The Israeli demand for a "demilitarized Palestinian state" is an admission that Israel does not seek peaceful coexistence with a neighbour on the basis of equality. Otherwise, either both states would be equally demilitarized, or both equally militarized. Does Israel offer to disarm itself to accomodate a "Palestinian state" in the West Bank and Gaza? Not on your life. Israel wants to remain a regional power. Israel wants the Palestinians to be subservient, powerless, and dependent. Israel does not want peace, but security. Israeli intentions are now so exposed that the Palestinians should be saying: Take your Palestinian bantustan -Vichy regime - prison-state, and shove it. Our aim is national liberation and popular sovereignty, and we are entitled to nothing less than that. .

I think the request is reasonable and should be the right of the state of Palestine to make such decisions on their own, without Zionist interference in to their security needs. Even after all the Israeli settlers have been removed from the West Bank and are back behind the pre-1967 green line and in Israel where they belong, the radical Zionist extremists that operate freely today with IDF protection will likely still try to attack and steal Palestinian land, and thus will still pose a clear and present danger to the citizens of Palestine. In order to defend the border and protect the people of Palestine, a regular army is certainly warranted, especially given the IDF's history of failing to carry out its duties when confronting radical Zionist elements. The weapons needed to defend the borders of Palestine will not be large enough to threaten Israel, but will ensure that Zionist extremists will never again be able to threaten Palestine.

as she's the one making sense..How can Olmert not understand by arming the pals imo will lead to even more violence?

Quiera will trick you.

STOP ALL NEGOTIATIONS FOR GOOD & FOR EVER. IF THEY WANT AN ARMY THEN GIVE THEM LEGO BLOCKS

i am sure they an army. because where the hell they will found guns 3 years from today too shoot on us on the roads?

Look folks, we all must communicate to Israel what is going on, the ultimate destruction of the state. Frankly, I cannot understand the stupidity of Israel's current leaders, Olmert, Livni and Co. Don't they get it? Are they in such statesof denial? The surrounding countries are laughing at Israel's ignorance. As a Zionist who wants Israel to survive, this is the last straw. Abbas won't accept less than the right of return, Hez and Hamas are arming, Iran we know about, and Iraq's jury is still out. Bin Ladin's forceful statements lately say it all...a combined Arab-Muslim jihad against the Jews. Condi, Bush, Obama and Hillary, in demanding the Road Map and 2 states, are in effect, condemning Israel to it's doom. Israel must stop this NOW, by, hitting Hamas hard, not releasing prisoners, warning Syria and Iran and meaning it, and telling Abbas, no army, no right or return, and no division of Jerusalem..otherwise, folks, Bin Ladin just might prevail over the thousands of dead Israeli (and other) Jews. Wake up Israel, wake up, hear what we are telling you., declare limited marshal law NOW.

They were initially supposed to have a limited number of armed men organized as mainly a police force. This got way out of bounds, totally unchecked by Israel, and never opposed by anyone. Nearly all of the billions upon billions of "aid" money thrown at them by dhimmi western nations and organizations is spent of arms. If Israel caves to this, it will be a national disaster. This will give the Palis the legitimacy to keep arming themselves to the teeth to better kill Israel civilians no matter where they live. They are not interested in building a state, that's for sure.

For sure that is what our peace parners need, an army. And with the help of our Herzelist government they will receive weapons, training and money in order to fulfill the government and its supporters death wish. And we the freiers will supply the needed tax money for this.

Can you point out any previous war in history where the LOSER dictated the terms of peace? Jordan LOST a war (1967) and paid the price for it. As a bonus, they also got to wash their hands of the "Palestinian problem", a problem they helped create. The Palestinians have LOST every war they fought, or was fought for them: 1948, 1967, 1970 (against Jordan), 1982. After losing FOUR wars, maybe they should get the message and surrender-- that's what LOSERS do, you know. Maybe if they'd admit that they lost those wars, they'd get better terms than they would get continuing to pretend that they won.

You let the local Arabs have an army and they are going to use it - against us. That's a given. Who else would they go and fight? Given this given, Israel would be committing national suicide if it enabled our local Arabs to have tanks and artillery and planes and rpgs. But all this underlines the impossibility and unworkability of the so-called "two state solution". Simply put, there is absolutely no room in our small little country for a second state, particularly one that would be occupied and run by a fundamentally hostile population who wishes, at best, to undermine its Jewish neighbor and, at worst, to destroy him.

There is all this waffle about a Palestinian State. Where would it be? It's an idea who's time has passed. Gaza has gone and will revert to Egypt. Israel should now focus on creating work for the Arabs in the West Bank. In the same way that the blacks failed in Zimbabwe the 'Palestinians' failed to create a viable economy. The creation of factories and farms by Israel, where the 'Palestinians' can work will benefit both sides. Mike

Haha nice one,that truelly made my day :)

the only people who think the arabs should have an army next to Israel are the ones who live far from there and don't care what happens to the jews.i'll be in small Israel in late july... "As He sat on The Mount Of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age?" And Jesus answered them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray. For many will come in My Name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs."

Soon some idiot Israeli will say "we are the toughest , we are the strongest, look what we did to Gaza in response to the Kassams" ANd that a small palestinian army is no threat to to a nuclear Israel. The Palestinian state will allow millions of arabs, palestinians, iraqis, iranians, lebanese , sudanese etc etc. Soon its population will exceed that of Israel,a nd its army will ebin the millions. No security wall will hold int he dailay barrage of 1000s of kassams, grads, and iranian missiles. This is the destruction of Israel, in stages.

You are entitled to nothing more than you are allowed, this as a result of your aggression and defeat. Shut up and be thankful to get anything at all!

Against whom they want to defend? They are extremely dependent from all states around them! The Palestinians have pathological urges for everything that has to do with military power and weapons. At the same time they do ANYTHING for arts, culture and education, their "economical independence" and the development of a real civil society. Furthermore, they are ridiculous negotiators: Everytime they could probably make a successful deal, they come with some torpedos to destroy all they possibly could reach – as it was in 2000 with Barak/Arafat. "Jerusalem", "the refugees", "Israel not a Jewish state" (simply incredible and hostile), "a regular army" – they always come with ideas nobody would have who is seriously looking for peace. Bet they don't want a state...

Most of the talkbacks are not only against an army for the Palestinian State, but also they are against the Palestinian state it self. What is then? What R U expecting? Don't U expect that Arabs & Muslims may wake up some day?.... A fair solution must be found,............ OR ELSE.

YOU CAN'T MAKE PEACE W/ MADMEN WHO SEND THEIR OWN KIDS OUT TO DIE W/ STRAP BOMBS AND ASSASSINATIONS OF JEWS. ARMY? LOL, SURE, SO THEY CAN MURDER MORE JEWS W/O REASON.

Maybe Israel should annex the West Bank and force/encourage Jordan to grant full citizenship to every Arab living there. These Jordanians can live in Israel, without voting and other citizenship rights, enjoying legal status and protection as foreigners, as long as they abide by the rule of law. They can satisfy their nationalistic/patriotic desires by voting in Jordanian elections. If they commit criminal acts they will be arrested and, upon conviction, expelled to their own country (Jordan). If they are convicted of an act of terrorism they will be expelled and have their property confiscated by the State. Israel will need to oversee the curricula taught in every Arab school and insure that it does not include libel or anti-semitism, anti-Israel terrorist propaganda. Mosques that teach anti-Semitism and terror against the State will be shut down. Free speach and freedom of religion do not include incitement to violence. Every Arab who feels they cannot live in Israel under such conditions will have their property purchased at fair market value and are free to resettle in Jordan or in whatever other country that welcomes them. Israel will of course build up the infrastructure, cities, and towns throughout the West Bank on all government owned land and by purchasing land from owners willing to sale. The solution is not perfect, and maybe not entirely fair, but nothing in life is. Others have said essentially the same thing before me. Why not go for it?

How dumb can we be?? This is incrementalism. Destroying Israel, piece by piece- with the help of Israel's foolish Left.

The Palestinians know Israel would never agree to this. This request relates to either foreign advisors telling them to stall or disorganization within Fatah. I suspect both. When Abbas threatens to quit if no state by 2009, he is bluffing. He talked about retiring to spend more time with family and may have additional health issues related to recent hospitalization. Palestinian army request is a smokescreen.

we should agree to this,only on one condition,the palestinians must appoint ,criminally insane traitor olmert as their prime minister,and delusional pathetic coward, ehud barak, as their defence minister, then israel has nothing to worry about