Talkingpointsmemo's Josh Marshall: Time to Face Reality

[flpoljunkie]

Time to Face Reality
Josh Marshall
May 24, 2011, 10:10AM


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister Netanyahu doesn't want a two state solution. Period. End of story. Whether this is a principle of deeply held belief (probably) or just a desire not to see his coalition government fall (certainly) doesn't really matter. His clear aim is to perpetuate the status quo indefinitely -- something that is simply not compatible with Israel's security, America's security or the Palestinians need for a state.

This is hardly surprising for anyone who has followed the issue closely. But any remaining ambiguity is destructive in itself. His attack against a sitting American president for proposing the 1967 borders (which are actually the 1949 borders) with land swaps as the basis of negotiations is the final tell.

His policy is perpetual occupation. Time to accept that reality and draw the appropriate implications.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/05/time_to_face_reality.php?ref=fpblg

[tularetom]

1. If he doesn't STFU somebody will propose going back to the 1946 borders

[oberliner]

2. Hamas is on your wavelength

Hamas: We may demand talks on 1948 borders

Hamas spokesman Mahmoud al-Zahar responded to US President Barack Obama's speech on the return to the 1967 borders.

"Clearly Obama's plan is no different, aside from a few small details, from that of George Bush. Now he refers to the 1967 borders as sacred, but who says we accept them, and that we won't speak of the '48 lines?" he told al-Emarat al-Youm

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4072669,00.html

[n2doc]

3. ...

[butterfly77]

4. Kicked&Recommended...

[flpoljunkie]

5. Haaretz op-ed: Netanyahu is not ready for any deal with the Palestinians

Netanyahu is not ready for any deal with the Palestinians

Netanyahu is not ready for any agreement, any concession, any withdrawal; as far as he's concerned, it's all the Land of Israel.

By Nehemia Shtrasler

There's nothing funnier than reading political pundits trying to get to the bottom of the fine points of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speeches. When he said "settlement blocs," did he mean the evacuation of all the rest? When he spoke of a "military presence" in the Jordan Valley, did he mean the Israel Defense Forces, or an international force?

So many questions and interpretations over nothing. Because the truth is simple and down-to-earth: Netanyahu is not ready for any agreement, any concession, any withdrawal. As far as he's concerned, it's all the Land of Israel - for both historical and security reasons. All the rest is just words. Just speeches designed to relieve some of the pressure being applied by U.S. President Barack Obama. Just bluff and deception.

Netanyahu is not willing to return to the 1967 borders ("with slight adjustments" ), because in his opinion, they are not defensible. He is not willing to withdraw from the Jordan River, and he also wants the Palestinians to declare in advance that they will waive the right of return and recognize Israel as a Jewish state. That is why there is nothing to talk about with regard to resuming negotiations. There's no chance of that. And Obama knows it too.

The trumped-up argument over the "1967 borders" is a good example. The U.S. president said in his first speech that an agreement with the Palestinians must establish a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines, with land swaps. Netanyahu deliberately distorted his words and angrily opposed the idea of a return to the 1967 borders. Then Obama explained, in his second speech, that there will be no return to those lines, because there will be land swaps that will take account of the demographic situation - in other words, the settlement blocs.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/netanyahu-is-not-ready-for-any-deal-with-the-palestinians-1.363666

[Pirate Smile]

6. Bibi & Israel feels like Bush/Cheney & the US in 2002/03 during the build up to the Iraq War.

Completely damaging their own country's security and national interests, while also totally belligerent and delusional about how the rest of the world is looking at them like they are insane and are going to cause long term damage to not only themselves, but their allies as well. :(

[hlthe2b]

7. Bibi and his gang of Likudists need to GO...

Israelis, give them the boot!

[leftynyc]

8. People here can blame Bibi all they want

The reality is that shit like this doesn't help:

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/...

Hamas has already spoken out to mourn bin Laden’ death - a useful reminder to us all of what Hamas believes and wishes for Palestinians. It will be interesting to see how other groups react and what they say, but the Hamas statement will reverberate in the United States. A Palestinian government that contains a group mourning and celebrating this murderer will not appear to most Americans to be a possible peace partner for Israel.

[On the Road]

9. He Doesn't Support a Two-State Solution?

His predecessors in the 1940s certainly did.