Israel can redeem itself by recognizing a Palestinian state (Ha'aretz editiorial)

[Violet_Crumble]

Even if the Palestinians prove a disappointment and even if the move doesn’t yield immediate practical results, demonstrating goodwill would help Israel retrieve a moral standing in the eyes of the world.

A ghastly specter has Israel terrified − the specter of the Palestinian state. More accurately, this specter has been terrifying Israel’s leaders for the past four decades. It has now been replaced by a feeling of perplexity, which grows as we approach the day the Palestinian state is declared in the United Nations, with a sweeping international majority.

Despite Israel’s desperate efforts to stall the process, the die appears to be cast − a Palestinian state will be founded, and soon. Now the question is what Israel should do − beyond lobbyism, spreading horror and expressing fears.

It would be naive to see the establishment of the Palestinian state − especially without prior negotiations or an agreement with Israel − as a magic solution that will abruptly end the conflict. But it is no less naive to think that preventing its establishment is still possible or even helpful. Perhaps the opposite is true: If the land is destined to be divided, maybe Israel will benefit by standing genially beside the nascent Palestinian state’s cradle, even as one of its nurturers.

Israel can improve its status if it takes its fate into its own hands. It can be the first to welcome the establishment of a Palestinian sister-state, wish it luck, hold out its hand in peace and express a desire to discuss borders, refugees and settlements issues, this time on an entirely different level − as two sovereign states.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-can-redeem-itself-by-recognizing-a-palestinian-state-1.358756

[Ken Burch]

1. It can...but I'm not holding my breath

Bibi and Lieberman have too much invested in keeping the war going forever. They've never cared about the safety of the people of Israel. If they did, they wouldn't keep expanding the settlements when they know that always makes everything worse.

Haaretz is right, yet again...but it will be attacked by the right-wing crazies yet again.

Thanks for posting this, Violet.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. No, I'm not either...

It'd be a very astute move for Israel to recognise a Palestinian state, but Nutty and Lieberman aren't the sharpest tools in the box, and their definition of 'peace' is something most people wouldn't recognise, as it'd involve more and more settlements and less and less Palestinians...

[regnaD kciN]

2. And the Republicans can redeem themselves by helping pass a single-payer health-care system...

Each of the two scenarios has about the same likelihood of occurring as the other, IMHO.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Good article

[shira]

5. This is nonsense.

"Even if the Palestinians prove a disappointment and even if the move doesn’t yield immediate practical results, demonstrating goodwill would help Israel retrieve a moral standing in the eyes of the world."

Leaving Gaza and South Lebanon, in addition to making credible offers for a Palestinian state in 2000 and 2008, did nothing to "help Israel retrieve a moral standing in the eyes of the world" and this won't do it either. THAT won't even happen here at DU.

If Israel recognizes a Palestinian state, that's one thing, but it won't lead to the above.

These are the same idiot pundits who said Egypt's revolution will lead to genuine democracy and something better than Mubarak's regime.

:eyes:

[Ken Burch]

7. Egypt's revolution is still in process

Nothing has happened there yet to prove that it would have been better to keep backing Mubarak. And even YOU would have to admit that he couldn't have been kept in power forever against the will of the Egyptian people.

If the U.S. had sent in troops to save the bastard(along with the IDF, as I suspect you would have liked)both countries would have lost, forever, any chance to even ASK Arab countries to work with us. Ever.

[Scurrilous]

6. Israeli ministers and lawmakers call for annexing West Bank

A recording reveals Israeli leaders countering the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation signing to take place in 3 days by calling for annexation of the West Bank

<snip>

"Israeli ministers and lawmakers call for the annexation of the West Bank to Israel in a direct retaliation to the reconciliation agreement to be signed between Fatah and Hamas.

Israeli Channel 2 revealed that the calls weren’t only propagated by parliamentarians of the far right, but also included important ministers in the Israeli government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu.

Channel 2 aired a voice recording of a meeting attended by Israeli Minister of Environment Moshe Kahlon and young leaders of the ruling Likud party where Kahlon said that an Israeli decision decreeing the annexing of the West Bank has become a necessary step following the Fatah-Hamas settlement.

He stressed that Israel is obliged to retaliate to deter the Palestinians from taking any action that could threaten Israel."

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/11158/World/Region/Israeli-ministers-and-lawmakers-call-for-annexing-.aspx