Palestinian State

The Rev. James W. Dale suggests that "The harder way, I believe, is the way of continuing to demand that both sides must come to the table if there is ever to be a lasting peace with justice" ("Choosing to stay engaged," May 4). This in contrast to pressuring Israel through divestment from Israeli companies profiting from the occupation. Unfortunately, the Palestinians have endured many, many years of "coming to the table," with the only result being more and more confiscation of their land and water resources.

KAL's cartoon of March 24 depicting President Barack Obama disinterring a dove representing the two-state solution, only to see the dove shot at by "Israeli extremists" and "Palestinian extremists" is witty, clever, and inaccurate. The cartoon lazily rehashes the simplistic but false narrative that zealots on both sides are responsible for continuation of the conflict and equally to blame for the lack of a peaceful resolution. In reality, the fact that in 2013, a Palestinian state does not exist is attributable to the 1947 Arab rejection of the UN partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states; Yasir Arafat's 2000 rejection of the contiguous Palestinian state offered by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in negotiations at Taba; and President Mahmoud Abbas' 2008 rejection of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's offer of a Palestinian state on 97 percent of the West Bank.

Over the strenuous objections of the U.S. and Israel, the United Nations General Assembly voted today to grant nonmember observer status to a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. The U.N. action, which was widely anticipated, was largely a symbolic move that does nothing to change the situation on the ground or lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. But it does raise international pressure on Israel to show it is serious about reaching a negotiated settlement, while allowing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to claim a historic advance in his people's quest for global recognition.

Over the strenuous objections of the U.S. and Israel, the United Nations General Assembly voted today to grant nonmember observer status to a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. The U.N. action, which was widely anticipated, was largely a symbolic move that does nothing to change the situation on the ground or lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. But it does raise international pressure on Israel to show it is serious about reaching a negotiated settlement, while allowing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to claim a historic advance in his people's quest for global recognition.

JERUSALEM -- Ehud Olmert, in his first major policy address since becoming Israel's acting prime minister, said yesterday that he backs the creation of a Palestinian state and that Israel will have to relinquish parts of the West Bank to maintain its Jewish majority. "We support the establishment of a modern, democratic Palestinian state," Olmert said at the annual Herzliya Conference near Tel Aviv, which has become a forum for important speeches by Israeli leaders. "The existence of two nations, one Jewish and one Palestinian, is the full solution to the national aspirations and problems of each of the peoples."

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli public seems more prepared than their leaders to see a Palestinian state existing beside Israel.A majority of Israelis believes that such a state will be created at the end of the peace process, according to a public opinion poll released yesterday. Elected leaders continue to insist that no such state will be created.There are other signs, too, of the Israeli public's view of what the peace process may lead to. While the government of Yitzhak Rabin insists that no Jewish settlements will be removed from the occupied territories, hundreds of Jewish settlers are reported to be willing to move.

IF THERE IS TO BE any hope for a lasting peace in the Middle East, Palestinians must be given a chance to build a state of their own.Real statehood for Palestinians means full control of land, control of economic life (as much as any country can hope for independence in this era of globalization), and the right to as much democracy as this long-occupied and long-exiled people is prepared to fight for.Certainly a new Palestinian state is going to have trouble - serious trouble. But potential obstacles cannot be allowed to attack the legitimacy or undermine the potential feasibility of a new state.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- A top aide to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stirred a hornet's nest yesterday when he was quoted as saying the purpose of Israel's proposed withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank is to "freeze" Palestinian statehood indefinitely, as if suspended in "formaldehyde." "The significance of the disengagement plan is the freezing of the peace process," Dov Weisglass, senior diplomatic adviser to Sharon, said in unusually candid remarks published by the Israeli daily Haaretz as excerpts from an interview that will appear in the paper tomorrow.

JERUSALEM - A leader of Hamas said yesterday that the militant group could endorse the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, hinting at acceptance of Israel's right to exist. But it was unclear whether the official, Sheik Hassan Yousef, spoke with the full backing of the organization. Israel called his statements highly conditional and said they would have to be backed by deeds. Hamas, which is formally known as the Islamic Resistance Movement, has long been sworn to Israel's destruction.

JERUSALEM -- In a bold, unexpected challenge to the militant group Hamas, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, announced yesterday that he would hold a national referendum calling for a Palestinian state alongside Israel based on its 1967 borders, unless Hamas agreed to those negotiating terms within the next 10 days. The ultimatum caught Hamas, Israel and the United States by surprise, and raised the stakes in the power struggle between Abbas' Fatah Party, which favors pursuing negotiations with Israel, and Hamas, which controls the Palestinian Authority and refuses to recognize Israel or to renounce violence.

President Barack Obama's re-election will cause problems for Israel and Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It's very unlikely now that Israel can count on Mr. Obama and U.S. support as far as the Palestinians go, or on efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Mr. Obama's support and endorsement of the establishment of a Hamas-led Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders is one of the worst and most dangerous foreign policy decisions his administration has made so far. Mr. Obama has alienated Israel since he entered office in 2009 . Its no secret that he and Mr. Netanyahu have clashed; remember how Mr. Obama snubbed Mr. Netanyahu when he visited the United Nations in September?

Prior to leaving Egypt for the United Nations General Assembly, Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi told The New York Timesthe United States needs to "fundamentally change" its approach to the Arab world. That includes, he said, showing greater respect for Arab values, as well as helping to build a Palestinian state. Is there an Arab equivalent for the Yiddish word "chutzpah"? It isn't the policies and attitude of the United States toward the Arab world that need changing. It's the attitude and policies of the Arab world that need to change.

The Rev. James W. Dale suggests that "The harder way, I believe, is the way of continuing to demand that both sides must come to the table if there is ever to be a lasting peace with justice" ("Choosing to stay engaged," May 4). This in contrast to pressuring Israel through divestment from Israeli companies profiting from the occupation. Unfortunately, the Palestinians have endured many, many years of "coming to the table," with the only result being more and more confiscation of their land and water resources.

The Sun reports ("Bid for statehood may end; Possible deal delays U.N. debate, retains aid to Palestinians," September 21) that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas "decided to approach the U.N. this year [for statehood recognition] because of his frustration that after nearly two decades of U.S.-led negotiations, the long-promised separate Palestinian state had not materialized. " That's one way of putting it, but it's Palestinian spin. It's Palestinian rejectionism that has frustrated U.S. diplomacy.

Israel and the Palestinians are on a collision course this week, as the government of Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas prepares to unilaterally seek United Nations recognition of an independent Palestinian state. If Mr. Abbas goes through with his plan, it would force the U.S. to use its veto on the Security Council to block the proposal, which it has promised to do - but which would also leave it in a far weaker position to influence events in the region. U.S. officials are desperately hoping to avoid such an outcome, but at this point the best they may be able to do is limit the damage.

In September, the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas plans to bring a statehood petition to the United Nations. The initial plan is to bring it to the Security Council for approval. If the U.S. vetoes it, as expected, the PA will then bring it to the U.N. General Assembly, where it hopes to mobilize a vast majority to support a Palestinian state along the pre-1967-war boundaries, with East Jerusalem as its capital. While such a ploy would not give the PA formal U.N. membership, it would legitimize PA state-building efforts and put Israel on the defensive.

JERUSALEM -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday to agree to peace talks that would include three issues that have bedeviled Middle East negotiations since 1979. Late last evening, Olmert had not agreed to allow negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians to include discussions about the status of Jerusalem, the borders of an eventual Palestinian state or the question of whether Palestinian refugees who fled, or were forced to leave, their homes would have a right to return to Israel.

JERUSALEM -- The sudden political disappearance of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, struggling for life after a major stroke, has thrown the future of any peace process with the Palestinians into question. But the Palestinian Authority is in such disarray that it might be incapable of negotiating on terms an Israeli leader could accept. There is spreading chaos, a sense of deterioration and growing concern among both Palestinians and Israelis that the Palestinian Authority, which is nearly bankrupt and facing a huge budget deficit, might look like a failed state even before it becomes one. Life for ordinary Palestinians is becoming harder, with less security and optimism than a year ago. The Israelis pulled out of Gaza - a thrilling moment for many Palestinians - but the territory has become practically lawless, not a model for a future state, and Palestinian voters seem set to punish their rulers, the divided Fatah movement.

The article "Social networks as a grass-roots approach to Mideast peace" ( July 18 ) misses the point when it lists the Israeli-Palestinian conflict's core issues as "...mutual recognition and respect, ideology and dignity. " In fact, there are four key issues involved: borders, settlements, refugees and Jerusalem. Unfortunately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to even discuss, much less negotiate, any of these issues. Instead, what Israel wants is to continue stealing more Palestinian land and water in occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem while maintaining its strangulation blockade on the civilian population ofGaza.

The United Nations needs to be restrained and warned that a declaration of a Palestinian state must not come about. President Obama needs to assume some leadership role and responsibility for the first time. A declaration and the establishment of a Palestinian state would cause great harm to the stability and peace in the Middle East. Should the United Nations go in that direction and try to establish a Palestinian state, then the United States should withdraw all funding, which is now about 22 percent of the UN budget.