Excellent article. Plain commom sense. Israel should stop the nonsense negotiation which is going nowhere.

Brilliant treatise by Dan Calic. Razor sharp, he cuts through the Arab Islamist-Jihadist PA Usurpers' baloney. This is a Must Read for Israel's leaders and the world including Kerry and Hussien the Islamist. It is time to stop the crusading Arab Islamist-Jihadist Marauders and Usurpers. Judea and Samaria-Land of Israel is Israel's Liberated Historic and Biblical Homeland that is GOD-GIVEN and GOD-RESTORED to the Children of Israel.

The rest of your post also caught my attention as amusing, but it's spot on. I would only argue - that it's too late to tread carefully. Thanks to your greedy leaders, we are ALREADY in a one-state scenario with no end in sight. You can only thank your settler enterprise for this amazing fact on the ground, which benefits Palestinians more than they imagine. Again, thank you settlers, thank you hard core Zionists, for soon putting the entire Palestine back where it belongs: On the map, and between River and Sea.

The Arabs have stolen over 77.5% of our lands already - but we did negotiate with them. Now the same folks want to steal our 22.5% - no more negotiations with the thieves. So Jarda when are you going to give the land back to millions of Germans you ethnically cleansed?

The Oslo accord that form the basis of the peace process is flawed and is designed not to end the conflict. Israel is happy to keep negotiating for ever and agree to nothing. The PA have convinced themselves that negotiations on the current basis will achieve something. The only solution that can work is for both sides to accept that they can't have it all for themselves and start working on sharing one state that is democratic and where both sides can have equal rights and equal duties. Anyone who does not agree with this approach must have doubts about their believes in true democracy.

There is nothing hidden about the Arab plans. Both the Hamas Charter and the PLO Charter, organizations that together represent about 95% publically announce and have never tried to hide that their goal is to destroy Israel. Arab leaders are democratically obligated to this policy. This is different to Israel, where democracy has little influence on our corrupt leaders.

Steve, the problem with common sense....is it's too uncommon. :) Thanks for your kind comment ~ Dan

Good article,does say it all. If Abbas is genuine about finding a solution he should return to the negotiations where his pre-conditions can be discussed and not rubber-stamped. But he will not as he knows these are unacceptable, as they would be to any country that has had to fight for its survival against aggressors intent on its destruction. Since when have victors in war had demands made of them with nothing solid in return, but perhaps that doesn't count when Israel wins?

They built over Jewish lands and now call it Al Aksa.

The creation, interpretation and application of International law is don e through the community of nations and the organizations they created for that purpose. No one nation has a right to interpret for itself what is and is not the law. The UN GA, SC, SG, the ICJ,, ICRC, High Contracting Parties of the Geneva Convention, the EU and even the U.S. have ALL condemned the settlements as a "flagrant violation of international law." See UNSCR 465 for starters.

and if anyone "stole" the land it was the British, not the Arabs. British agreed to give it to the Arabs BEFORE making the Balfour Declaration. Article 25 of the Mandate was designed to exclude Jewish settlements east of the Jordan. The Churchill White Paper confirming this (and the fact that the British did not intend to establish a separate Jewish state) was accepted by Weitzmann and published BEFORE The League of Nations approved the Mandate and the creation of Jordan was itself approved by the League of Nations shortly after the Mandate came into effect. Claims that Jordan was intended to become a part of the State of Israel are as false as they are pernicious and I defy anyone to provide historical legal proof of this claim. The sole purpose for this claim is an attempt to justify the illegal and immoral actions of those who remain determined to squeeze the Palestinian Arabs off of the land they have occupied in our absence for over a thousand years. I personally believed this myth for decades –and I am still angered by the deception.

If Israel satisfied all the given preconditions then as the articlew says there would be one more precondition.That is Israel itself.

Jordan was never meant to be ours and if anyone "stole" the land it was the British, not the Arabs. British agreed to give it to the Arabs BEFORE making the Balfour Declaration. Article 25 of the Mandate was specifically designed to exclude Jewish settlements east of the Jordan. The Churchill White Paper confirming this (and the fact that the British did not intend to establish a separate Jewish state) was accepted by Weitzmann and published BEFORE The League of Nations approved the Mandate and the creation of Jordan was itself approved by the League of Nations shortly after the Mandate came into effect. Claims that Jordan was intended to become a part of the State of Israel are as false as they are pernicious and I defy anyone to provide historical legal proof of this claim. The sole purpose for this claim is an attempt to justify the illegal and immoral actions of those who remain determined to squeeze the Palestinian Arabs off of the land they have occupied in our absence for over a thousand years. I personally believed this myth for decades –and I am still angered by the deception.

Let's be clear buddy, no one is giving you Israeli citizenship so there will be no Palestinian majority in Israel. You will continue living under the same status until you make peace with Israel or leave the area. None of your fantasies are based in reality.

That's what they do, some monuments in Egypt were plastered over with a newer despots name replacing a former Pharaoh. ( cheaper and less work ) Same thing now.

And as for Israel she was united ( to Judea, Samaria ) before these agencies had abbreviated initials. Sit on it. KEEP BUILDING !!!!

The creation, interpretation and application of International law is don e through the community of nations and the organizations they created for that purpose. No one nation has a right to interpret for itself what is and is not the law. The UN GA, SC, SG, the ICJ,, ICRC, High Contracting Parties of the Geneva Convention, nations of the world including the EU and even the U.S,. have ALL condemned the settlements as a "flagrant violation of international law." See UNSCR 465 for starters.

U need to read "From Time Immemorial" which by historical records from Napoleon, to Mark Twain, to the Ottomans , to the Arab leaders -- all acknowledge. Israel is all Jewish land & there hardly any Arabs in the area. They came to flee from their horrific leaders for a better life & heard that Israel is land of milk & honey. THe 1922 San Remo (UN Charter )voted by 51 countries to give 75% of what is now called Jordan to Israel. These are Jewish areas and will remain so. Get your facts straight before you fall off the balcony!

Peter's work is highly selective , some would say distorted, and in any case, ultimately irrelevant. Read the Churchill White Paper which was published by the British Government prior to the League of Nation's vote. Read Article 25 of the San Remo Agreement and Mandate for Palestine. The League of Nations approved the creation of Transjordan only months after the mandate came into effect. The claims that "we were robbed" and "Jordan is Palestine" are fabrications based on wishful thinking and political propaganda. The Partition Plan was a modification of the Mandate designed to create a Palestinian-Jewish state and a Palestinian-Arab state on the land located between the Sea and the Jordan. The occupied territories are not ours and the civilian settlements are illegal under international law. These are facts known to anyone who takes the time to do the proper research.

Comment #1 is absolutely right. Arafat rejected Clinton/Barak offer because East Jerusalem is not included which is against the Palestinian's demand. Arafat said "THE PERSON WHO ACCEPTS YOUR OFFER IS BORN YET"

#49. Israeli ownership of Judea and Samaria is so obvious that even the P.A. won't debate the issue. As M.K. Danny Ayalon challenged them to. Your Big Lie techniques of repeating rubbish over and over again, won't work. Do you expect readers to believe that you have evidence the P.A. doesn't? Israeli ownership of Judea and Samaria is irrefutable fact and even the P.A. knows it. You are a pathetic fictional lawyer for pathetic Fictional Palestine.

The Irish are far more racist against jews that the Arabs are...... Irish equate Jews with the English. Even though the Jews fought just like the Irish to get them off their land.....

Your wrong....in every country you have development and in ISRAEL ITS CALLED SETTLEMENTS!!!!! Not because its occupied but because its not settled. If you lived in a home and you start a war and lose you r house.....there are no consequences.....just like now.... WHY....Propaganda.... Before 1900 there never was a Palestinian..... Only after the British came and called the land Palestine...... Jews, Catholics and Muslims were all Palistinian!!!!!

The people who refer to themselves are neither Palestinian nor authorities. The Arab Enemy appropriated the term "Palestinian" to give themselves some connection to the land that they otherwise would not have had. Prior even to the Balfour Declaration, the Palestinians were Jews. (Just look up Palestine in any early 20th century New York Times Index and all you will find is two words: "See Jews.")

Typical Arabs want to twist the truth & change historical facts. Pretty childish. Get smart and read the San Remo Charter. Israel was given 75% of the land that is now Jordan. The Brits were appointed to carve the area, but they are so crooked, they decided to give it to the slick oil leaders to gain influence. The Brits stole the land from the Israelis and gave it to the Arabs, a Robin Hood of evil.

Refusal to negotiate per 242 is stale-mate. Refusal to negotiate is contravention of UN resolution 242. We give occupiers of Ramallah notice of 90 days to negotiate or forfeit the the to object our default right to ANNEX abandoned options and what we define as secure borders. A suitable legal mechanisms that allow the act lock in. The IDF is then tasked secure these borders. Any incursion to be considered an act of war against sovereign State. We respond accordingly. We reserve the right to establish outside these borders the equivalent to the Golan Heights an arms free zone. We secure the portioning with all options to defend and occupy and our right of return. Well Im not conversant with all terminology. Un agreement to this is debatable ie Russia etc.

The British didn't have the authority to give the Arabs anything. The League of Nations divided the lands - not Britain. Balfour was not a treaty - it was a declaration by the British government. The San Remo Treaty and the Mandate system over-ruled the British. The League of Nations most certainly did NOT approve of the creation of Jordan - that is an outright lie. Your statements are totally false and pure invention.

After the Ottomans were defeated in WWI, the world powers carved the Mideast in San Remo. The Palestine Mandate in 1920 was to become the Jewish Homeland (which includes 77% of what is now Jordan.) But the Brits , illegally stole a big chunk of what was allocated to the Jews & ceded it to Hussein, their Saudi Oil ally, as if they didn't get enough land. Look at the size of Arabia & the Lion's share was given to the Arabs, called Iraq and Syria Mandates. Go to internet & click San Remo Mandates & the facts will knock you out of your delusions forever. Israel is building on what is rightfully theirs according to international law dating from 1920. That was the Magna Carta for the Jewish people. There was no mention of others. It was voted by 51 countries in favor of the demarcation lines assigning new countries. The League of Nations passed it & it supercedes all the nonsensical steps the Arabs & Leftist anti-Semite countries have been illegally trying to conjure up.

and rightfully so. Both Arabs and Jews had Palestinian citizenship. See Article #7 of the Palestinian Mandate. Call people all the names that you want to Chaim; it won't change the truth nor the fact that there is no practical, legal, moral or rational alternative to the two state solution as envisioned by Peres et al... You and SarahB are the best proof of that.

UN and their extensions are only there to further their agenda of Islamic Caliphate. Their Resolutions mean little ! When they are fair and balanced- then we can talk, until them....go cry me a river