Support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at nearly a 20-year low among Americans, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Only 39 percent of respondents in the poll expressed support for a two-state solution, down from 58 percent in 2003, according to a Gallup Poll.
Well, you see there? That's just proof that the President has no choice but to act unilaterally in order to advance the correct agenda. After all... we saw with Obamacare that it doesn't matter if the People don't want it, someone has to MAKE them do "the right thing".
ReplyDelete(yes... that's all sarcasm)
It's a nonstarter, this 'two-state solution.' Never going to happen. The Palestinians don't want it, and have turned down proposals for it several times recently; the Israelis only want it because they would love a peaceful solution. One doesn't exist.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason I believe the Palestinians are against it is that it turns their Semi-Annual Rocket Firing "celebration" into actual acts of war. Not that they're not now, but even the most biased of European nations isn't going to be able to declare a cross-national attack on civilian targets as "resistance". At least at the moment, they have "cover" as the attacks are considered "internal dissent".
ReplyDeleteYou cannot simplify the Palestinian and Israeli positions that neatly, this is far too complicated and protracted an issue.
ReplyDeleteThat nihilistic but politically helpful narrative is the accepted position of Netanyahu and his far right and religious extremist allies, who are actually more than comfortable maintaining an apartheid state with budgetary assistance from foreign states.
Netanyahu won that election stirring fears of a Palestinian fifth column (the Israeli Arab voting block) and the potential for a deal to go through - one that might let the Islamic State set up shop; all whilst the Israeli (his) foreign minister said disloyal arabs should be beheaded with an axe.
I was just in Israel in December. It's true that they are owners of a complicated political system, such that it would be unreasonable to say that there is any one "Israeli" position on anything at all. I do get the sense that even some of the the religious extremists would be willing to make some concessions in return for a genuine peace, though. If one were really on offer, we'd be in a different case.
ReplyDeleteBut, you know, Israel just had elections and they endorsed this particular view. Palestine could hold elections too, but, the Fatah/Hamas split makes that a nonstarter. There's a real split there, too, so I suppose it's right to say there isn't a single Palestinian position.
even the most biased of European nations isn't going to be able to declare a cross-national attack on civilian targets as "resistance"
ReplyDeleteI believe you underestimate the capabilities of the said European nations in this regard.
I mean, people said that when Sharon evacuated all Jews from Gaza: that after this, since there was no "occupation" of Gaza any more, surely continued attacks mounted from Gaza would be looked on as acts of war and the responses would be at least tolerated. Nope. Gaza can attack Israel more or less randomly with impunity. Every method the Israelis have tried to stop them has been met with outrage.
That latter article from the Times of Israel is fully illuminating.
ReplyDeleteThe overall Israeli security strategy has greatly prioritised aggressive tactical victories, a short term pragmatic security goal. Significant figures from the Israeli intelligence and security community have great candour about this (the documentary The Gatekeepers from 2012 is fantastic).
I've not been to Israel, but religious extremists are not vaccinated against hypocrisy (I'd argue often the opposite). They will make compromises, but of what kind and with who? Who do they hate and fear the most, who will take an Israeli settler's homestead and Chauvinist dreams from him? It won't be a Palestinian will it, it will be some "traitor" like Yitzhak Rabin.
Well, and enforced by the same Israeli police who are currently keeping him from praying atop the Temple Mount, which is restricted to Muslims. (Although I hear that may change soon because of an Israeli Supreme Court decision).
ReplyDeleteThey are treated like football hooligans for a good reason.
ReplyDeleteTo be born into another person's shoes on this earth would totally destroy them, because their life is based on identity politics not values.