This weeks Torah portion relates how the Leftists of the day kept whining that slavery was preferable to the freedom Moses gave. They wanted to go back to the economic security of being abused slaves, rather than be free and responsible for themselves. So yes, we heard it all before, almost 3500 years ago.

Didn't the UN as successor to the League of Nations have power over the "residual" mandate territory as Rostow implicitly acknowledged? The UN has now exercised this power; it has recognized the State of Palestine.

"All Israelis ... want to see an independent, strong state with a thriving economy..." That's all that we hoped from the PA. But it doesn't seem to be happening. Abbas and his negotiating tactics make sure that the Palestinians will ever have their own thriving state. So better Israeli settlements than another failed Muslim Arab state.