Krauthammer publishes a day early this week, saying what needs to be said about Palestinian statehood:
Of all the mendacity that pollutes Middle Eastern discourse, this is the worst. It assumes that the listener is not only stupid but also amnestic. Two years ago at the Camp David summit, in the presence of the president of the United States, the Palestinians were offered an end to the occupation -- a total end, a final end -- by the prime minister of Israel. They said no. They said no because in return, they were asked to make peace.
Remember? The mantra thrown at the Israelis for decades was "land for peace." It turns out Arafat wanted the land, but at Camp David, as always, he refused to make peace. The reason innocents are dying every day is not because of the occupation but because the Palestinians believe they can get (as Hezbollah got in Lebanon) land without peace.
There’s more. Much more.
Actually, I think we should take the Palestinians at their word when they say that the suicide bombings are "about the occupation", and that the bombings will stop when the "occupation" stops.
Since the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have not been occupied for most of the last nine years, they obviously consider the "occupation" to be the very existence of Israel. And yes, I believe the bombings would stop when this "occupation" stops -- when Israel ceases to exist.
Of course, this means that there can be no negotiations with the people who hold this belief.
