Long-standing Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) official Yasser Abed Rabbo today said the group would be willing to recognize Israel as a “Jewish State” or indeed as whatever it wants provided they are presented with a map of the future Palestinian state that includes all territory seized by Israel in their 1967 invasion.
A map of Israel based on its 1967 borders and not including the occupied territories or occupied East Jerusalem would, according to Rabbo, mean “we will be willing to recognize Israel according to the formulation of the government within the hour.”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had previously rejected the Israeli offer to trade the recognition for a 60 day partial freeze in expansion of settlements into the West Bank, but it seems the recognition is possible, albeit at a price Israel is unlikely to pay.
“Any formulation the Americans present – even asking us to cal lsrael the “Chinese State” – we will agree to it as long as we receive the 1967 borders,” insisted Rabbo.
‘
Yet the offer points to what is likely the unspoken reality, that both sides have given up on the latest round of talks and are now just making offers “meant to be rejected” so they can blame the other side for the failure. Still if both sides keep trying to trump the other with elaborate offers they might just stumble into agreement somewhere down the road.
Interesting….. and it sounds like a defensible posture…….. BUT…..Oh, Ya, sure, the 67 borders….??. Ain't gonna happin…!!! The Israelis have a vision….of a '"greater Israel"…. One with ONE WAY borders moving…..OUT and OUT……ONLY!! They cannot even contemplate a "limited" Israel…. And as I have been saying [here and other places] for years & years… They do NOT [currently] have enough real estate to be a nuclear power and vie with the BIG boys… Two, three well placed strikes and their dream is gone…. How many would it take to put Russia, China, the U.S. or Brazil totally out of business..?? Not only that, half of their population would be delighted to see their back….And the )ewish people being educated urbane and adaptable, were there to be hit with nukes, they would be off to Europe [again] the U.S., Russia Iceland, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. The poor locals would inherit their [own] land and everything on it, including the radioactive mess It's a dilemma….. To fight to "win" or to death and diaspora, or to surrender with less? Both sides need to consider the dangers…. I'm sure level heads WILL NOT prevail..!! And Oh "O" doesn't seem to get the true picture or the reckless nature of the "special friend" you know America's No. 1 Welfare Queen…. The one that sometimes spies on it's benefactor… and makes a national hero of them when caught and imprisoned…
I don't think Iran if they were to aquire nuclear weapons, would or could use these against Israel. Just look at the map. Any nuclear strike and even IF it was on target, would also kill thousands of Palestinians, the very people they would want to liberate, either directly or in the long run indirectly because of radiation. A nuclear bomb would be useless to the Iranians, but the persistent Zionist unproven accusations that Iran is building 'the bomb' so as to 'wipe Israel of the map' is sheer propaganda. I sincerely believe that Zionist Israel (not Israel) will eventually be 'wiped of the map', but in quite a different way. and that is precisely what Ahmadinejad means. Not by bombs or any other military option and the Israelis know that too. Their greatest fear is DEMOGRAPHY. Israel will stay, but 'Zionist Israel' will in historical terms (the ancient Jewish state lasted only some 70 years, before it was overrun by the Arab armies and the Jews converted to Islam appr, 1300 years ago) be very short lived (also may be 70 years ??) and is guaranteed to eventulally disappear from the map. Mark my words: Israel will wihtin the timespan of this century become a unitary state.
Jason,
What is so unreasonable about Israel withdrawing to its 1967 borders. That would bring it in conformity with international law and land for peace has been the basis for the "peace process" since it began. I can't believe you are equating that with Israel's demands.
1st '67 borders, then the terrorist PLO will call for return to the '48 borders. Besides, there are no Palestinians, they are either Jordanian, Syrian, Leganese, or Egyptian and already have their respective states.
Klutz, I have seen plenty of pre 1947 maps that call the area Palestine, I have seen Minted Coins which call the area Palestine and I have seen Currency as well.
The arguement that there was no Palestine before 1948 is as disengenuos as the arguement put forward that there is no Israel today. Both Exist!
The arguement that the Palestinians had other countries to go to is also as disingenuos as to say that Jews that migrated to Palestine after WWII and IT WAS PALESTINE because Israel DID NOT exist until 1948 had homes to go to in Poland, Germany, France, Italy and other countries.