My, oh my. Look at the terrorist trying to pretend he's a head of state. Well, he isn't. He's a terrorist with delusions of grandeur. Send him packing. Literally. The Palestine Authority is a toothless and spineless wannabe player. Emphasis on toothless and wannabe. And why, pray tell, is the United States meeting with a terrorist? Isn't that against U.S. law? (Yes, it is. Five statutes say it is.) Israel is not going to negotiate with a terrorist organization bent on its destruction. Get that through your collective idiot heads.

the Arab leadership, Palestinian and otherwise, simply stated its acceptance of Israel's RIGHT to be, to exist as the nation-state of the Jewish people. If the Muslim-Arab leadership did announce their newly found conviction in Arabic in addition to English and Hebrew and backed up their statement with a few simple deeds to demonstrate that it actually means what it says, the Jewish people, within and without Israel, will be ready to take additional and substantial risky steps towards an accommodation of peaceful coexistence between Arab and Jew, between Israel and its Muslim-Arab world. In doing so the Muslim-Arab leadership will express an acceptance in principle, after 62 years, that UN resolution on the basis of which Israel was proclaimed. It will also accept the universally accepted right of all peoples - the Jewish people being one of them - to national self-determination and independence. Will the Muslim-Arab leadership take this simple step for the sake of what is right? I hope so, but I am not holding my breath...

Abbas knows how to squeeze Israel with a little help from his friEnds the US. Israel is caught in a trap which does not lead to peace. They know Israel always CAPITULATES and moves beyoned any previous red lines because they are so afraid that the wordl will see them as not desiring peace ,the fake peace of the fake Road Map. Again,Israel is caught in a trap which does not lead to peace.

there will never be peace in the middle east until israel withdraws from all occupied palestinian land. Its very simple...

Re: "UN resolution on the basis of which Israel was proclaimed". Eitan you can't cherry pick UN resolutions (or part of) to bolster your case when Israel has flouted the founding principle on which it was accepted into the UN. The simple matter is that Israel was accepted into the UN on condition that it accept the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees (Res 273 which requires Israel to comply with Res 194). Israel stated it agreed to comply with this resolution but of course as we know Israel has never honored this commitment. UN RES 194 (III) "Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible" Eitan before you go on quoting any more UN Res's can you first ensure that Israel firstly complies with the UN Res 194? After all you can't expect Muslim-Arab leadership to accept and honor any UN resolutions relating to Israel when Israel failed, at the first hurdle, to honor its commitments in relation to UN Res 194.

When has there been a political entity called "Palestine"? Indeed, the UN Security Council Resolution 242 that has governed all peace talks since 1967 between the warring parties of the June 1967 Six-Day War and on the basis of which peace agreements between Israel and Egypt and Israel and Jordan were signed does not mention even once concepts such as "Palestine", "Palestinian people", "Palestinian land" or "Palestinian state"; not once!!!

Include as refugees those Jews driven from their homes in Arab countries after 1948. I notice in the news that 60 additional Yemenite Jews have just left. And who does it consider refugees -- all those descended from the original refugees if Arab, only those actually expelled if Jews?

I love it when a person makes an excellent point hoping to advance the Arab Israeli conflict to an end (read post # 2). But instead of trying to appreciate the thrust of the intent and the basis it is made on, take the ball and run with it towards a positive end, an Arab or one of their supporters attempts to twist the argument and take the air out of the good will coming from an Israeli. I can only conclude that the Arabs' intent is really not to solve the conflict in any way but through the elimination of Israel.

Israel needs to stand firm and look out for its own interests for a change. Tiny Israel is too small for two states, especially when the Arab group takes joy in massacring Jews. The Arabs own 99.9% of the Middle East. They have the space to place ALL the Arabs who claim to be Palestinian –– without cramping. They have the money to settle the Palestinians, especially if the money now spent on the Arab "refugees" is added in. And why should there not be room in the Middle East with its 22 Arab states for a single Jewish State? In fact, when you think about it, the major question is: where should the Palestinian arabs be resettled? that and the need for Israel to stand firm and look out for its own interests for a change. More

and "occupied Palestine" when translated into Arabic within the context of the Arab Israeli conflict mean the entire land mass between the River and the Sea, that is including the UN member state of Israel: all must be smashed, annihilated, including any trace of Jewish civilization of which this very piece of land is its cradle and the cradle of the Jewish people (just review PLO, Fatah, Hamas, PFLP's Charters to appreciate this point!!!).

You seem to be in a state of denial however I'll try and make it simple for you: 'Palestine' existed long before UN SC Res 242. You may have heard of the British Mandate in Palestine. Whether you like it or not there were non-Jews living in this region called Palestine long before the creation of modern day Israel. Regardless of when the modern people of Palestine decided to declare their intentions of statehood the fact remains that the Palestinian people are recognized worldwide by approx 100 countries. In short modren day 'Palestine' will be what remains from Israel's attempt to colonize Gaza and the WB.

"Israel is not going to negotiate with a terrorist organization bent on its destruction." Sarah B you seem hell-bent on making continued erroneous statements. Of course Israel has and will 'negotiate with terrorist organizations'. For example: http://www.newsweek.com/id/119881 Granted Egypt or the UN are usually go-betweens but the fact remains that Israel *does* negotiate with the likes of Hamas/Hizbollah/etc.

Palestinian What do you define as occupied Palestine, so many people seem to have different defenitions. Some say that its Judea & Samaria along with all of `Israel. For some it means that means Judea & Samaria + the other 27% of the 49% of british mandate Palestine the UN allocated to the arabs in their partition plans in 1947 but was capttured & annexed by Israel in 1949 after the war of independence. For some occupied Palestine means Judea & Samaria but if thats your defenition of occupied Palestine then why was it not occupied before 1967 when Jordan controled it? Also even if we do create a 23rd arab state it won't bring peace to the Middle East. The problem is not the palestinian problem its the fact that a jewish state will never be accepted in a muslim region especially not in the Holy Land. The problem is not Israeli policy its Israels existanbce thats the problem for the arabs and thatb won't change as long as Israel exists. Matty Israel is exercising its LEGAL RIGHT to reject resolution 194 and refuse a right of return. That is a General Assembly resolution & they are little more than glorified proposals which cannot be eforced. The General Assembly can pass a resolution demanding Israel do something and Israel is within its rights to say stuff it and the UN can do nothing about it.

shut up jezebel!