Obama Call For 1967 Borders For Israel May Make For Awkward Meeting With Netanyahu First Posted: 05/19/11 06:43 PM ET Updated: 05/19/11 10:42 PM ET React
WASHINGTON -- The headlines made it clear. From New York to Tel Aviv, President Obama's call for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians with borders based on the lines following the Six Day War of 1967 was a first for a sitting American president.
"The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states," the president said toward the end of a broader speech on the Middle East. "The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves and reach their potential in a sovereign and contiguous state."
While the president's position that Israel's borders should return to the borders it had before it occupied the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights marks a new government stance, the idea is hardly a breakthrough among experts and professional peace negotiators. At least one Washington think tank has already drawn several maps detailing possible swaps.
"It’s somewhere between a big deal and no big deal," said Aaron David Miller, who spent 25 years as a Middle East negotiator for six U.S. secretaries of state. "And that is exactly what the administration wanted."
Obama's speech on the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's arrival here for meetings comes at a low point in a "peace process" that has brought little peace while becoming bogged down in process.
In his remarks at the State Department, Obama took both sides to task for the continuing stalemate.
Another foreign affair we should keep our noses out of, let Israel and Palestine deal with it. We spent decades and billions of dollars in aid trying to bring a solution to the table and it seems every time it has failed. If I were the president I would cut off aid to the middle east and that includes Israel. I would tell them "America has tried everything to bring peace to the region, we brought talks, solutions, and money to the table without success, however today America faces it's own problems and the time has come were we must address the issues here within our borders."
"In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot."
Nobody cares what Obama says. Israel cannot give back anymore land to sworn enemies. An eight mile wide country surrounded by Islamic terrorists? The same Obama that refused to support democracy protesters in Iran and called Syrian mass murder Assad a "reformer". Obama is now altered American foreign policy that goes back to the Truman administration. A pathetic appeaser, a Neville Chamberlain, a one term disaster.
As much as I agree that Palestine got screwed by the UN when they created Israel in 1948 due to the guilt of not stopping the Holocaust, I think its ridiculous that Barry drew a line in the sand with the 1967 borders. These are lands that Israel won after the Arabs attacked THEM! If all the Arabs are such "brothers", why have none of them stepped up and offered some of their land for the re-creation of Palestine? All the Arabs really want is Israel to be erased from the map. Arafat got 95% of what he wanted during the Clinton administration and walked away from the negotiation table. The Arabs do not want Palestine without the elimination of Israel.
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
"The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves and reach their potential in a sovereign and contiguous state." Saying that, it's really interesting that AZ and TX aren't afforded the same privilege
Ummm... Some one should tell MT that Arizona and Texas are NOT "sovereign and contiguous states", but are part of a larger nation... The United States Of America.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Ummm... Some one should tell MT that Arizona and Texas are NOT "sovereign and contiguous states", but are part of a larger nation... The United States Of America.
A little history lesson for the leftist Boxy:
Quoted Text
The United States and the several states that constitute it operate with a system of parallel sovereignty. According to numerous decisions of the United States Supreme Court, the several states and the United States (that is, the federal state which is coextensive with the 50 several states and the District of Columbia) are sovereign jurisdictions.
...
Under United States law, states are considered sovereign entities, in which the power of the states is considered to come directly from the citizens of the states rather than from the federal government. The federal government of the United States was created when sovereign states delegated some of their sovereignty to one central government. The sovereignty they delegated, however, was not complete.
As much as I agree that Palestine got screwed by the UN when they created Israel in 1948 due to the guilt of not stopping the Holocaust, I think its ridiculous that Barry drew a line in the sand with the 1967 borders. These are lands that Israel won after the Arabs attacked THEM!
Sort of like the lands that the USA won after the Japanese and Germans attacked us? The UN didn't GIVE Israel anything... they took the land by force and managed to hold it until the UN ended the war.
Arafat got 95% of what he wanted during the Clinton administration and walked away from the negotiation table. The Arabs do not want Palestine without the elimination of Israel.
Arafat is no longer with us and a new generation of Palestinians are now in power. This is not our war, but this dispute is what fuels the Terrorist issue around the globe. It is in the United States vital interest to find a solution to this problem if possible.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Box, do you ever read a post through before responding? I never said the UN gave them the land they won in '67, I said the UN created Israel. The fact is this dispute could have been ended 15 years ago by the PALESTINIANS, but Arafat didn't want it. Another fact is basing the borders on the pre '67 war borders is a non-starter. I'm actually surprised Netanyahu is even showing up to the WH today. The Palestinian situation does not fuel global Islamic terrorism, it is the presence of the US in the middle east, from oil companies to armies that does.
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
He's fighting for his countries very existence - and the lives of those he governs. I would expect no less
But what is Barry going to do about it?? Teleprompters don't stop bullets.
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
Logged
Nobody cares what Obama says. Israel cannot give back anymore land to sworn enemies. An eight mile wide country surrounded by Islamic terrorists? The same Obama that refused to support democracy protesters in Iran and called Syrian mass murder Assad a "reformer". Obama is now altered American foreign policy that goes back to the Truman administration. A pathetic appeaser, a Neville Chamberlain, a one term disaster.
