| donathos said: In 2000, Arafat had a Palestinian state on the table. Per Wikipedia: "91% of the West Bank, and all of the Gaza Strip, with Palestinian control over Eastern Jerusalem as the capital". He walked away; didn't think they were getting enough. So, here we are, nine years later, with more Palestinians born as "refugees" and others dying never seeing an end to the conflict. |
Also to the rest of you who keep bringing the idea that Arafat missed it big here.
Your naive.
In order to give up any more land AND the Right of Return (RoR) for refugees, Arafat would need time to present it to the people otherwise it would blow up in his face. RoR is huge for the millions of refugees out there.
Arafat and zero time to prepare for any type of release of full 1967 borders and RoR. Same technically for Israel. Barak (Israeli PM) would have never been able to get those deals through the Knesset. Arafat knew this as did Barak.
They both needed time to go home and sell the ideas to their people as the best, and really only, possible solution. That is why Arafat walked. He couldn't possibly return home with anything less than 100% of what they were asking without being lynched.
That is why now is actually better than in 2000.
1. You have a much more unbiased US stance.
2. You have a far-right Isreali PM who can easily sell giving up more to the hardliners than Barak ever could.
3. You have an Palestinian president who once built up by Obama will have the position and clout to oppose anything Hamas says. Plus, Hamas has made comments that they would accept a peaceful solution, just not with open arms.
4. You have a 2002 Arab summit agreement that shows ALL arab nations would agree to full normal peace relations with Israel given a Palestinian state exists.
The only real problem with Arafat in 2000, which really still exists today, is both sides need to start preparing their populations for the necessary concesions to gain peace. Palestinians will lose some more land and will lose RoR. Israel will lose full control over E. Jerusalem.
These items need to be openly discussed and sold to the populace.
