I don't have much to comment about this article other than that the author is paranoid and irrational. Apparently the creation of a small Palestinian state would lead to the end of the World as it would "constitute a death sentence to the pro-US Hashemite regime, would generate tailwind to pro-Saddam Iraqis, would provide a logistic and operational base to terrorist organizations, which threaten pro-US Persian Gulf regimes, would accord a strategic foothold to Iran, Russia, China, North Korea and other rivals and enemies of the US, etc." Ridiculous.

MR. Ettingar is absolutely right. This is not a land-for -peace question. Before the '67 war and before the West Bank, the Golan and Gaza were conquered, in other words when the Pals still had these lands, why did they still fight to destroy Israel? Why didn't the Pals request building a country in those territories prior to 1967? If this were just a question of a country for the Pals the '67 war would not have happened in the first place. They already had the lands to build their country. Clinton is a smart lady, but unfortunately she is under the authority of his boss who has a questionable and as far as Israel is concerned very dangerous vision of the Middle East.

it is about salam not psychology ..this auther and many of peope think that the peace is only to live in peace psychological peace ...do you think that to rule jerusalem as a jewish capital is the only peace to all the world ...i think it will not end the suffering of the jews if it is the only thing that te author wanted to ashave

the whole world says that the israeli palestinian conflict is 'endagering world peace'. to solve this, the world says that we need a palestinian state. the question is, would the palestinian state end the israeli palestinian conflict? it is not necessarily so. if the palestinian state is non functional, non viable, or views its neighbor israel as illegitimate and deserving only of being flooded with palestinian refugees, the conflict is sure to continue. that is all we are saying. lets be ready for 'real' peace first -- everybody needs to declare that they recognize the others right to exist in peace. until then, peace is just a dream, the creation of a palestinian state is just the creation of a rocket launching pad which can reach all of the jewish civilians of israel.

totally bs

Anyone can make a perfunctory search with Google to find those individuals who were and are behind Obama, The Messiah. You will see that he was selected by Jewish Money, promoted by the Marxist Jewish media, Hollywood the 2nd. and 3.rd generation Bolsheviks from the Revoution of 1917. From A (Axelrod) to Z (Zinn) all Jewish to a man. How come? What gives? Churchill had the answer: in his treatises in 1920 he wrote an article, "Zionism versus Bolshevism" - A struggle for the soul of the Jewish people. Illustrated Sunday Herald, February 8, 1920. Page 5. American Jews are Marxist to the core, for them Nationalism is an anathema be it Jewish or American. Bolsheviks never hesitated to exterminate their ideological adversaries in the name of the Ultimate Good and they will hasten the demise of Israel. They did it once: forced exiling the Jews to E. Siberia, to Birobidjan - it was the brainchild of the "Yevsektsiya" of Stalin.

Yoram not only has it dead on,but he is an outstanding analyst of the political situation. You should hold office.. Clinton's personal record of managing her campaign and other affairs has been a disaster . She is ineffective and has no clout with syria, north korea, russia and turkey who all told her to buzz off. Obama is different. He is not a pacifist like jimmy carter who ran at the first sign of trouble in his teheran rescue mission in the 70s. He has courage as his good health bill proved. However, he has this moslem thing that we deeply don't know about. He was buddies with rashid kalidi and heard the arab narrative of big bad israel and not our history. He bowed to saudi king which is extremely troubling. Other than iran, he has been friendly to most arab regimes and hostile to israel. He has not really asked fatah to make gestures only israel. We don't really know if he is personally antiisrael in his bones from his church and so on. He has jewish advisors, close ones so he is likely not anti- jewish. He goes out of his way to attack israel and then switches back to we are still friends. Bibi gave a tremendous speech to AIPAC, a speech that olmert or livni could not give because they lack courage.Instead of reasonable negotiations, obama gives him the cold shoulder. Yoram, israel though it needs the US may have to be more independent and do without some day which will make things difficult. Obama is certainly making abbas' demands more extreme.

I am glad some finally is willing to risk their potential political life to stand up to the radicals in the Isreal. And thank god the Jewish community is art enough not to buy the Bush erra fear tactics. In US we stood up to lawless regime of Bush. Now it's up to our brothers and sisters in the Isreal to do the same. We need to hear more voice of reasons from the Isreal. L

Hillary is so incompetent , she demonstrates why Americans elected Obama . Obama who is not only totally incompetent but actually hates the country he governs. Obama rating as the worst president in history is so obvious , he is in a class by himself. He makes Jimmie Carter looks like Abraham Lincoln in comparison. Hillary incredibly stupid remarks are consistent with his boss.

Mr. Ettinger, when Hillary was criticizing Israel’s plans to build massive housing for ultra-orthodox Jews in Ramat Shlomo she was referring to the empty hill that Israel misappropriated in 1973 from the Palestinian Arab village of Shuafat. There was no Ramat Shlomo then. If you didn’t know that when you started writing this piece, then you had no qualifications for writing for this publication. If you did know, then your piece is ethically dubious.

Our biggest mistake is not to realize that this Israeli/Arab problem is not at all about the issues presented by Mr. Ettinger. The Quartet does not care about the consequences of their actions. They regard them as a necessary price to pay in order to pacify the Muslim world and, as an added bonus, to facilitate the eventual destruction of Israel. It's very important to note that the issue has never been about peace or fair negotiations. The word "Peace" is nothing but false packaging for a clear and simple case of land grab. And the word “Negotiations” is nothing but a cover up for a case of international gang bullying against Israel. The “Peace Negotiations” label is completely false advertising on the part of your enemies. That label serves also as a face-saving device for weak Israeli politicians who are committing a terrible act against the people of Israel by agreeing (and some of them actively promoting) the surrender of Jewish land. It's a major mistake to fall right into the traps that your enemies have set up for you by dignifying their lies and misrepresentations with such fine arguments as those on Mr Ettinger's column. They want to keep you too busy arguing and defending yourselves instead of taking action. And what they want is to push Israel into the 1949 borders, with an Arab land corridor between Gaza and Ramallah splitting Israel in two. We’ll isolate you, your enemies threaten. We’ll boycott you and drive your economy into the ground. We’ll stop selling you promised armaments. If you refuse, we’ll use the United Nations to recognize the unilateral declaration of independence by the State of Palestine. And if you still defy us, we’ll send UN troops to implement our desires. Can you conduct a rational dialogue with such bullies? I don’t think so. What you need to do instead is: 1) Make sure your PM really - really understands the situation. To continue submitting to this charade of never ending humiliations and concessions until there’s almost nothing left is fatal not only for the country but for his political future. Contrary to Mr Netanyahu’s original inclinations, he must realize his future does not lie with the left but with the right and center of the political spectrum. That’s where the votes are. 2) Call immediately a non-partisan conference with experts and regular Israelis to draw up a Made-in-Israel solution. Preferably this would mean full annexation of the territories with a promise of citizenship for Arabs who wish to apply for it and who qualify (terrorists and other recalcitrant folk would not, of course). 3) Make it perfectly clear to the people of Israel that - aside from their rights based on history and heritage - they have the legal right to the land as per the League of Nations Treaty and other international agreements. Launch an information blitz to educate everyone. People who have gone through leftist secular schools may not be fully aware of this. 4) Put an end to the status quo by presenting your proposal to the Knesset and by having it implemented before the two year deadline that your enemies have given you. Inaction and indecisiveness have allowed your enemies to set the agenda for you. But no more. Take the initiative. Put pressure on Mr Netanyahu to fully and courageously do what is right no matter how many challenges they throw your way. Israelis are resilient and won’t break. The US will be helpless with an Israel firmly united behind the Prime Minister and defiant of the bullies who still have the gall to call themselves “friends” of Israel. 5) And for Pete’s sake make sure everyone stops explaining and apologizing. Hold your head high. The world is lucky to have Israelis contributing so much to science, medicine, technology, art, philosophy, and more – to say nothing of the fundamental values based on Torah that you have offered to the world.

The point is, only a pathetic human being would deny the Jews the right to build homes in our own capital. Who is telling Americans where they can and cannot build homes?

For deliberately escalating a situation that was quieting down with Bibi's apology, as Clinton admitted she did, here is the evidence according to her that it was "paying-off": 1) Fatah orders violence in response to Hurva Synagogue dedication, 2) Abbas-ordered riots across Jerusalem, injuring dozens, 3) Hamas rocket fire increases, killing one, 4) PA shuts down W. Banks only Christian radio station, 5) Abbas announces he will NEVER recognize a Jewish State (what happened to Hilary's "2-states for 2 peoples - did she mean 2 Arab States?), and 6) Abbas STILL refuses direct talks and refuses to join even proximity talks, except for a total freeze of ALL building, includiung Jerusalem - which was never the deal. This is PAYING OFF?? It is evident that Clinton and Obama have wrecked peace chances by rigidly connecting them to Abbas' "freeze demands", which no other US president accepted, and which was never part of Oslo. Obama, failing to deliver on Arab normalization in exchange, as he promised didn't stop him - just decided to then demand only concessions from Israel. F-35 program is years behind schedule, Obama has made zero progress on Iran nukes,and isn't even trying, so why should Israel give either him or Abbas something for nothing. How cheap-shot Chicago politics works - threats and intimidation when you can't offer a fair quid-pro-quo. But it only works in Chicago. Bibi needs to just keep holding firm. Congress doesn't support Obama and holds his leash. There will be a lot more angry Rebublicans facing him there in November, and unpopular Obama knows it - while he's trying to pull a fast one now, while he (thinks he) has the chance. Fight back hard! America hates this guy.

8 more months before the November elections. The Democrats are going to be historically defeated and Heir Obama will have other cats to worry about than his Palestinians friends. I surely hope my fellow American Jews will not be dumb enough to vote for this vile Democrat vermin!!!

ridiculous???? THINK AGAIN! i am an iranian muslim who happens to be educated, live in la, usa and part time in iran involved computer business. i know my people and i know the arab mind set. you don't! everything that this author, which you mock and ridicule, wrote is right on the mark. it is even more true than his words on paper. it is you that is the unintelligent fool, that has no experience with the going ons in the middle east, that has never lived or set foot in any arab land or iran, that has never lived under any arab violent totalitarian dictatorship and military state. it is you that doesn't comprehend what is really the arab agenda or iran's for that matter. you live in the usa, comfortably, where your children go to school and you attend restaurants sipping coffee with friends in relative peace and safety. now, imagine you are living next to such a totalitarian arab country that decides you have no right to exist in the middle east and starts tormenting you asnd lobbying thousands of missiles after you made peace with it. the paper in which you signed fgor peace means nothing to arabs or muslims. they will dismiss the contract of peace as they see convenient because the kuran tells them it is ok to change their mind. you know nothing of trakiye or hudna, do you??? read the kuran. what muslims sign today will be changed at the drop of a hat tomorrow. they can;t be trusted to obey rules and keep to a signiture of peace. you know nothing. would you also tell me, a muslim, that i am ridiculous and paranoid and irrational???? after all, i should know about my brothers and sisters and all arab countries and iran much more than you do, arm chair general. hameed aboughaze, iranian

Two-states shall never be: Incitement and terror has killed that option.

Being a realist does not make one paranoid. Calling the author of a logical and well written article citing the dangers of an irrational policy does.

A distasteful, fact-bending piece designed to place the blame for the current intransigence as far away from Netanyahu as possible. The Passover 'defined the American ethos since the 17th century?' That is simply historically absurd, though I suppose that doesn't matter.

what is ridiculous is Obama's and Clinton's ME policy.

I totally agree! 100%

I have never in my life saw more amature administration, who get so much noise for things that didn't occure yet, the houses in Jerusalem r fine example of it, they didn't have even blueprints and the socialist Amerikan made so much nois which now there r violant riots and they started shooting rockets, hilarry can blb as damage control but I find her solly guilty of the Thai forigner who got Murdered by Hamas. I think the Usa Lost all of her last friends, since now it's bussiness only and since she enslave all the Israeli Market, if the jews won't comand us we will take their loans, holding jews by the throt and in the end say "but we still friends, right?" wrong it doesn't work that way and Israelis r not Amerikan they r not dumb, this so call means of conviensing is crual synic and basically bury any last hold of the USA in the ME.

except for the names, all you write is fiction. nobody said, jerusalem is being repartitioned, or that it will be divided. why would a pal-state "constitute a death sentence to the pro-US hashemite regime" why would this state being able to do more evil weapon smuggles than the hamas ? it is untrue, anyone questioned the existence of the jewish state. the most astounding conclusion from this is, that you obviously have to make things up in order to condemn the US moves towards peace. is it not possible, to bring up some plausible, logical arguments against peace ? its the same as for bibi: with that weak, illogical argumentation you are in fact pleading for the opposite, because it shows you dont have proof for your view.

and the rockets will be shoot from east, arabs got long history of not respecting agreements. yesterday agreement is just paper plain. and palis always quetion Israel jewish state, you be surprise home many palis and pro palis claiming they want the west side, you want argument y Israel got nobody to talk to I will tell you cause when ever Israel lift road blocks like 6 months ego, the palis planing to blow Israeli cars on thos roads, let see if you can answer y when ever Israel make steps like one side withdraw from Gaza(right after that the rocket came) and road block lifting(improvised mombs) palis not only make step toward speace they bite back. and they never miss a chance to hurt Israelis.

Thank you so much for your comments because nobody can say it better than someone who's been there. Maybe every American who thinks Israel is the problem should read the Koran, and then, perhaps, they'll realize that everything you say is true. Because without an understanding of takiyye and hudna, naive westerners will continue to be deceived at their peril.

...an official recognition of borders and both states (= peace agreement) would make anything worse. nobody yet in any paper has explained the disadvantages a palestinian state would have for israel, and why the current situation should be preferred. do it.

-IS THE MAKERS, OF THE BIGGEST STRATEGIC MISSTAKES, IN THE HISTORY OF THE US - !!!. THIS HOLDS TRUE BOTH REGARDING THE BALKANS, WHERE THE US HAS TO REVERSE ITS POLICY, YOU WILL SEE - -AND NOW - -ISRAEL THE LAND OF JEHOVAH, AND JERUSALEM HIS CITY - !!!. THE US WILL SIMULTANIOUSLY FACE THE WRATH OF JEHOVAH, AND ALSO THE OTHER ONE. THAT MOMENT IS WERY NEAR IN TIME !!!. THEN THE US HAS TO MAKE A NEW CHOISE, EITHER TO GO DOWN DIRECT OR CHANGE HER WAY !!!. Arn.