Sunday, January 23, 2011

A Map Will Not Bring Peace

The New York Times reports that a think tank has come up with a map that they think might lead to a breakthrough in the impasse in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Fat chance.

Once again, it's the lack of a partner in peace that is the impasse, not maps or plans.

The Palestinians have steadfastly refused to accept a Jewish state of Israel and Jewish ties to lands that include the pre-1967 borders. Palestinians continually attempt to rewrite history and Jewish ties to lands both within and outside the 1948 borders. Palestinian Authority "historians" claim that Jews don't have claims to the Temple Mount, despite a 3,000 history of documented ties.

Palestinians can't even negotiate with a single voice - Hamas and Fatah are at odds, and Hamas refuses even to negotiate with Israel. Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist, and Hamas controls Gaza - not Fatah.

There's no amount of maps that can trump the fact that Hamas controls territory that would ostensibly become part of any Palestinian state and that it would use that territory not to create a prosperous country and society, but to resume jihad against Israel.

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