Raven
"Russ" <mcresq@aol.com>skrev i en meddelelse news:20020413175318.04407.00005423@mb-fi.aol.com...

Russ
You forgot to mention that after refusing they continued attacks against Israel for the next 20 years.

Raven
Which is why, if you (as I expect) say that the Israelis have a genuine reason to be able to defend themselves against attacks from their neighbours, I wholeheartedly agree. Here and now, the risk of an attack is small, but the Middle East is volatile even apart from the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Here and now, their Arab neighbours are too divided to unite efficiently, and apart from Saddam they have leaders who don't want to rock the boat. That may swiftly change, for instance if there are revolutions in some of these countries, or the leaders, to prevent civil unrest or revolutions, decide to direct the attention of their peoples elsewhere. Imagine the Hashemites in Jordan being overthrown and Jordan allying itself to Iraq. Imagine a d?tente between Iraq and Syria. Imagine if the Royal House of Saudi Arabia decides that appeasing the USA is become less important than to quell unrest in their own country. Then Israel will have a problem.

?jevind L?ng
Now they are willing to do that in return for a Palestinian state in those territories, and now Israel refuses.

Russ
They haven't refused. Barak offered it two years ago. And Sharon has not rejected the Saudi proposal at all. However, the Palestinians are certainly not going to get when they could have gotten before 1967 (continuing to wage losing war does have its price). They won't get Jerusalem and they won't get a right of return.

Raven
There is disagreement over what Barak offered. Nearly all of the territories, but not East Jerusalem. Or nearly all of that part of the territories that were up for negotiation, excluding the Jewish settlements. These would have carved the Palestinian statelet into slices, as it was already before the second Intifada. There are many roads which are forbidden to Palestinians. They are for the exclusive use of Israelis.

?jevind L?ng
I think that the UN, led by the US, should tell them all to stop their antics

Raven
I'm neither God nor an expert, but it seems to me that the settlements are the main problem. Let there be a Palestinian state without these. As long as the Israelis feel their existence threatened, and as long as the Palestinians don't have a viable state, the UN, the US, the EU, even God himself booming from above, can tell them all in vain.