UN Vote on Palestinian State Could Force Israel's Hand -Ethan Bronner
Israel is under mounting pressure to make a far-reaching offer to the Palestinians or face a UN vote welcoming the State of Palestine. Israel, seeing the prospect of even more hostile governments as its neighbors, is insisting on caution.
(New York Times)
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How Israel Should Handle Pressure for a Palestinian State -Elliott Abrams
The Israeli nightmare has the leading nations of the world demanding terms about borders, security, and Jerusalem with which Israel cannot live. The EU is leading this Quartet effort, but every Israeli official with whom I spoke said the U.S. is waving the Europeans on and hiding behind them. Entirely missing is a relationship of confidence between the U.S. and Israel that might foster boldness or risk-taking.
In his April 14, 2004, letter to Prime Minister Sharon, President Bush stated that Palestinian refugees had no "right of return" to Israel and argued that a return to the 1949 armistice lines - a term he used in preference to "1967 borders" - was unrealistic given the existence of the major settlement blocs.
Those statements have been treated by the Obama administration as if they were some kind of private gesture by Bush in a personal note to Sharon. This devaluation of solemn pledges among allies has been a huge Obama mistake, for it undermines the value not only of past American pledges but of his own future words as well and makes Israel far less likely to take risks for peace.
(Weekly Standard)
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