A slight overstatement
I like Danny Danon and I am also opposed to the creation of a 'Palestinian state' but I'm afraid he's a bit off-base here. MK Danny Danon of the ruling Likud party said that his party chairman, PM Binyamin Netanyahu must make clear at the start of any new negotiations with the PA, that there will be no Palestinian State.Unfortunately, the only party in the last election that opposed the creation of a 'Palestinian state' was National Union. They go three seats in the election. Netanyahu's Bar Ilan speech last June was far closer to the national consensus. Most Israelis would likely accept a 'Palestinian state' if it were demilitarized for at least some period of time, if it had borders that were less than the 1949 armistice lines, and if it came along with an end of conflict statement.
Danon said that the latest elections demonstrated the majority of the public's view that, "while Israel should make peace with the Palestinians, there should be no Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria with its capital in Jerusalem, Palestinians must recognize our right to the Land of Israel, and they should not be given the right of return."
Practically the distinction makes very little difference, because the 'Palestinians' have no interest in 'two states living side by side in peace and security' anyway except possibly as a phase in the ultimate destruction of the State of Israel. But Danon is overstating the case for Israeli opposition to a 'Palestinian state.'
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:14 PM
2 Comments:
The Palestinians have no interest in a state, period. They will never accept one no matter how much Israel begs them to take it. Danny Danon understands this. That is exactly why direct talks will go nowhere. Without satisfaction of Israel's minimal demands, the prospects of a two state solution ever happening are as good as rain falling in the Sahara Desert. And the Palestinians will never compromise enough to make a peace deal of the type most Israeli Jews can live with a reality.
I don't think Danon is overstating it much and for the reasons I've indicated, don't look for the conflict with the Palestinians to be settled in our lifetime.
I think you overstating your case too. IIRC, the "peace index" surveys found that only about 56 percent of Israelis (can't remember whether they surveyed Israeli Arabs or not) accepted a Palestinian state in principle, so it's not just 3 mandates.
In any event, it is highly doubtful any agreement will be reached in the near future, so this debate doesn't matter. Dannon's proposal would just make Israel take the fall, and therefor should be rejected.
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