Obama calls for Israel to restore 1967 boundaries

[Mr Khan]

Kasz216 said:

Mr Khan said:

I don't see how the argument got around to this point. Under the question of self-determination, the Palestinians have a right to a state as they have declared it. A sovereign state has to have a certain ability to maintain and defend itself, which means that most of the settlers have got to go (or that the settlers have to forfeit Israeli citizenship or at least the protection of the Israeli military). It's pretty cut-and-dry

That certaintly is the issue isn't it.  A Palestinian state as it is would violate the ability of Israel to be able to maintain and defend itself.  It's hard to figure how to establish a palestine state that won't infringe on israel's security as of current.  Afterall, as it is, Palestine fires rockets into Israel weekly from Gaza.  Now imagine the blockade is lifted and Hamas, the legally elected government mind you.... can get their hands on more damaging missles.

Then think of the trouble of  a divided juerasalem or a UN presided over Juresalem in which one side suicide bombs.

See, it's easier to keep the reigns on a sovereign state. Nonstate actors are more free to do as they please, but state actors tend to be more restrained. So long as Hamas were included in the Palestinian government, they wouldn't be wantonly lobbing rockets into Israel proper, because the whole political balance of how they can "get away" with constantly shooting rockets into Israel now would be changed.

Violence is a symptom of a lack of power in many cases like this. If Hamas is excluded they'll continue to fight, but that just means a peace commitment from Hamas will be necessary for any state to be established.