ptown_trojans_1;782294 wrote:Huh? What 1967 agreement splits Israel in half? It is the way around. As he stated in the speech, 67 is the starting point, then it gets complicated. He would have been better to go back to 1992 and Oslo and then back to 1999 and bring that deal up, but 1967 is the basis for all that. No one is saying Israel go back to the 67 border at the end, just that it is a starting point and from that we get into the nitty gritty details about settlements, water, etc.
Maybe I'm not the best at geography, but is it possible to have a contiguous Palestinian state and a contiguous Israeli state at the same time? Why would Obama mention that in his first speech?
So while the core issues of the conflict must be negotiated, the basis of those negotiations is clear: a viable Palestine, and a secure Israel. The United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine. 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 Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/05/full-text-obamas-middle-east-speech#ixzz1NZRVTSB0