Opinion
Kerry determined to resolve conflict
Yitzhak Benhorin
Published: 07.02.13, 11:09
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1. Kerry
michael Pielet ,   israel   (02.07.13)
This article is pure spin. Kerry wants to make the situation not better but worse. Israel is not going to cede Judea and Samaria to the terrorists and iran in order to bring Iran to the gates of Jerusalem and Gush Dan. Iran in the north, Lebanon, iran in the south Gaza, is enough. Any agreement with the terrorists in Judea and Samaria is not worth the paper it is written on. Israel must work for strategic and military reasons to strrengthen the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria. Be nice to Kerry, wine and dine him. However, no terrorist Iranian state in Judea and Samaria.
2. Good grief come back in 100 years it will still be the same
Haim ,   TA   (02.07.13)
3. Yo Benhorin - Please pass the schmaltz
Devorah   (02.07.13)
The only thing missing from this misty-eyed drivel is the violin playing sappy music in the background.
4. By all means, try to solve the Arab Israeli conflict, but do
Jehudah Ben-Israel ,   Qatzrin, Israel   (02.07.13)
so, please, based on the fundamental elements of international law designed to do so: San Remo Conference, 1920 League of Nations decisions, 1922 UN Charter, Article 80, 1945 UN Security Council Resolution, 242, 1967 Do note, Mr. Kerry, legally, EretzIsrael/Palestine - the name of a territory, not a nationality or a state - was partitioned back in 1921/22 when 77% of it was handed over to the Arabs who, subsequently, renamed their part of the territory Jordan. And, the rest, only 23% of it, located between the Jordan River and the Med. Sea, was assigned to be the national home of the Jewish people, which has subsequently been renamed Israel. The essence of an accommodation of peaceful coexistence between Arab and Jew, between the Muslim-Arab world and the sovereign nation-state of the Jewish people, Israel, ought to be based on implementing peacefully the above partition of the territory. We, Jews, would stand shoulder to shoulder with your ambition to bring about such an accommodation of peaceful coexistence.
5. I see he likes that cliche"Plight of the Palestinians"
Alan ,   SA   (02.07.13)
So already he starts at a disadvantage... Their "PLIGHT" is of their own making. Nothing will assuage their so called "plight" except getting rid of the State of Israel. The so called "Arab Spring" is the type of world one can expect wherever they hold sway. There have been MANY opportunities for International Solutions over decades but none have been accepted.Why didnt they accept 1948 in 1948 for example
6. Some of Kerry's best relatives are Jews
Alan ,   SA   (02.07.13)
7. Kerry's hope
graczek ,   Maryland, USA   (02.07.13)
Mr. Secretary, forget it. There is one and only one way to solve this long-ongoing crisis and that is to remove its cause, which is the Zionist state itself, and to liberate Palestine fully. No other alternative exists. The US knew this back in 1948, but seems to have forgotten this basic truth as of 1967.
8. US must be first to negate a 3-state.
BUTSeriousy ,   Sydney   (02.07.13)
Its not poor math but a genocidal premise. US should distance herself from such evil.
9. Kerry
Harold ,   USA   (02.07.13)
Not Kerry but Obama will solve this problem within one year.
10. Resolve the conflict............
Also Ran ,   Middle East pease   (02.07.13)
Next please.
11. Putting Israel-Palestine at the top of his agenda ...
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, USA   (02.07.13)
... makes as much sense as the head of NASA declaring "Muslim outreach" his top priority. But, in his defense, the NASA administrator said *Obama* directed him to make it his top priority. Kerry's statement reflects his own obtuseness. Given everything else going on, the peace process hardly deserves to be a top priority. And what's with Benhorin's reference to Netanyahu's "blatant intervention in the American elections"? No one can point to *anything* Netanyahu did to support Romney beyond giving him a friendly reception. (They are old friends, after all.) Meanwhile, Peres and Barak offered public endorsements of Obama just short of "blatant".
12. Kerry wants to solve conflict.
Elsie. ,   Gush Halav.   (02.07.13)
So let me get this straight, since 1948 all the problems have been cause by the Palestians and Israel never ever did one thing wrong??
13. 1st imposed solution will be '67 borders, then negotiate
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (02.07.13)
...the rest of it, 2 States, 1 Country, or both, or neither.
14. # 4 Spot on!
Deb J. Goldfarb ,   Baltimore, MD USA   (02.07.13)
15. Window of opportunity
Cauvery ,   Antwerp, Belgium   (02.07.13)
I do not put much trust in people who talk about windows of opportunity. It would not easy to make peace now, will it be easier or more difficult later ? I do not know. But saying that when the window is closed talks would be over (and war forever) I do not believe that either.
16. Time Running Out?
Steve ,   Dallas USA   (02.07.13)
I always knew Kerry was a wind bag, utterly conventional mediocrity and this confirms it. Anytime someone says that "time is running out for a two state solution" - you know they do not have any real arguments. The words are meaningless. King Hussein was an expert at saying this every few months and now his son says it about every 6 months or so and people still take it seriously? And who cares if there is a two state solution tomorrow or the day after if committing to one means suicide for Israel. OK - the time deadline for Israel to commit suicide has passed. And that is bad? Israel has held the territories for 45 years and can hold them another 45 years just the same if the Pals are not reasonable and that is that. The United States has held Puerto Rico in limbo for a lot longer and yet somehow time never runs out there. Time will only run out for Israel, if it exposes it itself to military danger. Tell Kerry that.
17. Obama intervened in the Israeli elections; Bibi did nothing.
Jake   (02.07.13)
Fact check for the author of this 'article', and for other mediocrats indulging in the same campaign of disinformation: Obama blatantly interfered in the Israeli elections: blasting Israeli policy, claiming that Netanyahu "is leading Israel down a path of total isolation", and that "Israel doesn't know what's good for it"....on the eve of the Israeli elections. The opposite was not the case. Far from indicating a preference for a particular candidate in the American elections, Netanyahu instructed his government and his party to shut their mouths on the subject. The lying mediocrats have been challenged to come up with a single quote from Bibi indicating intervention or preference, and have been unable to come up with a single quote to support their dishonest claim. Similarly, the media's claim that the elections resulted in an "even split" between so-called "right" and "center-left blocs" has been exposed to be a nonsensical, laughable, ridiculous myth devoid of all reality. One is reminded of a quote from the movie "Private Parts", when the WNBC director, regretting that he had appointed Howard Stern to be the radio news reader, told his colleague: "We're supposed to be a serious station. We can't just not do the news."
18. Two State Final Solution would destroy Israel within decade.
Chaim ,   Israel   (02.07.13)
Outside of lunatic asylums, what Israeli Jew thinks its a good idea to trim Israel's waist to 9 miles? The Two State Final Solution is an evil abomination that would destroy Israel within a decade. This tiny land is ours. We must claim every inch of it.
19. Mr. Secretary ,...
split ,   US   (02.07.13)
It takes two hands to clap - No one believes anymore that US is a honest broker ,...
20. the six states solution
jamal ha druzi ,   Jat   (02.07.13)
1st state ) the tel avivians bourgeois and their bohemians jestlers-poets-writers-coiffeurs-massagist-pet shrinkers from Yaffo to Herzlyia 2nd state ) the government-histdrut -employees-pensioneers from Natanya to Rehovot to Jerusalem 3rd state ) the hard.liners, ther cowboy with kippa or without: Upper galil-golan-ariel-efrat-the Temple Mount 4th ) the the industrialists- workers : haifa to Carmiel 5th state ) the Spiritualists haredim, christians, muslims , every kind of fanatics : a 5 x 5 meters boxing ring inside a big stadium , Live wrestling and boxing fights every nights 6th state ) the foreign press , the UN , the NGO, the supreme court, the the big thinkers, the visiting diplomats : a good 5 star hotel . Is there any place left for the " palestinian " problem ? I don 't see much place left.Sorry we have to rewind history from the start.
21. #1, RIGHT ! Kerry is a MORON !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris Rettenmoser ,   Bayerisch Gmain Germ   (02.07.13)
22. Kerry's family MO
Avi ,   Nyc   (02.07.13)
Many Jews follow the Kerry family MO. Marry out and have only gentile progeny and then screw Israel.
23. Solution for Peace in my hands
Eliyahu Navi LaShem ,   USA   (02.08.13)
Hi to All... My name is Eliyahu. HaShem has given the solution for peace in the Middle East in my hands. You will all be hearing from me very soon be'ezrat haShem..
24. no simple solution
Zsolt ,   Wanganui,NZ   (02.08.13)
Unfortunately these politicians are only interested in short term, quick solutions, personal legacies, photo opportunities, Nobel Peace Prizes, and so on. They want to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so they will enter the history books. There is no Israeli-Palestinian conflict that can be solved with signing simple peace accords, assigning borders. There is a region called Middle East, surrounded by different powerful interest groups that needs solving. As long as there is no long term solution to settle all the issues, wars, conflicts in the Middle East, until the relationship in between Israel and all the Arabic countries is unsettled, there will be no solution for the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict". Of course a full regional settlement, in which region the chaos is mostly due to external interference is much more difficult and today's leaders want quick, good looking solutions. Unfortunately that is not possible.
25. To All Commentators
Harold ,   USA   (02.08.13)
If the US cannot solve the two state solution Europe does. Europe did say they will do something comming March.
26. There is one simple solution to a Gordian knot
Eliyahu ,   Los Angeles, USA   (02.08.13)
The one of Alexander, destruction. Now,King Solomon also proclaim such a quick solution to a maternity problem -- but he only suggested it as a ruse, purely for the psychological effect. So does Mr. Kerry think himself an Alexander or a Solomon? If he thinks himself serious about an actual quick solution that will not just result in tremendous harm, he should think himself a fool. Most likely, he isn't that stupid, but isn't "quite" as noble as King Solomon in motivation. I think that Zsolt calls it exactly right here. Until Israel reflects a true unity and national cohesiveness, and the Palestinians and the Arab states in general back down from a hate culture rather than an integral education that includes real human consideration of the Israelis too, nothing good will come from missions like Kerry's.
27. #4 - There is no "legal" basis for Israel
spyguy ,   seattle, usa   (02.08.13)
The harsh reality you ignore is that there is no such thing as "International Law," all there is, are temporary agreements between various political entities on earth and once one party to those agreements decides to walk away, the agreement s are null and void. There is no place on earth where you can take your arguments to get a hearing, so if a majority of the humans on earth decide you are wrong, you have no other options. Note that over the last 10000 years virtually ALL "agreements" have become worthless, so your screaming about San Remo and such is completely meaningless in the grand scheme of things. All that is important is the here and now.
28. Want Peace? Form a real two state solution.
Chaim Ben Kahan ,   Efrat, Israel   (02.08.13)
If peace is to occur we must dispel the current two state solution myth and acknowledge that there are already four states. There is a Jewish one in Israel, a moderate Arab one run by a Hashemite dictator in Jordan, an Islamic extremist one run by Hamas terrorist in Gaza and a quasi terrorist supporting state called the Palestinian authority. We need to reduce this to two states and there lies the two state solution. One Arab state on the East Bank and One Jewish State on the West Bank.
29. #25. Europe has zero credibility.
Chaim ,   Israel   (02.08.13)
#25. Europe has zero credibility. It has already presented many worthless "peace plans", which weren't worth the paper they're printed on. Europe has plenty of problems at home to concern itself with. The E.U. fast going bankrupt and German taxpayers can't and won't prop it up forever.
30. Determination will not solve conflict
Brod ,   USA   (02.08.13)
Determination will not solve the conflict. The reason is simple. Because of Islam. Until they get this, they will be going around the bush for the next 40 years. Israel has already reached the Promised Land in the 20th century and fulfilled Prophet Isaiah's Prophecy which GOD gave him 2700 years ago of bringing back the Children of Israel from Diaspora to their Historic and Biblical Homeland-Land of Israel and make it bloom again. When sinful mortals attempt to tamper with GOD'S plan, conflict sparks.
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