"Reaction to the joint press conference came swift and strong from other American Jewish organizational leaders, and far less positive than the ZOA’s Klein. “I’m not sure Trump understands the implications” of a one state solution, said Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director of T’ruah: the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. “It is a very dangerous suggestion.”for Peace Now spokesman Ori Nir called the press conference “terrifying” and “a squandered opportunity” to “signal to Israelis, Palestinians, Americans and the world a clear commitment to peace.”It was a chance to “chart a constructive way forward for U.S.-Israel relations and for Israel’s future, for its security and its wellbeing as a democracy and a Jewish state,” Nir said. Instead, “the two leaders are not only depriving Israel of the very possibility of reaching peace but also undermining Israel's own future as a democracy and a Jewish state” when they discuss a one-state possibility. He added, “they are delivering a huge victory to extremists on both sides.” The Reform Movement’s Rabbi Rick Jacobs said he views Trump’s statements as “an abdication of the longtime, bipartisan support for a two-state solution.” Haaretz
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Well, pilgrims, I said a few days ago that it would be well to see the result of Natanyahu's visit before coming to a conclusion about what the Trump/Kushner approach to Israel/Palestine might be.
IMO Trump is going to challenge the long treasured shibboleths of the Zionist/AIPAC community in search of a creative path to peace.
The hard core Zionists know that a one state solution would be the end of the Zionist dream of a Jewish State in historic Palestine. If given actual equal rights of citizenship in such a country the Palestinians would fairly soon become a majority and the stronger power in a one state government. That is simply unacceptable to the Zionists. It would be the end of all their dreams.
Trump knows that and is evidently willing to "up the ante" to that level of leverage if Israel wants his support to get the best deal available to them, rather than the deal they wanted in which they would have completely dominate the situation.
Bibi is much threatened at home by corruption charges (evidently the Maureen McDonnell syndrome) and challenges from his Right. It seems that Trump went straight to his weaknesses.
It will be interesting to learn if Bibi survives his acquiescence and how much Zionist support Trump loses. pl
U.N. said around 2009 that Gaza will be a place unfit/impossible for human beings to live by 2020, based on Israel overpumping the aquifer to draw salt water in, and lack of (bombed) sanitation facilities leading to open cess pits causing a profound breakdown in the human waste disposal system. Apparently this is still on target. All Bibi has to do is maintain the status quo for another couple of years; perhaps shut off the U.N. water or food trucks for a few weeks due to some imagined slight, although even this might not be necessary; Gazans mysteriously start dropping like flies, final solution, Gosh who knew, and no one's the wiser.
Posted by: Imagine | 17 February 2017 at 09:03 PM
I hope you are right, Colonel.
A couple of years ago I had the misfortune to read Hugh Thomas "Rivers of Gold"; amazed I was to learn how the Spanish campaigns in America were basically a Jewish enterprise. Listed as a consultant was a certain Binyamin Netanyahu with inputs from his father.
Posted by: Cortes | 17 February 2017 at 10:28 PM
Currently Israel is a de facto Jewish supremacist state, with separate license plates, separate travel privileges, two sets of laws, two sets of court systems, separate land-owning rights/company-starting rights and settler sponsorship rights, etc. The system has stably continued for more than 60 years, with Israel's allies America, Canada, and Micronesia blocking any and all attempts at reform at the U.N. How would this change if the territory were united under one country?
Posted by: Imagine | 18 February 2017 at 12:13 AM
"esq" - this is head in the sand talk if ever I heard it:-
"The whole point of Israel is that the Jews need a respite/refuge from the rest of the world. No way they are gonna give it up"
Surrounded by tens of millions of Arabs who would be more than happy to visit on the Jews of Israel the same atrocities the Israelis have visited on the Palestinians? With further tens of millions who would look on with indifference or maybe help with the carnage?
Come on. Long term there can be no less suitable "refuge" if the present "We conquered it, we keep it" hard line is maintained. I'm no Zionist either but that doesn't mean I want to see ethnic cleansing the other way. This is the time, when the Israelis still have overwhelming military superiority and still have more or less solid American support, for the Jews of Israel to go for a deal - any deal, that's for them and the Palestinians to work out - that will ensure their long term future in the area. Unless they do that they haven't got one.
Posted by: English Outsider | 18 February 2017 at 01:05 AM
Well, have a look on the history of Curaçao. It had a large and influential Jewish community which managed the largest hub for the slave trade from West Africa to Latin America, located on the island just 40 miles from Venezuela's coast line.
Posted by: Cassandra | 18 February 2017 at 04:03 AM
Israel Palestine used to be covered quite extensively in the British press, I have been impressed how, for a few years now, reporting on the subject has gone completely. RT is perhaps the only channel that regularly covers the topic.
I can appreciate how Jews might want a safe haven, the reality is this has been achieved now with Israel firmly ensconced with a clear military and economic advantage over all its neighbours. The worry is with Israel's demographics favouring the extremists the other side of the Zionist project is now what matters and this will only lead to more conflict and instability.
Posted by: LondonBob | 18 February 2017 at 05:05 AM
From what I've heard, they are given a blue ID, which sounds like a rough equivalent of a US green card. It gives them most but not all rights of a citizen, so I imagine it probably includes the privilege of getting a travel document. However, the Israeli government constantly seeks any and every excuse to strip the blue ID from Arabs. I know of someone who had his blue ID canceled due to him being in the US to pursue his studies.
Posted by: Ali | 21 February 2017 at 05:34 PM