Palestinians losing faith in two-state solution

[ProgressiveMuslim]

Mon May 12, 2008

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Sixty years ago, Arab leaders rejected the partition of Palestine and with it a United Nations proposal of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Today, despite two decades of growing global consensus for a new "two-state solution", Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories and in camps abroad look on their Jewish neighbours' celebrations of 60 years of independence with a sense that their chances of their own state are disappearing.

On offer is less than 22 percent of British-ruled Palestine -- about half what the U.N. deal offered them 60 years ago.

"Israel's maximum offers don't meet our minimum demands, so we are debating our options in case the talks with Israel fail," a senior Palestinian official told Reuters.

Nearly two decades after their late leader Yasser Arafat gave up on hopes of ruling all of Palestine, many Palestinians question whether they will ever get an acceptable deal on a state, even after Israel's main ally, U.S. President George W. Bush, pushed both sides to resume negotiations six months ago.

"There is a debate now," said analyst Mehdi Abdel-Hadi. "They are saying a two-state solution is a mission impossible."

One option getting an airing, noted Abdel-Hadi, a prominent Palestinian scholar of national affairs, was to push for a "one-state solution", absorbing Jews and Arabs into a single country -- something few Israelis are ready to countenance:

"They're saying ... let's talk about one secular, binational state," he said of the debate going on among Palestinians...

more, more, more...
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKMAC13949320080512

[TheFarseer]

1. this will never work if

Palestinians are going to launch rockets and all this into Israel. They have to behave in a responsible way or you are going to be a pariah. It's unfortunate a few people causing the problems can ruin the lives of all Palestinians in these areas because I KNOW most of the people would not choose to live like that.

[notfullofit]

2. Obama responds to the attack

US Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama condemned the attack.

"As the United States joins Israel in celebrating its 60th anniversary, today's cowardly rocket attack and tragic injuries remind us of the ongoing threats that Israelis face with courage and resolve," he said.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1210668639052&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[Vegasaurus]

3. Wanting "all of Israel"

isn't going to get the Palestinians a state either.

They could have had a lot more land.

Each year that they refuse to make peace and continue terrorism and violence leaves them with less land.

Half of the land that was offered 60 years ago is the direct result of their intransience and refusal to compromise.

Each year that passes makes the situation look bleaker.

Imagine if the Palestinian leadership had accepted any of the prior offers and changed the goal of taking over all of Israel.

They could have a prosperous state, instead of misery,

[leftynyc]

4. And yet, somehow,

that's the fault of Israel. How moronic is that? The 60th anniversary of Israel should be a reminder of how badly the Arab world fucked up in 1948 (I'm speaking of the part that invaded Israel upon its independence).