Palestinian Prime Minister to Israeli Leaders: We are Building a State While Under Occupation to End

[oberliner]

the Occupation

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad forthrightly brought his case for building a Palestinian state to Israeli political and military leaders, and they applauded. The new Palestinian attitude towards how to end the occupation that began in 1967 was on full display during Fayyad's speech at the Herzliya conference in Israel earlier this month, and it has had a considerable impact on its Israeli audience.

With reports that "proximity talks" between Israelis and Palestinians will begin soon, attention must be paid to Fayyad's remarks and their reception.

Fayyad did not hold back in presenting the Palestinian perspective to Israel's leaders. He firmly called for a settlement freeze, insisted that a Palestinian state must be fully sovereign and viable with East Jerusalem as its capital, and reasserted that the goal of the national movement is the creation of such a state living alongside Israel in peace and security. Although some Palestinians and Arabs criticized Fayyad for taking part in an Israeli conference on security, he received very strong support from many Palestinians based on the content of his remarks.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ziad-j-asali-md/palestinian-prime-ministe_b_473570.html

[shergald]

1. And Netanyahu's reaction was?????

Netanyahu has already denied East Jerusalem to the Palestinians, claimed the Jordan Valley, refused to withdraw from any settlements, and indicated that it will be necessary for IDF to remain in and surround the Palestinians territory, the bantustans that remain.

Peace with the Palestinians or Apartheid, said Barak in his speech, and he was distinctly contradicting Bibi, who is pretty much supporting the old Sharon, who said Palestinian Bantustans were sufficient. We all know what Apartheid is, meaning that peace with the Palestinians is a sovereign, continguous independent state with its own borders, presumably abut Jordan.

It can be no other way.

[shergald]

2. PS: Anyone disagree?

[oberliner]

3. Screw Netanyahu

Fayyad should move forward with his plans regardless of what Bibi thinks of them.