500,000 Jews live in Yosh and thousands more move in daily!! - Time is on Israel's side with ther Leiberman Bibi and shas Govt!! - Jewish Yosh is best alternative for the Arabs of the WB!! - Thousands of Palestinian Arabs continue to build all the Yosh towns!! -Jewish Yosh is the only way to secure the Tel Aviv area from missles!! - The Arab layman all out support Jews living in Yosh!! - It is only the Jewish left along with Arafat's men that opposed Jews living in Yosh.

r: "garbage. tell abbas start negotiating or the train will leave the station without you." And? So? It is axiomatic that a negotiated settlement can not happen without the Palestinians signing off on it. If Abbas refuses to negotiate then Israel can continue to dispossess the Palestinians, sure, but exactly HOW does that bring Israel any closer to an end to this conflict, ralph? After all, for most of the Arab/Israeli conflict the PLO was domiciled in Tunisia/Lebanon/etc., and at no time did their absence from the West Bank bring Israel any closer to "peace".

Despite the promises the Palestinian's made at Oslo to remove the portion of the specific portion of their Charter that calls for the destruction of Israel, the paragraph still remains in it's totallity, unaltered If anyone can "PROVE" otherwise, be good enough to post the "facts" right here, along with a link I'm not holding my breath waiting

Jews have rights to claim the whole shebang, it wasn't their fault that Britain arbitrarily decided to prostitute her mandate, lopping off 77% to give as a gift to Emir Abdullah as a payoff for his services to Britain during World War One It's high time you looked at a pre-Mandate map and then a Mandate map, and learned what the area consisted of

In many ways Vietnam Veterans were made the public face of my counties abandoned policy that being the Vietnam War. This was grossly unfair because as soldiers were simply doing their duty as articulated to them by Australians through the accepted political processes. If a two state solution is achieved then Israels' settler movement is likely to find itself in a similar position to Vietnam Veterans, a very public face of an abandoned policy. In such a case let Israel not inflict on the settlers the isolation, abandonment and pain that was visited upon Vietnam Veterans.

"Praise Prime Minister Netanyahu O Israel ! He is courageously following God`s Holy Word ! We are comanded to give honour to where honour is due. The Land is God`s ..God gave the land to Israel. Pray for wisdom, discernment, knowledge, strength, insight, mercy, favour, Godly counsel, deliverance from all hindering anti-Christ spirits to the Will of Abba Father-Yeshua for Israel, in Jesus name I pray" Hey at least Netanyahoo has the support of all the right winged nuts throughout the world.

Certainly Israel should keep those parts of the West Bank that are of military importance because no peace guarantees of the Palestinians can ever be trusted. At the same time Israel should also keep in mind the demographic threat to Jewish Israel which is already significant.

I wish I had a set of glasses that revealed it. Do you suppose the sentences include the right to displace people, too. Every time I raise the issue, he seems to want to distract and never once has answered where the wording is that allows for displacement of millions.

The Israeli voter said loud and clear no to 67 borders! The Israeli public DOES want peace VERY much and is willing to pay a price but going bk to 67 borders is not even an option. The likud solution is the correct and fair solution. yes to Palestinian self rule including sovereignty/flag/passport/free border crossing in Jordan. Arab leadership must pay the price for their colossal errors, starting the 48, 67 and 2000 wars and adamantly refusing compromise and peace. The arabs can solve the refugee problem in all the other arab countries. the arabs have endless amount of land and petro-$$. The PA state can include all the main arab population centers in the WB - It can and will have land contiguity and it can even include some arab neighborhoods near Al-kuds(jerusalem). It could even include some of the arab centers on Israel side (um el facham). It must be demiliatarized again because of what the PA did with the arms in 2000-04

-Yehuda and Shomron never ever belonged to a never existing Palestinian State!! -King Hussain was well aware that Israel could never go bk tothe Aushwitz/67 borders!! -Israel won Yosh in a war that the arabs Initiated! - 500,000 Jews live in Yosh and thousands more move in daily!! - Time is on Israel's side with ther Leiberman Bibi and shas Govt!! - Jewish Yosh is best alternative for the Arabs of the WB!! - Thousands of Palestinian Arabs continue to build all the Yosh towns!! -Jewish Yosh is the only way to secure the Tel Aviv area from missles!! - The Arab layman all out support Jews living in Yosh!! - It is only the Jewish left along with Arafat's men that opposed Jews living in Yosh.

I knew it had to be something like that. Every time I've asked I get some diversion about Arabs not existing or not owning land or having moved in after WWI. Do you suppose it's like the ink Franklin used on the back of the Declaration to hide the National Treasure? Need heat and lemon to make it reveal, too?

If the Palestinians want Netanyahu to change his positions they must negotiate. But of course that is something that the Palestinians have always refused to do because they want everything for nothing.

and teach their children that even if they are minority,the WB is the land of their ancestors that Arab occupier stole from them and that the history of the WB and Jewish people are intertwined.

JJ, you're totally correct, tell Abu BS the West Bank is gone. Where you are wrong is that he should move to Jordan, who lost his land in 1967. If Abu and Arafat wanted a State in '66, they should have made a deal with Hussein. Instead, their hatred of Israel and Jews clouded their goals. Many argue they never wanted a State, and still don't. They would happy with no State, so long as the tradeoff was no Israel. Sorry, Abu, first-- he has no cojones (just a clown in a fancy suit) and, second-- your new address is Jordan. Israel has offered peace, Pals offered double speak. Pack it in Abu, it's over.

by the palestinians. at the rate that netanyahu is going, the world community might soon see fit to IMPOSE...which is long overdue. and the world view places the boundaries at the so-called "green line", and it includes east jerusalem. its not just the arab and muslim countries either, it's the western nations who are beginning to tip the scales, and europe in particular. even the u.s. is opposed to israel's occupation, and its "obliged" protection of israel with its veto is only good to a certain extent; because that veto can be overturned if there's enough resolve in the rest of the unsc... and every little nuance, like this one of netanyahu's(and which are increasingly more common), tips those scales further and further towards "proactive" involvement by the world community.

Netanyahu is the worst thing that could have happened to Israel. He's as bad and has as much interest in justice and peace as George W. Bush did. If Israelis care anything about their future they won't tolerate this arrogant moron anymore. Such an embarrassment to Jewish people all over the world.

You will surely hear Jesus say, 'occupation and oppression, not in my name!'

Liberate native America, hand it back to the Red Indians who you slaughtered in the millions, then move back to Europe where you belong. Once thats done, then and only then dare you speak about Israeli so called occupation.Jews have more claim to all the areas of ancient Israel, than any so called American has to 1 inch of North America.

Sir, It is heartwarming to encounter such degree of naivety. Of Course bad whoever killed some phantome so dear for peace loving habitual reality deniers. intellectual honesty is not for everybody...

hment . Those who support arabpals claims to west bank feed Al Qaida or any arab terrorism whether against Saudia , or Russia , EU , U.S. or Israel Arab terror groups and Arabs political terrorism are a collective punishment against any civilians of any country .

Typical Jew...trying to be the master of spin. So if I read #78 and your comments accurately, you are saying that we should change Israel's name to Jordan. Awesome...lets go that route and have it your way!! Idiot.

Russia

JJ - you said it perfectly. First of all, I don't believe Abu Mazen or any other Pal leader who is fully supported by the USA has any cojones. If they did, they would have been demanding a binational state from the onset with equal rights for all. The Israelis want the Pals to wait another 10-yrs of economic cooperation and then start discussing statehood. After 10 more years of this, Ramallah will be an Israeli settlement. It's my opinion that it is far easier to achieve civil rights within 10 years since Israel is such a beacon of democracy. This way we will have full support of the intl community, including the US, after all, we are only asking for EQUAL RIGHTS. Wake up Pal leaders and change course to this better suited one.

this applies to you too ! names and addresses and land title numbers !! the ottomans did not allow arabs to own land !

Mitchell should quit long ego. There will be no peace in the Middle East untill US finds its MOJO. Lets just say it - castreted man (country) can't have babies...

good one

The West Bank is gone! You have to be a moron to fail to recognize this reality. It is infested with settlements an no one in Israel has the desire or the cojones to remove them. You, sir, have taken the correct 1st step: stop all negotiations with Israel simply because there is nothing more to negotiate about. Now, please take the next step: declare to the world that the PA is dissolved, that you resign, and that the Palestinians no longer want their own state. Tell the world, Sir, that you want to become an Israeli citizen with full rights (including voting rights) and responsibilities. That you want your own minority rights respected, but you will full all obligations that your new Israeli citizenship requires. Israel of course will want to keep you stateless, but you are a good man and know how to protest without resorting to violence. You, sir, have my full support. Have you gotten the cojones to do it?

Palestinians ! Stop talking nonsense all the time,& get on with your life. You get One & a Half Times more aid than Israel,& where does it go ? to luxurious Villas & Palaces ? Your big fat cunning leader stole over Four Billion Shekels,(OR WAS IT $$'S) Unless all the money is returned for the benefit of the common man/woman not a cent should be given to you !

Of course, that was the goal. Netanyahu crushed Obama almost a year ago and then spent the rest of they pounding the silver spike in the heart of the dreaded peace monster.

leadership will do everything to destroy any sign of peace. the west is in big trouble. They will impose Sharia law if America doesn't wake up

"[T]he [A]rabs have no legal claim to any part of the [P]alestine [M]andate!" Are you a provocateur, or just plain stupid? Or a Lieberman supporter--in which case you are both.

And of so, then you won't mind being called an anti Semite and won't dare claim you are merely criticizing Israel will you?

What did Bibi say that every other prime minister since Eshkol didn't say , even the 'hallowed' Yitzhak Rabin?

The Jewish people are the only people on the face of this earth that have a title to a specific piece of land, given by the one true God, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. See Genesis 15:18-21.

he works backwards or states the perceived outcome of the peace agreement with some details at the end of the process. It's somewhat predictable by now - " we will not ...." so and so but okay we'll make the same compromises that any other Israeli government will make in the end to achieve peace with our adversaries. Netanyahu has certainly proven that he's not "sucker" - using his own lingo!

....work together to solve problems...Israel and the USA are connected to solve problems and the curent problem for the last 40 years is peace with the Palestinians.. Let's work together..no long term benefit of out smarting each other.

the station without you.

Praise Prime Minister Netanyahu O Israel ! He is courageously following God's Holy Word ! We are comanded to give honour to where honour is due. The Land is God's ..God gave the land to Israel. Pray for wisdom, discernment, knowledge, strength, insight, mercy, favour, Godly counsel, deliverance from all hindering anti-Christ spirits to the Will of Abba Father-Yeshua for Israel, in Jesus name I pray

"the arabs have no legal claim to any part of the palestine mandate" the Jews have no legal claim to the West Bank...

I used to think that the region would have peace one day, but the development of Israeli settlements all over the West Bank is foolish and clearly makes any peace impossible. I'm afraid Israel will no longer progress, as Diaspora Jews prefer to stay in Europe or the US where there is peace and security. The extremists have ruined any prospect of peace.

Your view has an interesting precedent.In 1948 , the UK foreign office said that israel would only last a short time. in other words, ISRAEL WOULD NEVER BE ISRAELI!

Better hope not. One of the IDF bulldozers may mistake it for a Palestinian olive tree!

Bibi hates peace. Loves the status quo. Will go down in history as a minor accomplice to land thievery. He's too busy working out his anger over his brother's death to deal with big issues. Fat boy is a small man.

Let Bibi and Israel continue on its current path. If I were Abbas, I would not set foot into negotiations. One of 2 things WILL happen: 1)the settlements become part of Palestine and we welcome our Jewish citizens, or 2) lets toss out the 2-state solution, which I favor, and lets have a binational state. Israel claims being a democracy, so how can it say NO to equal rights to all its citizens. With a single state, Jerusalem is no longer an issue, the settlements are no longer an issue as long as everyone plays nice and far, and radicalism on both sides will have to be quelled once both peoples see the greater good cooperation brings. All anyone wants to do is have the opp to live peacefully, prosper, watch their young ones grow, and experience what life has to offer. Basic needs...inshallah-god willing.

We only Plants trees on the Occupied Lands, we sometimes demolished few E/J Palestinans houses, making space for thier brother settlers. We expropriate some few hundreds of Dunumns to build some PRIVATE Roads 4 Settlers on the Palestinains territory . and sometimes we help them of uprooted some thousands OLIVE TRees. We build ( NOT GRABBING) some Outposts on the Palestinians HILLS for their safety. We control their Lands, without any payment from their part, We keep an eye of their Air Space to stop others to harm them, sometimes we place some Phospherous light in the sky helping them to see better. We placed some hundreds ROAD Blocks, Check points just to insure that they do not walk/Drive too fast. If sometime we do take thousands of Guests (Not Prisoners), it is only to help in the overpopulation. Of Course there are lots more to talk bout but space on Talk Back is the problem. As you all can see we do everything in our POWER, not to OCCUPY but to build frienships.

Palestinians have to be dragged to the peace table! Why is this if they want a state of their own? There will never be another Palestinian state because the Palestinians are divided among themselves and there is no one to talk to. All the the State of Israel, which includes all of the west bank is Israel. The Palestinians should leave Israel peacefully for their own good and go to other Arab countries if their brothers are willing to take them in.

Those trees you plant will be raised out of the ground just like the Palestinian olive trees that you destroyed.

you will need something to hide behind.

Looking at the photo you could guess that it's Sharon digging for show. Bibi resembles him more and more. Think about the implications!

Israelis cherish the stones and the very dust of their land. The Green Line as seen from the air only came into being because they planted trees as far as they could within the previous armistice lines. The Brown Line of neglect adjacent to it only came into being because of the earlier, forced dispersion of the caretakers of the land and the subsequent, scant peoples that moved through and who didn't show much care. Welcome back Israel!

obama can't outsmart the isrealis

'We are here to stay'. Planning trees & vow to stay ! For sixty years & much more before that, the palestinians wants the impossible & failed ! When the palestinians will learn that achieving the impossible is less possible than accepting facts & living with it ! Isn't that what israel exactly did ? Israel accepted the 1947 resolutions and Israel lived with it ! Israel accepted the 1967 wars and now Israel living in its consequences ! The palestinians/arab rejected everything & wanted every thing. It all ends up with nothing ?! Te same old illusions ! A currency the palestinians children can buy nothing with it !

"I`ve looked and looked and looked. I`ve never found the sentence anywhere in the Mandate document that allows for dispossessing the indigenous Arab people of their property and expelling them. VictorPaul seems to think there was a sentence, but he`s never quoted it or where it is." - Mark of Lewiston That is because the lines are written in invisible ink which may only be seen with people who wear their Ze'ev Jabotinsky magic decoder glasses.

thats it Bibi.I knew you had it in you. the fools on this page that write in trying to make their peace are just that, dilusional and your direction is the only one with true understanding. the enemy is just that and there is really nothing to give them. We Jews truly know in our heart that by giving away the farm to get a promise was ridiculous and now realize it. other talkbackers should wake also and realize the arab offers nothing but grief either way.

"Love makes people blind. There was never any peace initiative. " - 17 So that he may excuse his beloved Netanyahu, 17 has to invent the deception that there never was a peace initiative for Netanyahu to kill. This is a magnificent example of just how deranged the rabid right has become.

JPost.com . Peaceful Arabs do not like trees .

Israeli racism is just an unintended "benefit" apparently, this will all end badly, as do most such efforts. The concomitant wacked defenders of such are also just part process, anything humans do, no matter how evil, silly and maladaptive, will always have eager and ardent supporters.

As it is well known , "Lifestyle determines you thinking" , it is understandable why you wound up in Munich , or rather why you think the way you think . It sounds very Munichish .

Jon Pal refugees were created in 47----48 The apartment complex in East jeruselem Israel is evicting families were built for them in the early 50s becaues they were refugees of this era .. Beit Duras was a permanent town on a established trade route about 20 miles from Gaza . It was sheled for months before Israel declared independence. Ben Gurion wrote about the sacking of the town in his diary. IN the end they brought in buldowsers and leveled the towm including all permanant structures.and renamed it a Jewish . I believe the new name is Ephraim. Have you not heard of plan D. it was to conquer as much palastinian villages as possible before the mandate. Why don't you read a book that was written by someone other than Alan Dershowitz

The world must be too , There are part of Judea and Samaria which will never leave Israels hands . Anything else is just hitting the brick wall .

Bibi must think the whole world is stupid. He wants negotiations. About what? Jerusalem will not be divided. "We are here to stay" in the West Bank. We need a presence in the Palestinian state. We have called for a settlement freeze...but only partially and even that is not real. What exactly is there to negotiate about? Obviously, nothing!

boy do you have facts wrong..With North Korea there isan armistis agreemtn. There never was fighting w/ American soldiers in Sudan, Iran or Syria..why make peace when ther was never war? Iraq is a different story..but America is pulling out troops on Iraq's timetable..think about that ..

title deeds and numbers ! you must be thinking of the usa where its legal disposses title holders for new developments ?????

If Bibi is here to stay in the West Bank, then what is there interesting to be heard about Palestinians and what is there to negotiate? Abbas is right in demanding a complete freeze. Otherwise actions and negotiations are a spit in the face of the speech Bibi himself gave accepting a de-militarized Palestinian state alongside Israel in peace and security.

bibi has a national consensus..how did the israeli electorate arrive at this? simple..arab rejectionism of every peace offering to date. When you keep supporting terror and say one thing to arabs and another to western ears, it's going to be unmasked...I have yet to hear why the PLO was formed in 1964 as a liberation organization, 3 full years PRIOR to any so called "occupation" which as you all know, came about BECAUSE the arabs tried to overun israel AGAIN in 1967...so you get what you deserve..if anything, israel has been moderate and compassionate towards these psycho neighbours...in reality, they should destroy them for once and for all, because the arabs will never truly recognize israel's legitimacy.

People in glass houses should not throw stones . The USA should make peace with North Korea,Sudan,Iran,Iraq,Syria . Mitchell should be Obamas negotiator in these countries,then come to Israel and say we have done it so can you ,not first expect Israel to pave the path of peace .

I've looked and looked and looked. I've never found the sentence anywhere in the Mandate document that allows for dispossessing the indigenous Arab people of their property and expelling them. VictorPaul seems to think there was a sentence, but he's never quoted it or where it is.

give palestinians in WB israeli citizenship or accept the title APARTHIED israel

... most policy actually emanates from Sara, and she is currently insulted/enraged... more of this blatant nose-thumbing by Bibi surely awaiting the populace...

only a a bog dweller would never learn anything , and keep repeating blarney post after post ! the terms of a mandate never die even when the mandatory power departs !!!

I assume this means the arab population of the west bank will be allowed to vote in Israeli elections from now on. After all, Israel is the region's only "democracy." It's not as if Israel is one of those states where legal and political rights are determined by ethnicity, right? Right? Seriously though; this is just another step towards the single-state solution, which IMO is the only possible civilized outcome this conflict could have.

brunia, the people in gaza would like to have their freedom if you don't mind. they don't want any control. woud you be under the control of somebody else? so, why should israel have control over the palestinians?

it was not "demographic" or "time" it was genocide of Holocaust. Come on... you started trying in 48, and ever since. Just look at Haiti... not all "demographics" are as constant as they seem. There are more important issues to discuss.

Elliahu Epstein was quite clear on what constituted the phyical boundaries of Israel as his letter to US President Truman shows: MY DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I have the honor to notify you that the state of Israel has been proclaimed as an independent republic within frontiers approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its Resolution of November 29, 1947, and that a provisional government has been charged to assume the rights and duties of government for preserving law and order within the boundaries of Israel, for defending the state against external aggression, and for discharging the obligations of Israel to the other nations of the world in accordance with international law. The Act of Independence will become effective at one minute after six o?clock on the evening of 14 May 1948, Washington time." That said, Israel can plant within those original borders whatever trees it wishes and of whatever variety. After that, it can start obeying international law.

I am amesing at the hipocrusy and ignorANCE OF # 10. He must know how badly palestinians soffer becose of the closure of the border and now Netanuuuu pretend to let us believe that he wont peace and plant the trees in west bank. Do you believe that everyone is stupid?

What's the big deal? The tree will die as there is no water to keep it alive.

this coward is talking through both sides of his mouth,lying to his own people while at the same time promising Hussein Obama and the E.U to evacuate yehuda and shomron and Jerusalem. he is no better than his friend Abbas,who says one thing to the west and the complete opposite to his people,but unfortunately the diiference is that Abbas is being truthfull to his own people and lying to the west,but Bibi is lying to his own people while he realy intends to evacuate yehuda and shomron

There was never any peace initiative. Just games by everybody. It is nice to meet the innocent peace loving MLincoln

really ought to let examine himself.

the israeli prime minister is a tiring exasperation, an impossible person to deal with. impossible to trust. the reason why hamas will never collaborate with israel. the most selfish person ever.

Netanyahu, and his supporters, wish us to believe it was the Palestinians who destroyed the peace initiative. And now Netanyahu proves that assertion is a lie.

othert side. A bi national state is coming down the tracks---hurtling along at breakneck speed--even picking up more. You keep beating your little tom tom all the way in Canada --alan--you are beating the death knell of the state of Israel. Demographic Timebomb.-----BOOM. So long--it has not been nice to know ya. Well done and you are not wasting your time.

Yes - very funny! First uproot thousands of Palestinian olive grows (knocking down any Palestinian houses that might be in the way), and then plant some kosher Israeli trees. That's real progress - no doubt the world will applaud this beautiful peaceful gesture.

when Israel declared it,s independence---those are the borders it has---legally. Poor old harris---same old worn out 1922 borders .

Kfar Etzion is a kibbutz not a town.

About time someone stood up to the Palestinians and their demands for a freeze.

No, only you, my love, has the right to be there! It is Zionism that made you exceptional paranoid. You are lying on yourself and you know that!!

I assume that Netanyahu expects to pay for the land that Israel takes (expropriates). As far as the settlers go, let them stay in the West Bank and become Palestinian citizens. They tend to be the pushiest and most obnoxious of Israelis so who needs them. Not all of "Eretz Yisrael" IS IN Israel. Israel has Arabs. Palestine will have Jews. What's the difference?

For # 1 Esther.The answer is "NO". # 4 Pierre. Oslo. "Surprised no one believes in Israel any longer" What do you say ? No kidding ! You must have gone through that very narrow street in the old quarters of Oslo,& seen some of your Arab friends & tourists,& thought. Wow! these are all the world. Now if you were to get out of that narrow street & venture into the wide open spaces. Your world view would widen. A good place to start,to get a better perspective is to visit Israel the Eternal !

I am amazed at the ignorance of some posts. #3 they are not starving in Gaza. Israel is only preventing items for bomb-making from getting in and terrorists from getting out. Apart from that, why aren't you asking Egypt whey they are blockading Gaza? Why don't you ask Jordan why they deny the "Palestinians" )who have lived there most of their lives) citizenship rights? And last, Israel transfers millions of dollars to Gaza along with daily truckloads aid. They are also allowing the Gaza farmers to export their goods. If you look at pictures from Gaza (in the arabic press) you will see their shuks are overflowing with food and goods of all kinds. Now tell me again...

Thank you Mr Netanyahu for your correctnis. You say always what you have in mind. I am just asking you, what kind of territorial concessions you want to make towards the Palestinians if, as you said in the "Tree Planting Ceremony", that you are going to stay in Palestinian territory indefinetly! I am sure now, that internationally, you are harming the causes and stands of your country as no one else! Thanks again- And you Israelis and right wing fanatics, your Prime Minister is the one who is harming you mostly, in Israel and in the World at large,

If the Settlers are here to stay, then we have nothing to talk about. Thanks for finally making that clear, Bibi.

Make them this offer.

#2. Napoleon? Israel an empire? wake up. There is a 22 state arab empire one hundred (yes 100) times larger than israel. why does it bother you that the arab moslem Umah cannot live with a tiny little state of israel?

..that says it all...Talks to one side and then does the opposite. When Bibi talked to the Jewish Federaion of North America, the Prime Minister said the word "peace" 31 times in his speech. But he doesn't mean it. Bibi, you'll never be a statesman!

Lets the world's media report the present Mitchell visit as it really is - The Palestinians continued to refused to come to the negotiating table despite the willingness of the Israel government to seek compromise. Israel has said that it will come to any negotiations without preconditions. The Palestinians have no intention to reach any form of compromise with Israel. The lack of progress is not Israel's fault in any way. Let the world media report it as it is. Don't always blame Israel.

come on you can say it..... all of Israel is occupied according to them. Dont negotiate your demise .

Pierre - you can twist and twist - it changes nothing. No preconditions means just that - I don't have to accept your claims. You don't have to accept my claims. We just walk into the room and sit down....We sit and talk and talk and talk. I want this and that and you want that and this. We sit and talk and talk and talk. Boring -- isn't it? Well, it's a lot better than shooting and shooting and shooting. But - you want a two State solution...sure you do. Like a Frenchman wants to live in Norway.

I find it amusing how childish people will behave. Esther and Mark want Israel to be understand the Palestinians demands, but seem to have some sort of block on the concept that Netanyahu doesn't see things their way. Like a child who throws a tantrum every time reality doesn't conform to their fantasies. Maturity is realizing that is isn't all or nothing. Both sides will have to make compromises or the status quo remains.

Old man Mitchell who knows nothing about Islamist-Jihadism and the menace it poses to Israel and the world should resign. He should stop being a sidekick of the AntiSemite Hussien who has been brainwashed by his buddy Rashid Khalidi, a virulent AntiSemite and Islamist-Jihadist, with anti-Israel venom.

the arabs have no legal claim to any part of the palestine mandate !