By Ted Belman
JPOST has published an op-ed under the heading of “Hot Opinions” by Michael Cohen titled A qualitative difference for the Democratic platform on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I wasn’t going to republish it until this excerpt caught my attention,
“A critical area where the committee has an opportunity to make a difference is the role of the next administration in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Whoever is president will focus on the core issues: borders, security, refugees and Jerusalem.
“There is not much left to negotiate with these issues; most have been discussed in the formal negotiations, the Geneva Accords, the Pittsburgh Process, et cetera. In many ways, preventing an agreement from being reached are the issues under the table, because they are the heart of the conflict.
“These overlooked issues include emotion, trauma, responsibility, cultural differences, breaking down myths and, related, acknowledgment of and a better understanding of the other. In so many ways, those elements are the real issues.”
In my opinion, the opposite is true. Israel is faced with a situation in which the whole world is demanding that she give up on her rights and accept the Arab Peace Initiative deal with its ’67 lines plus swaps as borders, division of Jerusalem and a just settlement of the refugee issue.
Israel is refusing to do so, not because of how she “feels”, but because what is being offered is a lousy deal that will not bring peace. Furthermore Israel has the far greater right to all of Judea and Samaria and to Jerusalem than the Arabs so why should she give it away. Possessiohn is 9/10 of the law so if you want someone to give up possession , give them a better deal.
Arab Peace Initiative Is Negotiable, Saudi Arabia and Jordan Say Pinhas Inbari
http://jcpa.org/arab-peace-initiative-is-negotiable-jordan-and-saudi-arabia-say/