I'll just reemphasize what I wrote then, the longer the Palestinians wait to settle the dispute, the lesser of a state, if any, they will end up with. They must get forward people with whom Israel can negotiate. In all my discussion with relatively high placed people in the conflict, they say, "we just do not have a partner in an talk". The Palestinians must produce for their own good a leader of the caliber of David Ben Gurion, which will unite all these militzia and bring them under strict control of the civilian authority, if it risks a civil war, it is better than losing the only opportunity for statehood they have. Ben Gurion saw that and risked a civil war in 48, but 55 years later, the Israeli have a strong and economically viable state. In 50 years, the Palestinians, if they so wish, could have a little Mid East Singapore, side by side with Israel. They just do not want it. They want "all of it", a "Palestinan state from the river to the sea". Well, if you were an extremist Israeli, your response would be "Up yours, An Israeli State on both sides of the river". Sharon controls those "both siders", some of these are in jail when they break the law to achieve their goals,, Arafat not only does not control his extremists, he refuses to declare acceptance of a minimal state (remember the deal Clinton and Barak offered, that deal will never be offered again, any deal will be much less).
Zeev |
