Monday, November 26, 2007

Closing in on Annapolis

The time is getting close for the great meeting in Annapolis, this the latest of initiatives to bring peace to Israel and the Middle East. Of course any and all concessions to be given up to buy that lasting peace is for Israel to give--there is nothing new about that.

The more moderate Palestinians (those 45% that don't believe in suicide bombing) are demanding at minimum a two state solution while some other regional Muslims like the Ba'aths in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the mullahs in Iran (and some Mennonites) lobby publicly for a one state solution--with Israel eliminated entirely.

Every time I hear the two-state solution trumpeted by the most sane of those involved I am reminded of this article in Front Page Magazine from several years ago that speaks to the true history of this dispute and doesn't resemble the monolithic narrative we hear from the MSM.

The only thing about the Middle East that goes without argument and even without saying is that the Palestinian Arabs are a stateless, homeless people.

You can`t pick a fight on that anywhere in the world, including Tel Aviv. The fact that four wars have been fought for the ostensible purpose of resolving the plight of the Palestinians has solidified this consensus. Everyone believes it.

The Oslo peace process lies in ruin, and the road map plan is off to a shaky start, due to the inability of the parties involved to agree on a formulation of principles concerning the right, or lack thereof, of the Palestinians to determine their own future on the West Bank of the river Jordan -- the area universally regarded as the historic, political, geographic, and demographic landmass of Palestine.

But even as the arguments rage over whether or how this should or can be accomplished - a state, a homeland, an entity? - a lot of well-intentioned people will tell you that there is not now and never has been a Palestinian nation.

The problem with this notion is that it is not true. There is and has been a Palestinian nation since May 14, 1946 - only two years to the day before there was an Israeli nation.
Good article.

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