Netanyahu Makes Offer to Extend Settlement Freeze- Abbas Says No

According to the Associated Press, today Israeli Prime minister Binyaman Netanyahu offered to extend a settlement freeze in return for Palestinian recognition of the 1947 UN Partition Plan's  version of the two state solution. That plan outlined in UN Resolution 181 calls for dividing Palestine into Independent Arab and Jewish States. 

 Bibi would extend the settlement building freeze if the Palestinians agreed to recognize Israel as a Jewish State.  Abbas replied almost imminently with a resounding no.

The Palestinians on Monday rejected a demand by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau that they should recognize Israel as a Jewish state in order to secure a new freeze on settlement building.

Recognition of Israel as a Jewish State is something so basic that even President Obama has called for Abbas to take this simple step. But the Palestinian Arabs have never accepted this two-two state solution.
The truth is, since the UN Partition Plan there has been only one Middle East country to accept the idea of a two state solution in for the Jewish and Arab Palestinians. That country is Israel.

Ben Gurion Israel's first Prime Minister accepted the original partition plan, before Egypt and Jordan took over what was to be Arab Palestine, Israel accepted that also. The last four PM's of Israel Barak, Sharon, the Leaning Tower of Jell-O Olmert  have ALL called for a two state solution, with one of the states being a viable Palestinian Arab State, the other being a viable Palestinian Jewish State called Israel.

There isn't one Arab country in the world that has accepted the two state solution. Because unless you announce that you are in favor of a two state solution without the bogus Palestinian right of return you are just giving the two state idea lip service. The right of return, which in the Arab mind not only covers those who left Israel, but their cousins, uncles, sisters best friends, anybody who once spelled the word Palestine correctly, etc, is designed to lead to the end of Israel as a Jewish state.

Truth is there were more Jewish refugees from Arab States that Arabs who left Israel. The differences between the two groups is the Jewish refugees were forced out of their homes but they were absorbed by Israel and other countries.  The Arab refugees were told to leave by the Arab League nations to get out of the way of the invading armies. Those refugees were forced to stay in camps and not allowed to be absorbed into other countries, so they could radicalize and attack Israel.

On the bright side, it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is finally heeding the words of the great Zionist leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky:

It is incredible what political simpletons Jews are. They shut their eyes to one of the most elementary rules of life, that you must not "meet halfway" those who do not want to meet you.

--Ze'ev Jabotinsky, The Iron Wall November 4, 1923