Who doesn't want a Palestinian state? Palestinian leaders, that's who

[BrianR]

Okay, jag. Here's my thoughts in total...



The establishment of a Palestinian state would force Israel to attack a sovereign nation, which would be roundly condemned in the UN and might even draw all the other Arab states into a major shooting war. Not a good thing.
Right now, Israeli forays into the disputed territories are "forays" and not "invasions". Why throw gasoline onto the fire by ratcheting up what Israel is going to do regardless?

Statehood would also allow the Palestinians to raise an army and air force to defend it's new "borders" even if temporary. This would make the job of rooting out terrorist bomb factories and training grounds more difficult. Following that thougt, Palestine would also be able to make treaties (new "Axis" powers in the middle east?) and import weapons to equip it's new army and air forces. Bad news for Israel and peace in general in the middle east.
Again, throwing fuel on the fire. Bad.

On the other hand it WOULD give Israel something to declare war on...

I personally see giving the Palestinians a state now as rewarding the terror tactics they have been using for years.
You don't reward bad behaviour in a child be giving it what it wants, you reward only good behaviour. I've not raised any children but I remember my own childhood and I didn't get what I wanted by screaming and begging and whining. I got it by being good as defined by my parents.

As I recall, Palestinian statehood was offered long ago. And rejected. The possibility has been raised more than once since the 1967 war and summarily rejected each time, at least once by Arafat himself. The stated goal of the power in Palestine territory is and has always been the eradication of Israel and Jews in general.

The only reason the US is in this at all is really traceable to oil interests. We need oil too much to make enemies of the Arabs and we're afraid of another embargo. My temptation is to let the Israelis take on all the Arabs and trade with them after the dust settles for the oil that they would then own. But sometimes I dream too much.

These opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of anyone else.

Brian