🚀 go-pugleaf

In ba.general Rich Corinthian Leather <inexplicable@mysterious.net> wrote:
> Stan de SD wrote:
>> "Disgruntled Customer" <nowhere@nowhow.com> wrote in message
>> news:12n579fkeumu770@corp.supernews.com...
>>> Merlin Dorfman <dorfman@green.rahul.net> enscribed:
>>>
>>>>      How about an overwhelming vote for a party (Hamas) that has the
>>>> clearly stated objective of eliminating Israel.
>>> And Netanyahu and Likud are dedicated to the notion of a free,
>> independent, and viable Palestine?
>> 
>> Why should they, given that the Pallies don't seem to be interested in one
>> themselves?
>> 
>> 
> Considering that the Zionist Jews in 1948 overran all of the Palestinian 
> Mandate, taking land that was designated for a Palestinian nation, the 
> Palestinians are rightfully enraged at Israeli activities that continue, 
> even today, to deprive them of making a life.

     I beg your pardon?  (Well, Jimmy Carter doesn't seem to understand
this either, so maybe I shouldn't blame you.)  The UN declared a 
partition of Palestine; all the surrounding Arab countries invaded
the Israeli portion rather than let the partion go ahead; the Israelis
whipped their butts and occupied a slightly larger area than the
partition called for.  The Israelis were willing to give that area
back in exchange for peace but the Arabs weren't interested.
     In the 1967 war (which followed another in 1956), the Israelis
won for the third time and occupied the entire Palestine Mandate.
They also occupied Sinai (which they gave back in exchange for a
peace treaty) and the Golan Heights (which they kept, in the absence
of peace with Syria).  Again there was no interest on the part of the
Arab governments in making peace and recognizing Israel's existence
in exchange for the occupied land.  Today they talk about it but 
with impossible conditions...and those borders are too circuitous
and indefensible to make a good basis for permanent peace.  What's
needed is negotiations, like the ones Arafat walked out of six
years ago.