Only if it comes at the expense of the Palestinian people, their land, their dignity, their hope and their continued repression at Israeli hands. Netanyahu was eloquent and funny but was also determined, unshakable and arrogant in his speech to the joint Congressional meeting in Washington. The reaction of his audience was, at the very least, sickening. Their reactions to his stated unrealistic and arrogant requirements for peace simply encourage Israel's growing determination to use any excuse to avoid a fair and equitable resolve. If the airwaves don't lie he actually ruled out the 1967 borders, he scoffed at the 'right of return', he demanded a demilitarized Palestine and he denied sharing Jerusalem.
Saladin, the great Muslim warrior who defeated the Crusaders and freed Jerusalem maintained Jerusalem as a free city. All religions were accepted , all beliefs were respected and no-one was persecuted for religious reasons. This worked extremely well for centuries and Jerusalem thrived. Sharing was an important element of life that brought peace and continuity. Denying the Palestinian people of everything they are owed by the world, the UN and Israel will prove Israel's eventual demise.
If Netanyahu's attitude is a true representation of the Jewish population's basis for a peace I feel sorry for them all. Are they blind to the changing realities on the ground and in the surrounding regions? How do they expect to achieve any progress if their starting point for negotiations is so rigid and so firmly based upon US support no matter what. In fact, America's undying support is perhaps the foundation for arrogance and unrealistic perceptions of what is and what is not acceptable. Palestinian statehood is not to be determined by Israel just as Palestine had no say in the creation of Israel. History proves that Israel was created on Palestinian land and over one million Palestinians were made refugees and have remained so since 1948.
Since 1948 Israel has stolen more and more land, imprisoned the entire population into walled cantons guarded by Israeli military. Israel has committed organized genocide against the Palestinian people and is aghast when they stand up against their jailers and torturers. America is just as guilty of every horror committed against Palestine as Israel would never have gotten away with all of the abuse without US support and military assistance. That the US, until recently, controlled the Security Council international defense of and support for Palestine was impossible. Palestine does not need, nor should it seek Israel's permission or opinion on the creation of Palestine.
Israel will always claim to be victim of terror, victim of anti-semitism and victim of whatever just to justify its cruel treatment of Palestinian people. In fact, Israel practices towards the people of Palestine are close to the persecution they experienced at the hands of the Nazi's. Of course they do not gas Palestinian people however they do lock them into concentration type camps and systematically and deliberately starve them of the basic necessities of life at their choosing and to their satisfaction. How many times does the Israeli military bomb, raid, attack and kill innocent Palestinians only to claim, after the fact, they were terrorists.
Israel has been given nuclear bombs, the newest and deadliest fighter jets, weapons, surveillance and whatever they want to defend from fake threats. Surely a few men armed with machine guns or a few ineffective bombs do not in any way compare with the amount of force Israel uses on Palestine and its people whenever it wants. The military inequities are so huge. Terror and bombings committed by the people seeking an Israeli state are acceptable of course but, when similar tactics are used against them it is unacceptable. The hypocrisy and the double standard can not be condoned by the international community anymore.
The creation of a free, independent Palestinian state is a Palestinian matter and it does not require the permission or the confines of Israel or America. Soon Israel will be totally surrounded by free, democratic countries no longer controlled by US puppet dictators who receive large amounts of US dollars to ensure they don't support their Palestinian brothers and sisters. As the world is changing Israel should reconsider the arrogant attitude with which peace is approached. Perhaps now is the best time to consider the realities surrounding your country and choose a conciliatory rather than an arrogant approach to peace.
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