Obama says Palestine must be based in 1967 borders

[robaus]

I applaud Obama. After years of previous presidents kowtowing and cringing before AIPAC, allowing the Israeli tail to wag US policy, he is at last taking the first steps to end an almost century old conflict. Peace in the Middle East will benefit the USA, Israel, the Palestinians and the whole world.

 

Way back in 2002 the whole Arab world agreed to recognise Israel within secure permanent borders, exchange of ambassadors, commerce.. the works... total end of conflict... in exchange for a return to 1967 borders ADJUSTED by LAND SWAPS to enable Israel to keep its large settlements.

 

Exactly what I have been saying for the last 15 years on various sites including Thai360 on

 

5 May 2008....

 

"Why doesn't USA and EU exert pressure on Israel to try this simple compromise solution. If it

works out, they'd be waving American and EU flags in the Middle East rather than burning them. If

it doesn't work out, Israel with its powerful armed forces could easily reverse the whole process over a long weekend.

 

A compromise:

 

A bit of give and take. Israel swaps border land equivalent "in area" to West Bank land occupied

in 1967, so that it can keep its large settlements i.e. 100% equivalent - not 97% causing pretexts to derail peace as in the Clinton/Barak Camp David deal. Yes, there will be some on both sides who still want either the total destruction of Israel or the total ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from "Judaea and Samaria". But they are on the fringes. The majority simply want to live peacefully.

 

Allow some geriatric Palestinian refugees who were actually born in Israel to return. Other refugees to be hugely compensated from an international fund. ($$ for rebuilding lives, jobs and peace much better than spent on bullets and bombs)

 

A face saving deal over Jerusalem, respecting both religions and peoples.

 

A completely demilitarised Palestine with only lightly armed police as in Costa Rica. Israel's in the box seat at the moment. Maybe they'll demilitarise later, when they find the peace is permanent.

 

The carrot: after 5 years of peace and prosperity, Israel and Palestine are invited to join the EU just like Cyprus 130 miles away. They could then live, work and worship in each others countries anyway.

 

A proviso that retains the Jewish right of return to Israel. So that descendants of Jews who fled pogroms and the Holocaust have a stepping stone to reclaim their European heritage. With peace perhaps more of world Jewry would at least register their citizenship in Israel to offset any demographic imbalance that Israel is worried about.

 

Israelis and Palestinians could be sitting on the most valuable piece of real estate in the world. $$ billions of EU and other investment funds would pour in. Tourists would flock there in their millions to enjoy the climate and all the historical, cultural and religious treasures.

 

Young Israelis and Palestinians could lead normal teenage lives, rather than being brutalized in the army and suicide bomber schools.

 

The wind would be taken out of the sails of terrorist and rogue nations worldwide who use the Arab/Israeli conflict as a casus belli.

 

Can you just imagine the dynamic of Israel and Palestine working together - the know how, the

investment drive, the pent-up energy now wasted in war and unemployment, and the world's good

will. It would unleash an economic renaissance akin to the Chindia phenomenon. And what a beacon of enlightenment it would be to the rest of the Middle East and the world.

 

Israel will never have peace until they make their enemies their friends.

 

Just as my parents and grandparents found out in Europe after two World Wars.

 

Shalom. Inshallah."

[Flashermac]

 

The world would applaud if you are right. But the hatred is deep. Let's hope for the best.

 

 

[Redbaron]

Got to give him credit on the gutsy stance.

 

But now he is really screwed.

 

Got it in a nutshell.

 

He just lost the support of about 20% of the US Senate, million of voters, and lots of big wallet contributors to campaigns

 

Yeah, that too.. Hopefully what robaus says could/will work. Too many people (on all sides) have lost their lives over this part of the world. Military and civilians. No matter what political/religious side you "support".

[TheCorinthian]

Yep. It is hard to put words to how much these people hate each other.

[chuckwoww]

I think a lot of Americans are fed up with it. At least Obama will bring the debate into the public arena.

[Flashermac]

I had an Israeli friend who grew up in the 1960s and 70s. He told me he had Palestinian friends and classmates, and that while the politicians might have ranted and rave, the people got along fairly well with each other. He grew up fluent in both Hebrew and Arabic, and used to visit his friends in their neighbourhoods with no one saying anything. He supplied his Muslim friends with booze, and they supplied their Jewish friends with hasish.

 

But he added all that changed in the 1990s and now Israelis and Palestinians hate each other. It has gone beyond repairing. He wanted the country divided, since it seemed to be the only lasting solution.

 

 

 

 

[chuckwoww]

I hear that a lot. There probably was a chance before '67. The peace process has become a farce. Bottom line... Israel can't exist without US support.

[kamui]

I hear that a lot. There probably was a chance before '67. The peace process has become a farce. Bottom line... Israel can't exist without US support.

 

It seems that Israel is on the loosing end of the arab uprising. They lost Egypt as an extremely important ally, the Palestines might form a united government and social network brings a new level organizations to the arab youth.

 

But Israel is so stuck in the past and in its hatred and ideology that it seems to be incapable to adapt to the new reality.

 

Obama positions is extremely interesting. He probably understands more most current Western leader of the realities in the Middle East and other Muslim countries. Since he grew up partly in a Muslim country he does not see Muslims through the distorted lenses of religious Christian right (like GWB).

 

And of course his new position is extreme courageous, taking position against the powerful Jewish interest groups and lobbyists, just at the beginning of a new election cycle.

 

 

 

[Bangkoktraveler]

I hear that a lot. There probably was a chance before '67. The peace process has become a farce. Bottom line... Israel can't exist without US support.

 

It seems that Israel is on the loosing end of the arab uprising. They lost Egypt as an extremely important ally' date=' the Palestines might form a united government and social network brings a new level organizations to the arab youth.

 

[[color:red']b]But Israel is so stuck in the past and in its hatred and ideology that it seems to be incapable to adapt to the new reality. [/b][/color]

 

Obama positions is extremely interesting. He probably understands more most current Western leader of the realities in the Middle East and other Muslim countries. Since he grew up partly in a Muslim country he does not see Muslims through the distorted lenses of religious Christian right (like GWB).

 

And of course his new position is extreme courageous, taking position against the powerful Jewish interest groups and lobbyists, just at the beginning of a new election cycle.

 

 

 

 

How right you are!

[Flashermac]

 

Israel at the moment has a very conservative pro-settler government. Obama trying to push them against the wall may have the effect of making the government dig in even more. He is trying to be fair to both sides. However, the extremists on both sides could care less about being fair.