and it is pest to avoid any kind of talk about comparing Kosovo and Palestinian claims against Israel. Israel does not recognize Kosovo and has indefinitely postponed such a recognition, for one principal reason: The same logic which led at the drop of a hat to partial international recognition of an indendent "Republic of Kosovo" on the sovereign internationally recognized territory of Serbia, could now be used to grant legitimacy: not only to unilateral Palestinian declaration of independence in the West Bank, Gaza, and E. Jerusalem, but Israeli Arab separatism in areas where they constitute a majority, e.g. the Lower Galilee, the triangle, parts of the Negev, and essentially all areas recommended to the Arab state by the '47 partition plan. Recognizing Kosovo could backfire on Israel like a ton of bricks.

Lets remember the roots of the idea of a “Palestinian State”. As the conflict with Israel hardened throughout the 1950s, Nasser came to see that Palestinian nationalism, if carefully manipulated, could be an asset instead of just a threat and an annoyance. Although the fedayeen (Arab refugees, trained and armed by Egypt) terrorism prompted Israel to invade the Sinai in 1956, the Egyptian leader saw the value in being able to deploy a force that did his bidding but was not part of Egypt’s formal military; which could make tactical strikes and then disappear into the amorphous demography of the west Bank or the Gaza Strip, giving Egypt plausible deniability for the mayhem it had created. But Nasser’s ability to support such a useful terrorist group was limited by the failed economy over which he presided; and so, in 1964, he was delighted to cooperate with the Soviet Union in the creation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as explained at : http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2008/02/communist-roots-of-palestinian_342.html

Nothing would give me greater satisfaction than to know we can work out a peaceful coexistence with our Arab neighbors. They deserve peace and security as much as we do. But, in order for that to happen, they must do a few thing first which can set the ground for building a good future for both of us in this region. One is that they must eliminate their extremists and terrorists. There is no profit in sitting with the moderates if the violent ones and the aggitated masses call for our destruction and harm. Another is that they must recognize the legitimacy of presence in this land. This must be expressedly loudly and with sincerity. They must state that we, the Jews, have a right to our own country and can settle anywhere in our Land of Israel without limitations. Start with that.

and Muslim Kosovars can declare independence, then why not larger areas of France? Or even other parts of Europe? After all, they do constitute a legitimate majority that could function completely seperately from the French or other governments.

What about Arab legitimacy to the land? What about all the private Palestinian land stolen and built on (1/3 of the settlements are built on such land)? What about racial discrimination against Arabs, their oppression and their lack of rights or recourse to justice? What about the WB Palestinians who have lived for more than 30 yrs under military occupation, with no civil rights? What about all the refugees driven out by Israel? What about the water resources being allocated to a small number of Jews in settlements, while main Arab towns receive limited water that they have to ration? Are you willing to discuss all the issues I asked above? Are you willing to compromise or are you just trying to put on a farcical show where you proclaim your willingness to discuss and compromise, but continue to build settlement illegally on private land, and unfairly allocate resources?

have you learnt nothing? so many years with your pipe dream and still you havent learnt a thing about the palestinians have you? still clinging to nonsensical ideals that have no foundation in reality. So now go argue Said #5 points and sing to yourself "here we go around the malberrybush the marlberry bush" No you cant make peace with an implacable enemy - you vanquish them!

The Soviet Union recogized Israel seven mintits after its ceation

Arab Legitimacy to land? Let's say I agree that Arabs who lived here before 1900 have legitimacy. Would you agree that Arabs who moved here from Iraq and Lebanon after 1940 are immigrants? Of course you wont. Which "settlement" is built on "stolen land"? Answer: none, unless you mean Tel Aviv. Racial discrimination vs Israeli Arabs? Have you ever visited Israel? Answer: no No civil rights for Arabs in Judea and Samaria? How many Universities existed before 1967? Answer: 0. How many under "occupation"? Answer: 7 We can go on and on to every point you make. But you are proof why the Israeli Left is wrong and why Olso was such a mistake.

I wonder if it was deliberately tampered with. That post is from me Yisraeli to Reuven.

There is no Palastinian people....period! http://www.israel.net/timetospeak/2.htm

Israel. Watch out for the propaganda scam and lies. http://www.levitt.com/essays/palestine.html

...the "Palestinians" do: not at all. Israel is one hundred percent correct in not recognizing Kosovo "independence". This is a criminal act that violates all international law. It is simply an instance of the west playing favoritism, once again showing preference to fanatical Muslims over everyone else.

The author says "based on any international standard one of the most blatent indications of a failed state is terrorsim" A perfect description for Israel, which is seen as the most brutal of failed terrorist states by the civilised world. There is one reason and one reason only why there is no Palestinian state and that is the imposition of Israel on Palestinian land and its continuing brutal occupation.

So who have you been slaughtering for 60 years, aliens ?

All of Israel is built on stolen land ! Stolen from the indiginous Palestinian people. Thats the way the civilised world sees it.

The bigoted ignoramus! Scrape off the hate in you and go study some real history of the region rather then allow yourself to digest pure propaganda due to the bias you exhude. There are no "Palestinians", never existed and only a recent invention. Yes there were arabs who came to dwell n the land you speak about, just like there are all kinds of nationalities that have come to live in Europe. This does not give them the right to the land. Start from this point and with an open mind see if you can absorb the true historical facts.

Terror is as terror does... I suppose you were an IRA supporter, too. The Palestinians are not an indigenous people-- no Arab outside the Arabian Peninsula is. Not only were the majority of "refugees" not indigenous, they were not even Palestinians until 1968. It would be hard to "steal" land from someone who doesn't own any. Less than 10% of the Palestinian claimants have any kind of ownership documentation that would stand up in a court of law for more than 10 seconds. Try to control your "foot-in-mouth" syndrome, please, and learn the subject first.

My coountry said it would recognize Kosovo;so Kosovo declared independence. The Palestinians have been quietly told by my country (I assume) not to even think of such a thing. It would only make them look more ridiculous than they already do.

Instead of counting the daily dead and injured Arab as a result of the terrorist war they declared on Israel, it would be wiser for the Arabs to abandon politics and terrorism, and search for a better future for themselves and their children, to choose well-being instead of politics and understand that a “Palestinian state” is mot the solution to their distress and misery. Huge amount have already been paid by the international community in order to help these people but the only beneficiary were the Arab politiciens. Even if there will be a “Palestinian state” the conditions of the population will not improve. The solution to their misery is elsewere : they should think about emigrating, discretely, to other Arab countries, (most of these countries are not very populated and can easily integrate them). That is the real solution as explained at : http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2008/01/new-paradigm-for-israeli-palestinian_19.html

Sure, I'll accept your first condition of calling all the Arabs that arrived from 1940 onwards immigrants, provided you do the same for all the Jews arriving in Palestuine during the same time period. That still changes nothing. Oh and the stolen land, I didn't make that up, those were ISRAELI reports. The IDF finally allowed human rights organizations to view military documents that clearly stated that 1/3 of all settlements are built on private Palestinian land. It was reported in ISRAELI news! I didn't pluck those figures out of thin air, but you'd still be in denial whatever proof I show you!