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No but holding 'the Palestinians' in account through the day to day repressions of the Israeli state for the actions of a small number of terrorists and extremists is not a policy conducive to a peace settlement.
'The Israelis' did not form a nation in some isolated bubble they were and still are massively aided by foreign powers (as with your US example), the same must be true if a paestinian nation is to be formed..........
I recommend you reread the history of the formation of Israel.
The nation has been massively aided in later years (1954 on), but not in 1948.
A little research into US history would benefit. The War between the States increased cohesion, not decreased it. And that just makes my point...Virginians, Georgians, Yankees, Pennsylvania Dutch, New Yorkers, Carolinians, and New Jerseyites all worked together sufficiently to found a new nation. Sure it was in their self-interest. Isn't it in that of the Palestinians?
What Toad is saying is fairly self evident, try following the discussion, its really not that hard to do.
Basically he contends (rather appropriately) that no state of Israel would exist today without massive financial support from abroad (namely the US) and similarly no stable Palestinian state can be achieved without such support as well.
Given the financial wealth of the Arab states in general, what is your point? It has to be the US? Bullshit.
I suppose that the chief reason is that the US Palestinian lobby doesnt have as many of our politicians in their pay as does the Jewish lobby.
Or maybe that it isn't in our interests. Life isn't fair. Tough, isn't it?
Its not a matter of fairness Greeny, its a little thing the US gov (this one particularly) and its trained military pitbulls don't want to hear.... namely, "responsibility". We contributed to the current mess when we could have put the screws on Israel long ago and settled this matter once and for all, instead we have done nothing but maintain the atrocious status quo with endless rhetoric and promises.
It's time our nation put its money where its mouth is or keep on with our lofty claims to be the defenders of truth and freedom (blah blah blah) whilst demonstrating exactly the opposite by our actions (and inaction) and watch our nation's credibility complete its vanishing act in the eyes of the world.
Again though, I need to ask why should it be the US and why shouldn't the oil rich arab states help to support their brethren?
And if they did so, using the logic you have shown here, should they contribute to Israel too?
I certainly agree that the surrounding Arab states could contribute financially to any nascent Palestinian state, however that does not preclude the responsibility of the West (yes Europe included) to show more tangible and constructive involvement in the actualities of such a new state than has been shown till now.
My main contention, however, is the demonstrable maintenance of the unworkable status quo and the continual coddling of Israel by my own government and the subsequent negative affects that is having on our national credibility and character on the international stage.
I don't think that there should be two seperate states in the region but one secular democratic state consisting of both Jews and arabs. This should be the goal that people who want peace in the region should be working towards. There is an interesting article about the confict here which was written a few years ago and calls for arab and Jewish working class unity.
Maybe you noticed that Israel gave up its ability to produce petroleum? Any idea what is the most important factor to a modern military machine?
As for "coddling", seen any other democracies in the Middle East? We have no responsibility to Arafat and his cronies. None.
Not to mention that a significant portion of the US electorate support Israel (enough to make failure to support Israel political suicide). Democratic administrations (such as your idol Clinton) have done far more to support Israel than any other administrations. But no administration can even consider your suggestions. Simple political suicide.
Both sides have got to stop blaming each other and start to look for a practical solution that will end the conflict once and for all. Many on the left are advocating two seperate states as a solution, but a better solution would one state where the two peoples have been brought to a peace agreement. There are flaws in the two state solution as well. For example Israel will not accept a new arab state on its doorstep which might harbour terrorists and also many Palestinian arabs work in Israel and the occuppied terrortries and Israel are dependant on each other economically aswell the occuppied terrortries being too small to constitute a viable state on their own. As well as going against the socialist princple that the workers of the world have no country and the aim of socialists is to create a global society with no national boundaries.
If Israel was to take the step of ending all discrimination against arabs within Israel and in the occuppied terrortries giving them all full Israeli citizenship that would be a tremendous move to wards peace and ending bitterness against Israel from Palestinian arabs.
The aim of socialists then should be the creation of a secular, fully democratic and non sectarian workers state in the Middle East consisting of both Israel and the occuppied terrortries.