I truly believe that a two-state solution is the only way to ensure a more stable Middle East and to grant Israel the security and well-being it desires.
Ehud Olmert
Today, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority formally asked the Security Council to grant full United Nations membership to Palestine as a path toward its statehood. The outcome of the activities at the United Nations will have no real influence on the lives of ordinary Palestinians and Israelis. True peace in the Middle East can only come about through direct negotiations with Israel for a two-state solution.
If you need an overview of the whole Israel-Palestine conflict take some time to read Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 101 or the more detailed Institute for Middle East Understanding website.
Also, take a look at the possible middle ground land-swap scenarios from the Geneva Initiative in these three maps that reconcile the Palestinian demand for a return to the pre-1967 lines with Israel’s desire to include as many of the West Bank’s 300,000 settlers in Israel proper as possible.
Enough is enough. It is time for justice, peace, and happiness for all of the peoples of the region. Leaders, please heed Ehud Olmert’s editorial in today’s New York Times: Peace Now, or Never.
BubbeWisdom 