The Peace Process
A few words on the latest stage in the peace accords.
Israel agrees to gradually withdraw from six Palestinian cities and 450 towns and villages on the West Bank (expected to take about five months). This would give the PLO control of over 30% of the territory on the West Bank (instead of 13% Rabin initally offered).
In return, Israel gets..........I must have missed that part.
The Israelis at first wanted control of the security forces in Hebron. The final result was Israeli troops maintaining a small force to protect 400 Jews in Hebron and 6,000 in its suburbs (surrounded by 100,000 Palestinians) while Arafat gets 400 armed police.
In return, Israel gets..........I guess I missed that too.
But don't despair. The PLO is expected to finally change their charter and agree that Israel has a right to exist.......within about two years is the estimate for this happening.
The bigger issues of the fate of Jerusalem and Israel going back to it's 1967 borders - once unthinkable - will certinally take a great deal of thought before they can be resolved.
In return, Israel gets..........I think the man said peace but so far it doesn't compute. Palestinians still cheer when Israelis are killed by terrorists. Hamas murderers still operate with impunity out of Arab controlled lands. The Palestinians say they want to live in peace but they don't make those among them who are bent on mayhem pay for their wanton acts.
It is hard to imagine that everyone would not want to give peace a chance. But not everyone wants the same kind of peace. The very least Israel should demand is not to have to wait for two years until the Palestinians agree that Israel has a right to exist. If it is so difficult for the PLO to say the words - how much more difficult is it for them to perform the deeds? And why do all these two way streets only seem to have one way signs?
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