Give us a border!
Israel needs a border that will delineate its borders, normalize its international status, end the dissent over the settlements and solidify the national consensus.
By Aluf BennThe direct talks that were launched at the Washington summit should have one aim - to fix the border between Israel and the Palestinian state that will be set up in the West Bank. Israel needs a border that will delineate its borders, normalize its international status, end the dissent over the settlements and solidify the national consensus. This is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's mission in life. If he succeeds, he will have justified his return to power and go down in history as a formative leader.
Netanyahu is now concentrating on the Palestinian track. Over a year ago, he devoted almost all his first meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama to the Iranian threat. The Palestinians were mentioned merely in passing. In their two most recent meetings, the agenda was turned upside down, according to American sources. Most of the time was devoted to the diplomatic process with the Palestinians and Iran was pushed to the side.
From Netanyahu's point of view, the arrangement he is working on with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is designed to create a balance between two Israeli interests - its desire not to include the West Bank Palestinians within its borders and not to rule over them, and maintaining its ability to defend itself. The Palestinians will get sovereignty and give Israel security. This is the deal Netanyahu is proposing, wrapped up in declarations of "putting an end to the conflict."
Ending the conflict is a lofty goal, but Netanyahu and Abbas will not be able to achieve it. Not because they are bad leaders or because they want the conflict to continue, but because its conclusion does not depend on them. No signature can do away with the conflicting narratives of the two peoples, each considering itself the victim and seeing its rival as an unwanted invader. It is impossible to compromise on a national ethos with the stroke of a pen, and there is no chance today of formulating a joint Israeli-Palestinian narrative. If the negotiations focus on who is right and who is wrong, and who was here first, we can forget about them in advance.
The question of narratives must be left to historians, educators and creators of culture. The statesmen must focus on life's practical aspects and agree on the border in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as well as security arrangements that will ensure stability. The border must make clear where Israel ends and Palestine begins, where we are and where they are.
Israel has recognized two kinds of border - the peace borders with Egypt and Jordan, and the deterrence borders with Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. There is no clear border in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, only local separation arrangements - walls and fences, checkpoints and separate roads - and a nonstop attempt to establish facts on the ground and push aside the other side.
In many ways, Israel's relations with "Hamastan" in Gaza are more orderly than with the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, where the two sides cooperate on security and economic arrangements under the shadow of diplomatic rivalry. The disengagement from Gaza created a clear border, and everyone knows where Israeli control ends and Hamas' sovereignty begins. Anyone who tries to cross the line is risking his life, and the side that fires across the border is aware that it will be fired on as well. That's a simple version of "sovereignty in return for security."
The border itself does not ensure quiet. Israel has been attacked from across its agreed-on borders and has invaded all the neighboring countries. But the border works wonders for internal consensus. During the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead, the army returned to areas that Israel had vacated through unilateral withdrawals. But it then left, once again. No serious discussion was held about re-occupying the security zone in southern Lebanon or setting up Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip once more.
It will be like that if a new border is established in the east: Every Israeli will know where he lives and where not, and the attempt to snatch another dunam, another hill and another alleyway will stop.
Netanyahu is talking about "new ideas" that will replace the total separation and the evacuation of every settler from the area handed over to Palestine. These are illusions. Any agreement that is not hermetically sealed and leaves openings for fights over control and land will merely lead to another confrontation. That's what happened with the demilitarized areas in the north before the Six-Day War, and it's what is happening today in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Netanyahu has to achieve the best arrangement possible and then stop there. It will be painful, but it will bring order to our lives.
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Unfortunately, In Israel Arabs are discriminated against. I think all citizens must be equal for duties and rights. The government should reverse vestiages of past discrimination and encourage equality and contribution in all spheres. Lands expropriated from Arab towns must be returned to their lawful owners..peace within Israel is key to peace with Palestinians and Arab Countries..I served Israel and would gladly do it again. To me it is obvious that Arab countries are way behind in human rights and proper governance...
If you pull out of the west bank and make concessions and the conflict is not over you are now weaker and vulnerable to attacks and the wrath of the world when you counter attach in strength. Now the IDF goes in and captures the bad guys.
Under Islamic law, non-Muslim countries are never equal to Muslim countries and actually their sovereignty as a non-Muslim nation must always be challenged by Islamic jihad. Islamic law codified jihad as a permanent war with non-Muslims to establish the religion. Muslims thus have to use Taquiyya, lies, to legitimize their aggression on Israel and the West. That is why Muslim countries can never abandon the constant hate propaganda, lies and misinformation about Israel and the West. If that ends, their jihad ends. The UN must be constantly bombarded by complaints from Arab countries against Israel. The Arab street must be constantly bombarded with ridiculous accusations and Zionist conspiracies. Lately on Syrian TV a Syrian intellectual accused Israel of stealing human organs in Haiti while they were helping them after the earthquake. This is not something new; it started in the 7th century, when the prophet Mohammed accused the Jews of treason to justify killing and expelling them and taking over their wealth.
Nice aspirations from Aluf Benn. But be honest, the "clear" border with Gaza is today the outer wall of the world's biggest prison. Israel control the sea and the air. Israel do what they want. The Palestinians in general, with few and limited exceptions, have to stay inside the "border" And can go nowhere. The Israelis can go anywhere in the world. Is this the type of border you are envisaging?
The Pre-67 Border defining the West Bank is good.
In antiquity, the Israelites came and took over the Land of Canaan. Some of the local peoples (Canaanites, Philistines, etc.) were assimilated into Israel and some remained non-Israelites. During the Hellenistic and Roman periods, many more non-Jews settled on the Land. Due to oppression by the Roman government in particular, most of the Jews left the Land into exile. They were able to maintain their Jewish identity and culture through the ages. The peoples who remained on the land were Arabized during the Islamic conquest of the 7th century, most adopting Islam. These Arabs are today's Palestinians. In the Zionist era, the Jews returned to Palestine/Land of Israel, but refused to accept the local Palestinians as their relatives. Wars ensued, and finally settled by the division of the land into two countries, Israel and Palestine. And they lived happily ever after./// Such a narrative will not be problematic for either side. Jews might initially be a bit unhappy, because it seems that they were the ones who refused to recognize the Palestinians as a related people. However, this is exactly what the Jews did following the Return from Babylonian Exile. As described in the Book of Ezra, the Jews refused to let local people join them in building the Temple and worshiping the same God. (Apparently, the reference is to the Samaritans, a mixture of Israelites and foreign people brought into the Land.) Behaving in the same way again and again is a mark of authenticity, so will be acceptable to the Jews. End of conflict. Amen.
Surely not ... You don't believe that Biblical tripe, do you? There never was an exodus, as indicated by the dearth of evidentiary support in archaeology. Jews are indigenous to the Levant. They always lived there, and there is not evidence that their national identity coalesced until at the earliest 10th century BC, certainly not before. And almost no one remained in order to be "Arabized", as you suggest. The population of Israel was sparse from the second century AD until the 19th century.
It was laid out in the 1947 UN Partition agreement. No agreement or declaration since has superseded it.
... by the Arabs to kill all the Jews. Losing territory under such circumstances are the stuff of World History. Read some.
Israel declared its creation to the borders defined in the 1947 partition plan, and the world recognised both it and its borders then. Nothing's changed.
For example, the Arab parties rejected 181.
Israel accepted its 1947 partition borders. Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordon did not accept. What has changed is a peace agreement with Egypt and Jordon after 1967. Syria and Lebanon still have not recognized or accepted Israel.
Okay! The Mediteranean Sea on the west. The existing border with Lebanon on the north. The Golan Heights on the northeast. the Jordan River on the east. The present border with Jordan from the Dead Sea to Eilat. The present border from Eilat to the Mediteranean Sea. Everthing inside is Israel, everything outside is someone elses. UN and Arab nations, Keep Out! How about that for a border? That is the way Moses wanted it.
Or G-/od's.... Maybe they were goofing off? Playing golf?
'Pratts Border" long to be remembered by pratts the world over.
From your mouth to G*D's EARS ..Quite quite so.. To each and every proposition written within your post .I am so thrilled I will repeat it VERBATIM: Okay! The Mediteranean Sea on the west. The existing border with Lebanon on the north. The Golan Heights on the northeast. the Jordan River on the east. The present border with Jordan from the Dead Sea to Eilat. The present border from Eilat to the Mediteranean Sea. Everthing inside is Israel, everything outside is someone elses. UN and Arab nations, Keep Out! How about that for a border? That is the way Moses wanted. And that is the only way IT WILL REMAIN AMEN VE AMEN..May I wish you and all the good Jews here: Happy Rosh-Ha-Shana for ever more
Golf is a game that God reserved for lawyers, doctors, and other atheists.
It is nice to be remembered for something that has substance instead of passing into oblivion as just another atheist.
within these borders, you'll have an arab-muslim majority within one generation. And since muslims never tolerate people of other faiths inside their countries, you'll have an "Islamic Republic of Israelistan" very soon.
Israel's borders are exactly the same as they were May 14th 1948. "…. within frontiers approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its Resolution of November 29, 1947" ... Israel has not legally annexed ANY territories. Even territory 'acquired' by war (i.e., not sovereign to Israel [ http://wp.me/PDB7k-Y#JSchwebel ] ) must be legally annexed according to International Law, bilaterally.
Israelis and supporters suffer from an odd type of bigottry...one that says even if the Palestinians have their own state, they will continue to attack us, therefore they don't deserve a state. Gaza is a wonderful construct which rationalizes this bigottry. The reality is far different: Palestinians will focus on their state. They will welcome foreign troops because they will be a net positive to the economy. They will likely welcome the large settlement blocks to be part of Palestine because they will bring tax revenues... Israel security and prosperity will grow...although, it is hard for them to see this because they've profitted so much from conflict
Haven't you heard of the correspondence between Pres. Truman and both Chaim Weizman and Eliahu Esptein of the Jewish agency whereby the provincial government of Israel requested (and obtained) recognition within the frontiers approved by UN Resolution of Nov 29th 1947? What is now known as the Green Line includes territories occupied by the Jewish forces long before the declaration of the state on 15th May 1948 under plan D (dalette) of Ben Gurion. When the Arab armies 'invaded', they were actually fighting in the territories assigned by the UN to the Palestinian state in an attempt to free them from Jewish occupation. check out this link http://trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/israel/large/documents/pdf/12.pdf In other words, the 67 borders are not the legal borders of Israel according to which it obtained international recognition. Israel is just trying to grab more land from the poor Palestinians in the context of the peace process to legitimise the illegal occupation of the land allocated to the Palestinians in 1948. Legally speaking, the whole of Jerusalem is territory occupied by Israel whether you admit it or not. By the way, the American Consulate in West Jerusalem is under direct control of State Department and does not come under the embassy in Tel Aviv. You have to go back to the partition plan which defines the borders that Israel officially accepted but in practice disregarded, if you want real peace. Israel cannot keep fooling the world all the time and enough is enough.
Time for PA to deal honestly about borders. Settlements are just cement and wood, can be taken down as quiickly as put up once borders are defined. Borders are a logical first step
was recognized as such by the majority of the International Community of states, over riding the Arab states legal objections. ... Alas, Jewish forces were already beyond those declared boundaries by May 14th 1948 under the Preemptive war Plan Dalet. A preemptive war started by the preemptor... On the 14th May 1948 what was a civil war became a war by a State OUTSIDE of it's newly declared Sovereign boundaries, on a non-state entity. .... The regional powers had every RIGHT, under the UN Charter to Invade the territories of the non-state entity in order to remove those Jewish forces. If you cannot produce a UNSC Resolution condemning the Invasion of Palestine, by the Arab States, the Hasbara falls apart. ... It is customary for the UNSC to issue a resolution condemning states who attack other states. ... There isn't one against the Arab states Invasion of Palestine, Israel was NOT invaded. It was not even threatened by the Declaration on the Invasion of Palestine. Israel was no longer a part of Palestine. The Arab Declaration was ACCEPTED BY THE UNSC as valid. Israel's actions were casus belli, BECAUSE ISRAEL HAD SOVEREIGN BOUNDARIES, May 14th 1948.
One question for all those who want a border that cuts through Jerusalem: What will (should) we do when a Paslestinian shoots at Jews in West Jerusalem? That simple question should be answered before borders are agreed upon.
OR, What will (should) we do when an ISRAELI shoots at PALESTINIANS in EAST Jerusalem?
In civilized nations the guy is arrested, brought to trial, and if found guilty he is then sentenced to some form of punishment. A civilized nation does not engage in collective punishment of a whole people for one person's action.
Israelis will arrest, try, and imprison these folks. Arabs will name a street after them.
and after so many wars of "defending herself".
http://wp.me/pDB7k-tM .... Israel ignores it's acknowledged, declared, Sovereign boundaries. Has done since not getting it's way in 1949 http://wp.me/pDB7k-l5 ..... and insists on keeping decent Israelis ignorant http://wp.me/pDB7k-sa ... not that the evidence of it's deception is hard to find.
May the good Jews in the diaspora never forget their ROOTS which BINDS THEM TO HOLY JERUSALEM AND ERETZ YISRAEL One People,one Nation .one country,one religion,one HOLY BOOK THAT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED THROUOUT THE WHOLE WORLD THAT THE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE WITH ALL THEIR HEART WHO'S "NT" IS DERIVED FROM IT. VIVA,VIVA ISRAEL
Yes, drawing border should be the first step. It seems Aluf benn is back to the life after Aden Abergil catastroph. That s good.
says good old Aluf Benn. Has he read Abbas NO on compromise on anything ? Give and give ,hope he doesn't say it to his daughter
Most of what Benn says here is correct, but the implicit point is that once Israel is gone from the West Bank, with minor mutual border swaps, it's gone. It can't maintain troops in the Jordan valley and it can't prevent the Palestinians building themselves a proper army. The international community will not be the IDF's proxies. Hezbollah has re-armed because it has an open border with Syria. Hamas has been controlled to some extent because Egypt has pressing domestic reasons to do so. It will be up to Jordan, not Israel, to decide how many weapons the Palestinians have. That's the real picture and the price Israel will have to pay for peace. All the rest is Likudnik fantasy. Is Bibi prepared to take the gamble, or see Israel slip towards international pariah status.
A good example is UNSC Res1701 .... http://wp.me/pDB7k-uD
There have been cases of such agreements including military bases (e.g. the "Treaty Ports" in Ireland). You are right that Israel cannot continue to enforce law (if that's the word indeed) in Palestine; but I think some sort of protection for the genuine security needs of Israel is conceivable.
"It can't maintain troops in the Jordan valley and it can't prevent the Palestinians building themselves a proper army." -- ... of demilitarization? The peace treaty with Egypt made the Sinai demilitarized, and to my knowledge that is what it is.
Why should Israel need to station troops in the Jordan valley?
http://wp.me/PDB7k-6r Furthermore, Israel was required to WITHDRAW, BEFORE peaceful relations resumed.
Already exist : Jordan is Palestine
But please do keep repeating complete tosh..
Borders don't seem to matter to Hizbullah or to Hamas . They lob thousands of rockets over the established borders of Israel. It seems that their intent is manifest. They will not recognize Israel. They will continue to wage their militant campaign against Israel , Palestinian State or no Palestinian State. Will Hamas be part of that state or will they too want their own state? In the end the only guarantee of survival is in strength. Peace is futile in bondage! Weak leaders make a weak nation !
The following is part of a speech given by the late Mr. Yitzhaq Rabin - the Prince of Peace, dubbed by many around the world - given before the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in October 1995, talking about the shape of a peace agreement as he envisioned it, and that was before the way Israel was attacked from the West Bank, 2000 and after the intensifications of attacks on Israel from Gaza, having left to territory in 2005... 1) Jerusalem will remain united under Israel's sovereignty and will also include suburbs such as Giv'at Zeev and Ma'aleh Adumim. 2) The major Jewish settlement blocs will be part of the sovereign state of Israel. 3) The Jordan Valley must be viewed in the widest possible way of its definition and it too will remain under Israel rule. 4) The future Palestinian state will be demilitarized and its border passes and skies will remain under Israel's control. This contour is more strict than Mr. Netanjahu is likely to propose, and Rabin was a leader of the left of center Labor party. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of Israel citizens, right, left and center, would agree with Rabin's AND Netanjahu's views of the shape of a future Muslim-Arab state in the regions of Samaria and Judeah. So, when we think of the details of an accommodation of peaceful coexistence between Arab and Jew, between the Muslim-Arab world and the nation-state of the Jewish people, Israel, let us do so with open eyes, ears, mind and heart, shall we...??
Israel left Lebanon withot preconditions and got Hezbollah and rockerts Israel left Gaza and got Hama and rockets Now you expect Israel to leave the left bank and leave without preconditions (recognizing Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, for instance..) What do you belive Israel will get? What you propose would surely be the final blunder!
What a pile of bovine excrement. Israelm is a jewish state period. It need only declare to teh world and teh Un that it is a jewsish state, and thats the end of it. No one has ever said ISrael is not a jewish state. why this small small idea of being accepted as a jewish state. Much ado about nothing and a good reason to destroy the talks.
Wake up your brain and use it! If the PA does not accept Israel as a Jewish state, the next discussion after the border agreement will be about the right of return and the ownership and governance of the land of Israel - and you will never ever have peace, no matter how much you declare it to be a Jewish State, It was declared to be a Jewish homeland in the Balfour declaration, in the Partition, in 1948, but it was never accepted by Arabs and Palestinians and that is why we still do not have peace... Two thousand years of pogroms and the Holocaust are enough to justify the need of an accepted Jewish homeland. Even Stalin reconized the Jewish identity and created the Jewish Republic of Birobidyan. And no intelectualoid siping coffee and smelling manure in a street corner cafe had the right to deny the Jewish identity of the Jewish homeland. Capice?
Palestinian have accepted Israel and UN resolutions in 88 then in Oslo. Have Israel recognized a Palestinian State ? the answer is no. More settlements have been built. You want palestinians to solve your identity issues ? it's not going to happen. They have an israeli 40 year occupation to deal with and a State to build. Israelis should deal with their own issues : who they are, what they are and what they want to be with arab countries as neighbours. and also with 20% of the population not jewish ! Good luck my friend !! keep the hard work. This new israeli demand is another way to avoid the main issues : ending occupation and recognition of an independant palestinian State. Capice ?
The border should be with Kiryat Arba and the Jewish Communiy of Hebron on the Israeli side, and the Arab portions of Hebron on the Palestinian side. Just as most Arabs living in Hebron feel that they have the right to live there under Palestinian rule, the Jews of Hebron have the same rights to live there under Israeli protection and sovereignity. The Jewish Community of Hebron has access to only 3% of the city; that part should remain Israel indefinitely.
The PA has said all Jewish settlers are welcome to stay and live under Pal soveriegnty and law if they choose. This also goes for the 800 illegal settlers living amongst 170,000 Pals in the very heart of the West Bank.
You're not fooling anyone, Mr. Lieberman. You know that is impossible - remember something about "defensible borders" - and so all you're saying is "I'm against peace".
What a ridiculous suggestion! The time for Swiss cheese Bantustans is over. The international community will not accept anything less than a viable Palestinian state with territorial contiguity and integrity.
Every Jew has an absolute right to pray in Hebron. But the way the Hebron settlers steal houses and harass their Palestinian neighbors must come to an end. Hebron settlers have already brought enough shame on Israel.
Her negativity towards Israel is absolutely astonishing. The first things to be discussed will be borders and security. The big question now is will the Palestinians actually negotiate. In the past they have always wanted a settlement without negotiation. That attitude will get them what they have received in the past and that is nothing. "Games" will not work here, Abbas must be willing to compromise and recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. The conflict must end with a peace agreement and that is where Aluf Benn is wrong. Blame does not need to be established or even discussed for the conflict to end. With peace, the blame game ends.
This article is typical of the wishful thinking that we keep hearing from those naive peope who believe in the "peace process". There is NO chance of an agreement on borders. This is because the Palestinians openly state what their demands are: The Palestinians will NOT compromise on a complete return to the pre-67 lines AND THAT INCLUDES THE WESTERN WALL and Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The Israeli Left seems to assume the Palestinians will compromise on them but the Palestinians view the Western Wall as a MUSLIM HOLY PLACE-"Al-Buraq Square". They will not give it up. And hanging over this is the "Palestinian Right of Return". If Israel makes concessions on the borders there still will not be peace because of that. SO FORGET IT. There will not be any permanent nor interim agreement.
http://wp.me/pDB7k-sa
If you won't concede on borders then you are not a democracy. I guess you are hoping the Palestinians will just "dissappear".
I think israel can't go against the entire world. it's impossible to continue denying palestinians an independent state..... for the sake of israel, peace must be achieved............. give to the palestinians gaza and the west bank (with modifications. the arab areas in israel to the palestinian state, and jewish areas to israel... the important thing is to transfer arab populated areas in order to increase jewish percentage. zones like the triangle etc.).... Jerusalem must continue under Israel sovereignty, for obvious reasons (the infame jordanian rule over the eastern part of jerusalem. no arabs like to talk about it, about the jewish expulsion, the roads with jewish tombstones, etc.)........... about the "refugees", no refugees into israel, and if they want any kind of compensation, no any compensation until the arab governments recognize the same rights to the 900000 jewish people expelled from arab lands).......... golan is israel....... of course all i'm talking about depends on israelis and the palestinian authority. i'm just a jew who want to see peace in israel, THE JEWISH STATE (arabs must recognize that Israel is the state for the jewish people)......... shalom
Just the date and co-signature....thx
I guess you have to recognize then that Peru is the state of its indigenous people. Who, never went anywhere... who didn't go to live in other countries for 2000 years. Ready to be a second class citizen in Peru? I mean, remember, the incas too were told by their god to settle in cuzco and rule the region. Are you ready to recognize that and become a second class citizen in Peru... I guess not. How convinient.
What would the world think if the USA demanded the rest of the world recognize the US as a "Christian state." Diplomatic relations are between sovereign states, not religious states. We are all free to practice whatever religion we want within those sovereign states. Talk about the quickest way to make Arab Israelis feel 2nd class.
Over the next few decades, they will be systematically pushed from their property, piece by piece, until the population of Judea and Samaria will be what the Likud has made it's stated goal since it's inception. I agree with you Mr. Benn, but I have seen no evidence that since Rabin was murdered with the goal of murdering peace, Israel has any intention of any peace other than having the whole and only piece of Judea and Samaria.
over the next few decades or so if the arabs still refuse to RECOGNIZE a non arab state in the PALESTINIAN REGION its too bad... tjhey then will lose out on everything that has been offered to them and very generously so.. today.. be choosy and play games.. please do not recognize Israel as a Jewish state and YOUR wish will come true YOU WILL NEVER SEE YOUR OWN STATE PERIOD
Once the Border is delineated, the new State of Palestine needs to move to erect its own security barrier and checkpoints, either jointly with the IDF or independently. The purpose is to reinforce where Palestine starts and Israel ends. Israeli citizens inside Palestine should be no more armed nor have any more autonomy than Palestinians inside Israel. And all construction equipment and all building materials that pass the border should do so under Palestine's auspices - all from day one of any agreement. It may take ten years to fully withdraw IDF troops and end all vestiges of the occupation. But the border should be clear as crystal from the start, so clear even a blind settler can see it.
this is what i have never understood about the "peace process". has anyone on the negotiation team ever even looked at a map? gaza is on one side, the west bank is on the other, to connect them would be to cut across a huge swath of israel and kick out a bunch of very unhappy people. alternatively you could kick out some settlers from the west bank and move the people from gaza there but that would involve over a million people being moved... or you could just leave it the way that it is and sort of make it like "land islands" but what's the point of that, it won't change anything from the current situation. which is why i say that a viable palestinian state is regrettably impossible and the palestinians should just stay put, as they'll end up taking over israel soon enough anyways thanks to demographics. also as a side note it makes me laugh when people call it "hamastan", because it's actually a very noble name in arabic... means "land of the resistance".
Bibi needs to emphasis that it is no longer 1967 so everyone understands that the border can never be what it was then. Abbas realizes that, which is why he insists upon a building freeze; it gives him the power to stall. He will also cry some crocodile tears when it comes to negotiating what "1:1 land trade in quantity and quality" means. Irrigated land for desert is fair if one originally claimed that land from the desert and improved it at one's own expense. However the real deal killer will be East Jerusalem which will never peacably pass to the Arabs. Abbas will have to give up all but perhaps the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem if he wants his state this year or next.
leading to another Arab state via the back door. Arabs getting by never ending demands what they could not get through war and terror.
war and terror is the BEST way to establish a state, as irgun (and the british and spanish and french empires) so eloquently proved. the arabs are apparently trying to avoid that. i reckon it's because their dear neighbor has a stockpile of nuclear warheads that it can use at will.
what the borders of a Palestinian State will be. It will be most of the West Bank except for a few areas such as Gush Etzion which will be swapped for some Israeli lands, and East Jerusalem will be the capital of the new Palestinian State. For the time being - the parties will continue to flail about in an agonizing Kabuki Dance until they both finally accept each other's right to exist.
Israeli politicians won't talk about borders until the last item on the peace agenda. Since Bibi doesn't plan to complete the peace agenda, borders need never be discussed.
It accomplishes nothing. Why don't you wait to see what happens. The spin it
It accomplishes nothing. Why don't you wait to see what happens. The spin it
natallie the anti semite bigot from california loves to spin her lies on haaretz... anti israel and german owned haaretz loves bigots like durson... two peas in a pod... haartez is not israeli
As far as I know BORDERS haven't even been mentioned. Why? I agree totally with Ms. Durson. Salaam/Shalom