I'd really like to know what posters think about this historic and bewildering event that took place. I still don't get it. It was all handed to him on a silver platter and he refused to form a Palestinian State.

Although some people describe Israel's Camp David proposal as practically a return to the 1967 borders, it was far from that. Under the plan, Israel would have withdrawn completely from the small Gaza Strip. But it would annex strategically important and highly valuable sections of the West Bank--while retaining "security control" over other parts--that would have made it impossible for the Palestinians to travel or trade freely within their own state without the permission of the Israeli government (Political Science Quarterly, 6/22/01; New York Times, 7/26/01; Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories, 9-10/00; Robert Malley, New York Review of Books, 8/9/01).

The annexations and security arrangements would divide the West Bank into three disconnected cantons. In exchange for taking fertile West Bank lands that happen to contain most of the region's scarce water aquifers, Israel offered to give up a piece of its own territory in the Negev Desert--about one-tenth the size of the land it would annex--including a former toxic waste dump.

Because of the geographic placement of Israel’s proposed West Bank annexations, Palestinians living in their new "independent state" would be forced to cross Israeli territory every time they traveled or shipped goods from one section of the West Bank to another, and Israel could close those routes at will. Israel would also retain a network of so-called "bypass roads" that would crisscross the Palestinian state while remaining sovereign Israeli territory, further dividing the West Bank.

Israel was also to have kept "security control" for an indefinite period of time over the Jordan Valley, the strip of territory that forms the border between the West Bank and neighboring Jordan. Palestine would not have free access to its own international borders with Jordan and Egypt--putting Palestinian trade, and therefore its economy, at the mercy of the Israeli military.

Had Arafat agreed to these arrangements, the Palestinians would have permanently locked in place many of the worst aspects of the very occupation they were trying to bring to an end. For at Camp David, Israel also demanded that Arafat sign an "end-of-conflict" agreement stating that the decades-old war between Israel and the Palestinians was over and waiving all further claims against Israel.

The 97% offer to Arafat was a joke; PR smoke and mirrors.

Would you buy 97% of a car from a salesman?

When the other 3% he kept was the engine and transmission.

Sure the car might look good...... but you couldn't drive it anywhere........

So instead of that we get suicide bombings and intifidahs? come on Sunni.

Hypothetical.

Lets say the UN decided to give America to China due to it's massive debt.

The Chinese army invaded and herded all American citizens to Ohio and built a wall around it.

And would shoot anyone trying to escape and bomb them whenever they wanted.

Questions:

How long would the American citizens resist after having their country stolen from them?

5 years? 50 years? 100 years? 200 years?

Knowing the American spirit; would we ever concede defeat, and just be happy with our situation?

Or would we; dig tunnels, smuggle arms, build home made rockets, sneak out and attack Chinese soldiers, and basically do anything to try to get our country back?












Do you think the American

Is that what happened though? the UN gave the land to Israel?

I'd really like to know what posters think about this historic and bewildering event that took place. I still don't get it. It was all handed to him on a silver platter and he refused to form a Palestinian State.

Although some people describe Israel's Camp David proposal as practically a return to the 1967 borders, it was far from that. Under the plan, Israel would have withdrawn completely from the small Gaza Strip. But it would annex strategically important and highly valuable sections of the West Bank--while retaining "security control" over other parts--that would have made it impossible for the Palestinians to travel or trade freely within their own state without the permission of the Israeli government (Political Science Quarterly, 6/22/01; New York Times, 7/26/01; Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories, 9-10/00; Robert Malley, New York Review of Books, 8/9/01).

The annexations and security arrangements would divide the West Bank into three disconnected cantons. In exchange for taking fertile West Bank lands that happen to contain most of the region's scarce water aquifers, Israel offered to give up a piece of its own territory in the Negev Desert--about one-tenth the size of the land it would annex--including a former toxic waste dump.

Because of the geographic placement of Israel’s proposed West Bank annexations, Palestinians living in their new "independent state" would be forced to cross Israeli territory every time they traveled or shipped goods from one section of the West Bank to another, and Israel could close those routes at will. Israel would also retain a network of so-called "bypass roads" that would crisscross the Palestinian state while remaining sovereign Israeli territory, further dividing the West Bank.

Israel was also to have kept "security control" for an indefinite period of time over the Jordan Valley, the strip of territory that forms the border between the West Bank and neighboring Jordan. Palestine would not have free access to its own international borders with Jordan and Egypt--putting Palestinian trade, and therefore its economy, at the mercy of the Israeli military.

Had Arafat agreed to these arrangements, the Palestinians would have permanently locked in place many of the worst aspects of the very occupation they were trying to bring to an end. For at Camp David, Israel also demanded that Arafat sign an "end-of-conflict" agreement stating that the decades-old war between Israel and the Palestinians was over and waiving all further claims against Israel.

Is that what happened though? the UN gave the land to Israel?

The Myth of the Generous Offer



Excellent post by Coyote.

A message from Canada to the Palestinians

I am completely lost now. I thought Israel was formed under a UN mandate? or was it an English one?

Regardless of how or why; the people living there were herded into the west Bank and Gaza.

And the rest of the land given to the jews and renamed Israel........