Israel has freely chosen a corrupt leader who promises to keep the Arab population in its place, while stealing additional land to house Jewish settlers. It probably means that the Middle East will remain a conflict zone for the rest of this century, if we are lucky enough to see the world as we know it survive that long. Putting the needs of fewer than 10 million people over the survival of 1000 times that many - that is the status quo the US is supporting.
3
I'm a Jewish American who supports the existence of a democratic Israel that provides sanctuary for Jews from other countries, particularly the Middle East.
Unfortunately the Jews who are expelled from other countries, especially predominantly Muslim ones, tend to be bitter and support reactionary candidates.
Should Netanyahu go forward with his West Bank annexations, I urge the US to impose the same sanctions on Israel as it has done to Russia for its unlawful annexation of the Ukraine.
Should there eventually be negotiations for a two-state solution, I urge that the West Bank Jewish settlers be given the choice of moving back within Israel's historic borders (similar to what was done when Israel ceded the Gaza strip to the Palestinians) or to stay within a Palestinian state and subject to its laws.
4
We've tried a two state system in the US and in terms of economics and status, the Navajos, Hopi, Puebloans and others are not living the American Dream. A two state system is a bust in our country and there is no reason for us to pretend it will work in Israel.
Why can't there be a one state solution? Palestinians aren't going to taint Judaism and they won't degrade the economics or politics of Israel. It would reduce tension in the Near East and reduce the chronic anxiety of Israelis waiting for the next SCUD to land in their back yard.
3
As this article clearly says, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States et al don’t really care much about the Palestinians anymore. The Saudi Prince has publicly said that they complain too much and miss every opportunity.
Perhaps Arafat’s widow can rally the cause. Oh, that’s right, she’s in Paris for a lifelong shopping spree.
The only people that seem to care about this issue are American and European Leftists. And Bernie Sanders.
5
Perhaps the Arabs should have considered the prospect of ‘losing’ before they rejected statehood (repeatedly) in favor of waging 70+ years of terror wars in their ongoing efforts to wipe Israel off the map.
However, let’s not pretend that Arabs didn’t walk away with the biggest slice of the regional pie...the defacto Arab Palestinian state called ‘Jordan’....occupying approximately 80% of the territory formerly referred to as ‘Palestine’....and 100% judenfrei.
7
Russians annex Crimera for historic/cultural reasons, wrong.
Israelis annex West Bank for historic/cultural reasons, God's will?
hmmm.
2
The real reason why the two state solution feels dead is mainly because the Palestinians kept on declining for their own state every time it came up. In the past couple of decades there were several chances that would have given them a state, but they chose to turn it down instead. Let's not forget that Ehud Barak tried to give a Palestinian state back in 2000, but Yassir Arafat refused and a second intifada occurred shortly after. A similar thing happened in 2008 when Ehud Olmert give a similar deal to Mahmoud Abbas only with parts of Jerusalem unlike the first deal, but there was still no agreement there. In reality, it has nothing to do with part of the political spectrum the Israeli PM stands on especially when even the most liberal couldn't get the other side to agree. Another thing to keep in mind is that Israel does hold elections on a regular basis for the PM, and they have seen many come and go for the last 70 years, while the head of the PA pretty much serves for life even though their term was supposed to be for 4 years. The idea of accepting a Jewish state was even rejected by Arabs before the UN Partition Plan when they refused to accept the Treaty of San Remo, White Paper Plan, and the Peel Commission. As long as the Palestinians are stuck with the same people for decades, nothing will ever change. Let's not forget that the last time the Palestinians had an election was 11 years ago and hardly anything changed since then especially when being a rarity.
16
I sort of wish the US could get out of the whole area. But no such luck. I just feel sad that I'm working, via my tax dollars, to support a right wing regime that aims to suppress a people. Yes, yes, I don't believe in violence against innocents from either side.
I fear this will end an apocalyptic action one day.
The two state solution in Israel is only supported by the leftist parties like Meretz that won four seats. The majority of Israelis support colonialism just argue about the details. The settlements are deeply embedded in Palestine and their is no political party that can dare take away settler subsidies (forget about removing entire settlements).
The two state solution has been dead for a while but it appears that US and the west are supportive of colonization of Palestinian people and don’t care about the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the region.
1
@Raza
A few corrections to your comment: ‘Palestine’ was a derelict province of the Ottoman Empire for 500 years until their defeat, after which the the British administered the area under their mandate. ‘Palestine’ has never existed as an ‘independent state’ at any point history.
Likewise, the term ‘Palestinian people’ is a misnomer as there is no distinct Palestinian ethnicity. Those currently identifying as such are ethnic Arabs and Egyptians as per their clan names. In fact, they are, themselves, the descendants of invaders, colonists, and economic migrants to region.
So it’s incorrect to suggest that the “Palestinian people” are being “colonized”. That little corner of the Levant is not “Arab Land” now...and never was.
9
It never ceases to amaze that those born in countries with the freedom to choose who controls the power, assets, money, secrets, resources, their lives, their future, and their children's future, freely choose exactly the kind of leader: amoral, corrupt, vicious, self-serving, wannabe dictators that those born in countries with no freedom or rights risk life and limb to escape from. c.f. the recent uptick of cruelty and carelessness by vote, in those born in the 'free' world —colonialist mentality still embedded.
It's nurture not nature that makes human beings fearful, limited fools who freely choose to destroy other human beings to gratify their own desires. No one ever wins if 'winning' is gotten by sacrificing other's lives, liberty and well-being. Read history.
No one is deniying a Palestinian nation.
All the world asks, is that the money sent for humanitarian purposes stop being used for rockets, tunnels, paying a salary to Hamas fighters for shooting Israeli soldiers.
All the Palestinians have to do, is stop throwing rockets, and start to get along.
But if they did, the free money would stop, and Hamas would not like to go broke.
So the war continues so long as Hamas and the Palestinians are paid to attack their neighbor.
Change has to come from the Palestinians, but I doubt they want peace.
12
@AutumnLeaf
Meretz which got 4 seats is the only party supporting a two state solution. In general all parties agree that two state solution is history.
2
Arab got we deserved. Thanks to the historic low turnout, they don't have any representation in the Knesset. Lowes turnout for this critical election? If you did not bother to come out and where vote then blame nobody but yourself for what is coming next. Nevermind that Israel is the only country where you can FREELY vote.
For this generation under this corrupt and incompetent leadership, Palestinian freedom (even marginal) is distant a dream.
4
Arab regimes seem divided, preoccupied, weak. Now Israel under Netanyahu seems supreme and indomitable. And yet Israel's intransigent posture under him will also empower violent resistance and the hatred of Arab and Muslim populations for their own regimes. This is no future for those regimes, or for Israel. It is certainly no future for America's alliance with a go-it-alone Israel, which exploits and manipulates our country's good will, and material, military and diplomatic support. America's various religious communities, including alert and outraged Jews, will not forever tolerate this sort of thing. It is incomprehensible that a Secretary of State like Mike Pompeo, who likes to feed his brilliance on tendentious and false religious claims about Israel's future, is witting and deliberately complicit in the delusions and fraud that are involved in all of this. As the first Bush used to say, this sort of thing will not stand.
Now that America's Middle East Foreign Secretary has been reelected in Israel, Netanhayu, Kushner and Bolton should have drawn the roadmap for bombing Iran before 2020 Election !! We will hear the war drums soon and the whole American Media will follow suit to support Israel !
2
The Arabs only have themselves to blame. They refused to compromise. For years, every offer made by Israel was rebuffed.
15
@Barry Chussin.
Sir, you give them the offer to manage their land with no control to their own water, military, border. How about Israel surrender all these, do not take billions in US aid each year, and then prove to the world they are the best.
10
You are obviously not up to date on past events and Netanyahu s famous stallwalling ploy which was executed without oversight
4
@Barry Chussin Please! 'offers' with strings and shackles that bound so tightly the Palestinians could never be masters of their own destiny or land.
Israel has refused to stop building on Palestinian land throughout every single peace process. And that which it cannot build on, Gaza, for fear of major international repercussions, they lay siege to, restricting: Palestinian movement by land, by sea, by air; access to education, health, sustenance; the ability to negotiate international business deals and improve their lot.
Many Israelis (those who actually live in Israel) are profoundly troubled by Israel's vicious treatment of the Palestinians.
1