This is all nonsense, as Palestinian intransigence over lo these many decades has taught us. The reason that there is no peace is because the Palestinians refuse to make peace. Hamas, in fact, not only does not want peace, their charter calls directly for the genocide of the Jews. At this point it hardly matters what Israel does, because whatever it does it will not get peace until the Palestinians wish to end the conflict. And until the Palestinians wish to end the conflict the conflict will continue, mainly to the detriment of the Palestinian people, themselves.
As for the status quo, it is not untenable in the least. The status quo may not be desirable, and I certainly do not want it to continue, but it can go on for many, many decades into the future without the dissolution, downfall, or economic ruination of the Jewish state. Few of us, I think, want to see the status quo continue, but it certainly can continue and Israel would simply move forward building a strong economic base for itself, while providing security for its people. But even here the only meaningful way to end the status quo, via ending the occupation, is through Palestinian acceptance of a state of their own.
Until they do they will continue to live in something approaching poverty, depending upon whether we are talking about the West Bank, which is relatively prosperous, or the Gaza strip, which is not.
Until the Palestinians agree to end hostilities, the status quo will continue.
This is what hard Left pro-Israel Americans of the Meretz / Peace Now / J-Street variety seem not to understand.
They continue to demand that Israelis hop up and down on one foot to the tune of Barack Obama’s off-key flute.
It’s pure foolishness.
{Cross-Posted at Lord of the Karmafishes.}
