This mantra has been heard for some time, yet often, without noticing at least three elements: 1) The basis for ALL peace talks and agreements to date, since the process commenced in 1991 during the Madrid Peace Conference, has been UN Security Council Resolution, 242, 1967. Nowhere in 242 is there either a call for or a suggest toward the setting up of an additional state between the Jordan River and the Med. Sea, nowhere! 2) The reason no such suggestion was made was because it contradicted the fundamental elements of international law related to the Arab Israeli conflict and the need to resolve it, i.e. San Remo conference decisions, 1920; League of Nations decisions, 1922; UN Charter, article 80, 1945. These elements of international law have already established the partition of Palestine between two states, Arab and Jewish. The former, located on 77% of Palestine, between the Jordan River and the Arabian desert. The latter, only 23% of the territory, located between the Jordan River and the Med. Sea. The call for an additional partition of the 23% of the Jewish home, as defined in international law, is strictly a political one, not based on law. 3) Reality is that despite the on going pronouncements of this mantra, there hasn't been a solution along the lines of further partitioning Palestine/Eretz Israel (Land of Israel). Perhaps, due to the fact that it is unworkable, to say nothing about its lacking fairness to the Jewish people. Isn't it, therefore, time to re-focus on that which has been established in law, i.e. the 1921/22 partition of Palestine/Eretz Israel (Land of Israel) on the basis of 77% vs. 23%; Arab Palestine east of the Jordan River vs. Jewish Eretz Israel west of the Jordan River?

No side is discussing pre-conditions. If that`s so, how can one explain those infinite hours of discussions between Kerry and Netanyahu or Abu Mazen ? In other words, how can there be "real progress" for an encounter if no side is "blinking" ?

You are a funny people, indeed. You shout defiantly: "no pull out from Gaza".. and less than a year, there you have 7000 souls sent back to your yard. Then you scream: "No apologies to Turkey. Never". And so you see Israel deeply humiliated.. not only regretting but also paying millions of indemnization. Now you come again with the old arrogande: "Judea and Samaria is ours. Arabs out". And two years hence, more and more isolated, you'll have thousands of Israelis crossing back the Green Line.. Livni is right. You should be proud of her for sparing you of more embarrassment and humiliation...

You are absolutely right. When we DO NOT have strong leaders like King David and King Solomon who are not afraid of what the world will say or do, they become lapdogs. Your article is humiliating us Israelis even more when you suggest we should listen to whom? Livni? Give us a break! This is not helpful...

In gesture politics...on either side We don't want gestures we are fed up with gestures - we want results But if there was to be any 'gesture' what could be better than the announcement of some significant JOINT PRACTICAL Project...Agri Research Lab, Joint Cultural and Sport Projects, Joint Tourism Project...in advance of talks What a positive message of hope that would give Proud to be Palestinian

Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over and over and expecting different results. This applies in spades to this dog-and-pony show called the "peace process". This conflict is "unique" because it originates in the theological contradiction of Revelation; something which cannot be resolved by politicians and diplomats. And, until there is a return to the fundamental Revelations of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, there will continue to be bloodshed. Michael

How can you claim "No side is discussing pre-conditions"? Abbas immediatly his usual vomitting of "return to '67 borders, stop settlement building, release of prisoners". Now wouldn't you consider THOSE to be preconditions?

Yes we are funny and sometimes we change our minds or decide to try to do things differently. It's what happens in a democracy. Moshe Dayan once said that only a donkey doesn't change it's mind. Many here believe that it's not only donkeys that don't change their mind, but with the Arab "spring" maybe the Arab street is also realising the value of changing one's opinion.

The Palestinians already know that peace results in a Palestinian majority state. Jews don't know that peace results in a Jewish majority state and will never agree to anything less. We will never know until the refugee issue is resolved if the Palestinians agree to a Jewish majority state. So, why not resolve the issue and spare everyone the endless whining.

Discussing needs to be " between the two sides". Here, what we see is pre-conditions by Abu Mazen "prior" to sitting for discussions.

Assume that Israel has paid its huge price and the American draft has signed as a peace agreement. What will be tomorrow? Mr. Barnea, what do you think?

The problem is not changing minds. The problem is not learning with previous mistakes. If you know settlements are illegal and the reason of all your sins and humiliation, why insist on them? It is just a question of time before we see all those scenes of despair and revolt of people being evacuated and returning back to the Green Line.

Just as America, even under Obama, would not talk to Al Quaeda. Nor should Israel talk to the genocidal terrorist P.A. The Oslo "peace talks" sent more than 1,000 Israelis to early graves and maimed more than 14,000. Shimon Peres and Labor should be forced to compensate thousands of victims of their criminal negligence during the talks. The goal of the talks is even worse. These "peace talks" are intended to turn Israel into a 9 mile wide concentration camp. Sane Israelis should all demand the immediate, permanent end to all talks with the P.A.

We may have had to swallow our pride and submit to the will of the Americans in making nice nice with Erdogan. You have to be blind not to realize how much more Erdogan lost when he enjoyed seeing us bend and bow. His country is in turmoil and he has had to spend millions of dollars to try to get his country under control. He blames rich Jews for causing the demonstrations and riots. HE CALLS HIMSELF A MAN OF FAITH ?? Even Erdogan knows that divine retribution was brought down upon his head almost instantaneously. Allah u Akbar.

We are tired of comments from Doha while we know the name of our God. Shall we get passport for him to come? Name: Mr Good Year. Place of birth: New Jerusalem. Date of birth: 1966 at least that will do.

What kind of a shuttle is it? A hoovercraft?

THE FOLLOWING OF "islam" WANT AN ISLAMIC WORLD CALIPHATE IN THE WORLD OF OUR PLANET EARTH, SINCE THE 7TH. CENTURY, EVEN BY JIHAD. WHAT THE WORD ''ISLAM'' MEANS IN THE ARAB LANGUAGE, WE ALL KNOW GRADUALLY. JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY IS A COMPLETE OTHER STORY/REALITY, FORTUNATELY ON OUR PLANET EARTH, IN OUR UNIVERSE.

Keep dreaming.. Allah u Akbar.

I've just said that bravados and tough language will never lead you anywhere and you mention strong leadership again as a solution... you never learn? ...

The root of your problems is the occupation. End it and the world will salute you. Erdogan and many Arab leaders use Israel to avoid their problems. This is not good for us, enlightened, progressive Arabs. But Erdogan has a point when he accuses the occupation and nobody can deny this. Even among you there are intelligent and smart Israelis that know that time has come to evacuate. Erdogan is not paying any price. You had the tend protests last year, Brazil has protests, Egypt has protests. This is good. The occupation is bad. Period.

peres methods worked slightly for the arabs because he made unilateral concessioins. The arabs did nothing for israel.Why does barnea keep lying to readers and to himself. The oslo was a noble attempt save for one thing- the arabs want nakba reversed and jews to l ive as dzimmis as they do in turkey. Barena is not alone, the whole of haaretz is filled with pitiful cowards who hate to admit that abbas is sitting on israeli ancestral land.

to get to a two state solution you need to change a lot of peoples minds, both Israeli and Palestinian,

There is no point trying to engage in sensible, polite and rational conversation with Dror about the Israeli-Arab conflict, unfortunately he is a bigoted racist and messianic fundamentalist whose main purpose on Ynet is to spew vicious anti-Arab, anti-Christian, anti-Gentile and anti-Muslim bile and racism at anything that isn't Jewish whilst throwing childish insults at anyone who disagrees with him, Im surprised the Israeli authorities haven't arrested and diagnosed him with a mental illness so consumed he is by hate and racist bigotry. Please do not Judge all Jewish people by Dror, there are many in Israel and the wider Jewish world who oppose and abhor his way of thinking and are deeply committed to a two-state solution and ending the occupation and engaging peacefully with the wider Arab and Muslim world. Sallam/Shalom.

because there is no occupation. And if there is any occupation, it is the occupation of Israel by the decendents of bedouin arabs who wandered into the Turkish Ottoman empire from the Arabian peninsula looking for work. The root of the problem is the propaganda that you keep feeding to yourselves and the world that the Jews "stole" your "palestine", the palestine that never existed in any form other than a vague area on British colonial maps. The root of the problem is the constant blaming of Israel for every problem in the arab world that you are unable or unwilling to solve yourselves, similar in fact to a country in Europe that blamed the Jews for its problems not long ago in history. Actually, the root of Israels' problems is YOU!

I agree David. Most of talkbackers here are freak, like Sarah B, Dror and number 24 above. They speak and scream like Arab fundamentalists, racists and anti-semits. Just change "Jew" for "Arab" and the hate speech is the same. The solution is the reasonable and educated people like you. Let Dror A, Belgium and Sarahs bark. The caravan goes on. The occupation will end, Israel will stand as a great countries and the Arab world will be open and democratic shortly.

If you had any sense you would understand that Islam and Democracy don't mix. They are like oil and water. You neither sound reasonable or educated when you call Sarah B a freak. Coming from you thats a laugh.

The truth is that most Israelis would like to reach an agreement with the Pals and the wider Arab world, but we are not prepared to commit suicide in order to do it. The 1967 lines are not going to happen as it would mean Israel giving up the Old city. No Arab refugees will be returning to Israel, but they can return to Gaza or West bank. For a deal to happen, Arab side has to accept these facts. Also as Israel is being asked to give up alot, Arab side must accept Israel as Jewish state, and thus end of conflict.

Which part of the arab world are you refering to...Syria? Not likely, shortly or ever. Egypt? The next Syria, they will also be killing themselves shortly. Lebanon? The Switzerland of the Middle East has long ago become the whore of Hizbollah, thanks to the PLO. Iraq? Is there an Iraq? Jordan? Where the minority Hashemite king has his suitcases packed to escape with his family when the "palestinians" decide that they aren't getting anything from Israel so they may as well take it from Trans-Jordan? The Gulf states? They don't know what democracy is, neither do the north African states. So what democracy are you talking about actually?

The nerve of you Ms. Muna to preach to us about anything. Your King funded the rebellion in Libya against Qadafi killing several tens of thousands of innocent Muslims. You are now in funding the FSA in Syria and they have butchered and massacred tens of thousands of Muslims and Christians. You hypocrite, you like to speak in absolutes, don't you. I have an absolute for you. No amount of money, oil or gas is going to help you achieve your aims of dispossessing us. As for you Fancy Pants, you never learn do you. Dave I truly truly wish you a pleasant journey to the pit of Hell over there in Engeland. I will relish the day the Muslims burn your entire country to the ground. You deserve it.

As painful as it may be, as truth sometimes is, you have no food. You have oil, yes,but you have no food. 6% procent of Qatar is arable, you recieve about 7 centimeters of rain a year. You must import more than 90% of your foodstuffs, and 94% of your workers are foreign. So why not lower your heads, send a delegation to Israel, and say..."please, teach us how you grow tomatos and peppers and strawberries in sand. Shachar Pe'er can play tennis in our country, even if she wins. Just teach us, because we NEED you, Israel!" Could you do that? Or would you prefer to be arabs and eat sand when your oil reserves dry up in 50 years?