A smart nation leads with diplomacy while bolstering it's defenses. Israel has dismantled it's diplomatic efforts, destroyed it's natural assets in that arena and in the rumored appointment of right wing Republican hack Ron Dermer to the position in Washington is setting itself up for four more years in which it will Alienate not only the US administration but large segments of American Jewry. Tough and smart is one thing - bluster and stupidity is a disaster in the making.

All Abbas has to do is say "yes, let's meet for peace talks with no pre-conditions." He refuses. The red herring of "settlement construction" is just that, a cheap excuse to avoid a talks. Israel could just as easily say "sure, we'll totally freeze construction, but you have to totally freeze violence." Nobody in their right mind thinks the Palestinians could go a day, let alone a week or month without throwing a rock at some Israeli's head, or trying to kill Israelis with gasoline bombs. Yes, there is a clear majority of Israelis who want peace with our neighbors, but we simply don't believe the Palestinians who say they want peace and then fire rockets at us. Yes Abbas (and Abbas fans), the ugly truth is that Abbas is divorced from Gaza and the Hamas leadership makes it very, very clear over and over and over: no peace with Israel and they constantly deride Abbas for being a traitor because he says he wants peace with Israel.

Weve seen enough of the Netanyahu Abbas Antics The idea that Abbas can magically create a Palestinian State in the West Bank in a state of confrontation with Israel is bonkers. Trying to extract advantage by this UN Vote or that Boycott is useless. You only for example have to calculate the billions yes billions of dollars lost since Intifada 1 of Palestinian Employment and Remittances from Israel let alone economic development. Confrontation and hatred do not work..PERIOD What we have to do is pull the rug fron under Netanyahu and go for talks without preconditions however many settlements he announces. Thats taking the initiative.. and as they say..put him on the back foot! In any case no settlement announcement is a fait accomplit...its all down to negotiation

Look at the photo.

... for the destruction of Israel. Besides. Abbas is a terrorist and a Holocaust denier. He better returns to Tunisia, together with his "government" of terrorists.

Peace is Possible with Land swaps but no Jihadi or Salafi can be allowed into the Palestinian State as they will vote for War which lead to Mayhem .

You know the one all green for Palestine, entitled "All your base are belong to us"?

Mr Peres can either participate in the public political discourse OR he can be President of the State. He cannot be both. He should resign forthwith.

This Prime Minister and this Israeli government has needed no help poking their fingers in the eyes of the world. Eventually the Arabs and the world will react to the provocation, and the right wing of Israel will be put in their place. Hopefully, war won't be cost of their arrogance.

Abbas holocaust denier and terrorist. I always judge a man by the friends he keeps.

"Judean Peoples Front' as the name suggests, you're only interested in land grab, nothingelse.

The renewed enthusiatic crying out by the Left on the back of the Peres address is expected. My earlier expressed concerns are copied below remain very relevant to balance out this concern for our image as being disregarded isolated and left out in the cold so to say. Which country in the world allows a prominent stakeholder/non-executive personality to call a meeting and address all foreign govt reps ambassadors to-boot and address them without cabinet consensus. This man is most dangerous and must be frustrated he was not elected prime minister again. He is now pusuing our people. The outside world look for info to leverage us into a so-called 2 state solution. Again our v.president tries to assume an unauthorised executive roll and in doing so prejudices the responsible leadership of our Holy land. We can only hope that these ambassadors take note of the response and broad opinion on the ground. That he definitely does not represent view of our people. Perhaps in reading the response to his speech they will accept the reality. PA new flag says it all, no Israel appears. This seem to indicate a first step to a declaration of war. The charter as it stands unchanged is a declaration of war. The throwing of rocks at our citizens harming them and damaging their assts is also close to a declaration of war. if the so-called authority of the PA does not deter its residents from their ongoing vendetta would be seen a declaration of war. We have the right to protect ourselves its coming the time that we saw fit to reign in our enemy with so-called peace-pipe in hand. PA & hamas define peace as the sea shore even 67 borders are a ruse and the in the plan. Is it not clear to the world "Peace Talks" buy time note negotiated agreements. Is crying fowl over E1 etc to buy time and frustrate us. The world needs to learn about RED HEARINGS when they see them. We must secure our people from these "pretenders".. An Yisroel Chai

Who is going to enforce it? We see how worthless the UN and international community are in saving the people of Syria.

The left might be trying to exploit it but Peres did go way beyond the boundaries of the presidency with that speech. The president is supposed to shake hands with diplomats and kiss babies not act political which this obviously was meant as an endorsement for Labor. Along with Peres abusing the presidency we have but earlier this month Abbas has said if Bibi is reelected the PA will end security cooperation, will call for international sanctions against Israel and he will take Israeli officials to the ICC. It now appears he has decided 2 state is not enough and Israel must adopt the arab plan which involves giving up the Golan. This UN bid has gone to Abbas head and he now thinks he is some kind of global political heavyweight who other countries must bow down to.

The Palestinians hate the Jews so much, because they are there mirror image. Both are stubborn, spiteful, stick necked, petty, cheap, and argumentative. The only difference is that the Jews are cruel to their fellow Jews, but nice to the rest of the world. The palestinians are cruel to themselves and the world. I think they have more similarities then differences. Maybe some bridges can be built. Maybe this is why the almighty put them together. This is a match made in hell but could work. Excuse me for my stereotypes. I call them as people act. This could be a dangerous combination or world domination. The Jews stubbornness and the palestinians bomb belts could strike the fear in any sane person.

we are also willing to live in peace with you. BUT, ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE UP THE RIGHT OF RETURN, THIS ABSURD RIGHT OF RETURN? BECAUSE OF YOU DON'T, DO NOT CLAIM YOU WANT PEACE. CLAIM YOU WANT TO DESTROY THE ISRAELI JEWISH DEMOGRAPHIC.

STEVEN, you know only too well that israel can never be forced to do anything at all if it undermines its security in that region. not clinton, not bush and never obama will succeed if israel senses that its security is being put under the bus. remember, it is the arabs who were the aggressors, not israel. it is the arabs that refused the partition, not israel. the aggressors will have to compromise and will have to give up the right of return, which is absurd. why would abbas insist on all palestinians going into israel if he wants to create a palestinian state for all palestinians???????? that is the crux of it. he will never agree to include all palestinians abroad into the newly created palestinian state. he wants the 7 millions around the world to flood israel and become an arab majority in israel which means the end of israel and the jewish state. the jews are not stupid. actually they are the most brilliant people on the planet. what abbas wants will never happen. if he gives up the right of return, then yes, there will be peace. it is that easy! hameed aboughaze, iranian

He will be sorely disapponited if he tests Jewish reolve.

Abbas says to Peres: "If Israel goes back to pre-67 lines ( 1948 cease fire lines ) and gives back the Arab lands ( The Golan and what else) than we can live side by side." And Peres, as a polite god-cop, does nothing to show Abbas his cards.

where all of Israel is Palestine?

How quick people forget the German and Czechoslovakia Sudetenland. and than they will want the whole thing....in fact they really want it now. We say no to them... not now not ever. Israel will stand strong. It will value your lives more than you value it and teach you humanity and drag you into the 21 century from the 12 century where you are today.

I made allyah from Brazil 10 years ago. I did not leave the slums of Rio to find a better life in Israel to live in a permanent state of war. That's why I think this talk about two States is useless. Let's disseminate settler in all parts of our land and make it a big, powerful state. Peres is weakening our status. It is time for him to retire.

Mr Al Araby, head of the Arab league is absolutely right to say that peace talk is a waste of time because Arabs do not want peace but a piece of and ultimate destruction of Israel, driven by empire building aspirants, encouraged by fellow travellers in the EU still on Nazi time, the godless intellectuals who preach against Abrahamic religions and finally the anarchists who have more influence now than ever before Palestinians originated from Lebanon, Syria Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt as economic migrants seeking work at the yeshuv during the twentieth century; They can be an asset if absorbed into their lands of origin , and a quid pro-quo for the equivalent number of Jews expelled from Arab Lands , and stripped of property and possessions where they lived for up to 2600 years since the exile Surprising as it may seem, to the bitter leftists, self hating Jews, and the pseudo Israeli intelligensia, there are many equitable ways to resolve the conundrum yet to be attempted, once the Jew haters conclude it is futile to attempt to bring about a second Holocaust Perez should leave well alone

1. Abbas gets a state, allows 4 million radical Islamist so-called refugees into the West Bank. 2. Hamas takes over & starts relentlessly rocketing every major Israeli city, paralyzing Israeli society. 3. Israel is forced to retake the West Bank, now with an additional 4 million savages to deal with. Don't be stupid Israel. Dealing with international condemnations of the status quo, is not nearly as bad as dealing with an enemy state in your back yard. Stand up for yourself, don't be suicidal. Make it clear that a Palestinian state cannot and will not ever exist West of the Jordan river. #jordanispalestine

...accepts his fellow partner for what he is. Sadly, Mr. Abbas refuses to accept Israel's right to be, to exist as the sovereign nation-state of the Jewish people, categorically. It is important to have a peace partner, but, sadly, it is Abbas who objects to a peace treaty that considers the conflict as over and that states that no more demands will follow... And, finally, it is important to have a peace partner... that actually come to the table and talk peace. Abbas, again, refuses to do so!! Let us take the blinders off our eyes!!

You cannot have true preace by compromising with truth and principles! You can compromise only with your rights and priviledges but not with the truth and principles! President Peres cannot understand he has no right to give up the land of Israel (West Bank and East-Jerusalem). Peres would be an excellent president if he respected the BIBLE!

the President was from the right and a few weeks before the elections said something that would support the agenda of one of the parties on the right?