Palestine recognizes Israel

It's actually the pre-1967 borders, which were basically established in 1948. In 1967 there was a war (the Six-Day war) during which Israel captured all of the West Bank and Gaza, the Golan Heights, and the Sinai. The Sinai was traded to Egypt as part of a deal for recognition at the Camp David Accords. The rest is what is commonly referred to as the "occupied territories".

 

The right of return is a negotiating tactic - to get more land. The whole "destruction of Israel" thing is for people like Hama to win elections capitalizing on anger.

Israel says it's a non-starter because it puts them in a weaker negotiating position otherwise. One less bargaining chip to deal with.

The real truth is that Israel's right and dominant parties have 0 interest in a peace deal - they want all the west bank and to push west bank Palestinians into an area the size of gaza. Hamas will never make a deal because they have nothing the gain and everything to lose - as a deal that nets them nothing will only result in their humiliation and thus their lose of power to someone more radical. If Israel were to say offer gaza a return to '67 borders plus control of its borders Hamas would take that in an instant and make peace because it could declare that it achieved victory.

Anyway, I just get tired when people like yourself speak in platitudes and try to place the blame on one side or the other without actually understanding the political dynamics going on. Gross oversimplification is the ignorance both sides depend on to justify their unjust actions.

 

Gaza has already been returned to the pre-1967 borders. Israel only has settlements in the West Bank. Gaza also has control of it's borders. Egypt and Israel border Gaza and both defend their own borders. The only real thing to change vis-a-vis Gaza is lifting the blockade. At least there was a platitude in my post this time (facts on the ground) but it is a perfectly apt use of said platitude.

Using right of return as a negotiating tactic is only worthwhile if it can get them something. Instead, it tends to result in the talks ending before they can get started. Hamas probably won't ever make a deal, but that is to be expected from a terrorist organization. Israel could treat Gaza and the West Bank as two entirely separate entities, and negotiate a deal with the PLA that only includes the West Bank, completely eliminating any need to negotiate with Hamas. Hamas can continue to stew and launch largely ineffectual rocket attacks, and Israel can continue blockading Gaza.

The "real truth" is that the majority of Israelis are satisfied with the status quo, so any proposed deal has to be so significant an improvement on the status quo that it is worthwhile to give up whatever concessions are demanded. Land for peace is a bad deal for Israel. It isn't about blaming one side, it is about recognizing who has the better negotiating position and how that would play out in any deals.

 

There are a lot of things simply not true in your post. Israel controls 40% of Gaza Strip. It also controls it's airspace and sea space, and keeps its economy weak intentionally - you have a one-sided view of the situation and you have to admit that because you are having to rationalize false statements. How can you debate when you can't even see your own bias?

The situation is analogous to a prison where the warden is Israel and the prisoners are Gazan. Gaza is just one big prison stuffed with ridiculous number of people. They have no ability to negotiate because the warden already has everything.

Israel has everything it wants, including the ability to slowly colonize the west bank to see it's vision of a greater Israel. Why should Israel negotiate??

 

What are you talking about? Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. There are no Israeli settlements in Gaza. Gaza has no aircraft, so controlling its airspace is a non-issue. I already said it was under blockade, so I don't know why you mentioned sea space. How does any of that amount to Israel controlling 40% of Gaza?

Gaza is like a prison with no guards inside, that is run by the prisoners, and the prisoners are given money and supplies by the warden. Put another way, Gaza is a giant terrorist camp that is under interdiction by the #1 target of their attacks, but they cannot be wiped out because they are holding hostages (who happen to be the innocent residents of Gaza).

I don't agree that Israel has everything it wants. It is certainly in a satisfactory position, and has no desparate need of negotiations. That's what I meant when I said they are satisfied with the status quo. It is the Palestinians who desperately need a deal, but in order to get it, they need to entice Israel to accept a deal. In order to accomplish that, they have to recognize the relative bargaining power of each side and realize they are not going to get what they want, so they better take what they can live with.

 

Misleading click-bait title. Fake news.