Response to "Keeping the dream of a Palestinian state alive"

 

Ms Stockman's  article of "Keeping the dream of a Palestinian state alive" totally misrepresents the facts. If the Palestinian Arabs truly wanted a state, why did they reject the Peel Commission in 1936, the UN Partition plan of 1948, the Israeli offers in 2000, 2001, and 2008?

Why did they not push for a state between 1948 and 1967 when the disputed territories were under Arab control? Why has the Arab population grown cynical about peace talks?

Not because the Israelis have rejected peace talks but simply because the Arab leadership has run away from the negotiating table  and in more than two decades have yet to make a single concession. Israeli leadership including Prime Minister Netanyahu have stated over and over again that they are willing to accept a Palestinian State as long as it is prepared  to live in peace with Israel  and accept Israel as a sovereign Jewish State.

However, the PLO Charter, the Fatah constitution and the Hamas Charter clearly call for the destruction of the State of Israel  and state that "armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine". This does not sound like a wish for peace.  Mr Bahour's statement that there were 100000 settlers when Oslo was signed and that has now increased to 500000 is extremely misleading. According to the Jewish Virtual library the population of Judea and Samaria last year was 322000 and the majority of those people are in areas that would remain part of Israel in any agreement Unfortunately the UN bid to keep the dream of a Palestinian state alive is really an attempt to create an Arab state without  negotiating a true peace. It is simply  a preparation for the next stage of the ultimate goal - the  annihilation of the State of Israel.

Carol Denbo
Swampscott Mass

Submitted in March 2015 to Globe//never published