What will Israel consider in order to make a peace deal?

Today, Anthony Blinkin said this:

"Israel must stop taking steps that undercut Palestinians ability to govern themselves effectively. Extremists' settler violence carried out with impunity, settlement expansion, demolitions, evictions all make it harder – not easier – for Israel to achieve lasting peace and security.
Israel must be a partner to Palestinian leaders who are willing to lead their people are living side by side in peace with Israel as neighbors. As I told the prime minister, every partner that I met on this trip said that they're ready to support a lasting solution that ends the long-running cycle of violence and ensures Israel's security. But they underscored that this can only come through a regional approach that includes a pathway to a Palestinian state. If Israel wants its Arab neighbors to make the tough decisions necessary to help ensures lasting security, Israeli leaders will have to make hard decisions themselves."

I guess you will see how much Israel wants peace. Considering that they have pretty much been in constant war for 75 years, it certainly seems like continued fighting will not achieve their goal. They are fighting an ideology, not a country, and it seems they are unwilling to consider why that ideology propagates despite their attempts to destroy it.

What kind of "hard decisions" do you think Israel is willing to make if it means lasting peace? Removing all settlements from the West Bank? Removing settlements from the Golan Heights? Allowing a two-state system and giving up control of Gaza and the West Bank? Frankly, I don't see the current Israeli administration conceding squat. As an American, I would like to see our government use it's leverage here.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

Quimliqer · 70-79, M

Israel has no problem with the Palestinians governing themselves, as long as hamas is gone!

hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

@Quimliqer Hamas and Israel both need to be gone. Israel is the one starting the war when they stole Palestinian land in 1948. They haven't stopped since and simply put the displaced Palestinians, the ones they didn't kill into concentration camps. When you poke a dog often enough it will attack you. Israel has been doing a lot of poking. I support a one state solution. Israel and Palestine form one nation and each individual is given one vote. There is no preferred status for certain people. If you want your neighbor's land you pay for it. If your neighbor doesn't want to sell you don't get his land. Seems so civilized.

Quimliqer · 70-79, M

@hippyjoe1955 You better go back and read Genesis again.

trollslayer · 46-50, M

@Quimliqer 100% false. Israel does have a problem with palestine with or without hamas. Read the news.

Quimliqer · 70-79, M

@trollslayer Excuse me, I’m to read and trust what??

hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

@Quimliqer I am very familiar with Genesis. I am currently conducting a Bible study on it right now. The fact is that the New Testament called the state of Israel a 'synagogue of Satan and its flag the Satanic Star. The fact is that Israel as we fondly remember from the Bible is not the Israel we see now. Oh it has the same name but it is not the same thing. The old Israel had one purpose. To offer the sacrifice as the priestly people. However the Sacrifice has been made and therefore there is no longer a need for that kind of priestly people. As the New Testament says "therefore there is no Jew nor Gentile, no slave nor free, no male nor female for all are one in Christ Jesus. Israel as a nation has not Biblical rational for its existence. The fact is that the we were sold a bill of goods starting in the 1849s with the dispensationalism of Darby and Scofield. They were wrong. There is no special dispensation for Israel since the Death of Christ. That role is over. Time to move on. St Augustine was right in what he wrote. The book of Revelation is history not prophecy. It happened between AD 67 and AD 70. We are now living in the reign of Christ. No need for Israel at all. If it wants to call itself Israel the let it. But no special carve out based on the Bible. The Bible closed the door on the nation of Israel in 33 AD.

Quimliqer · 70-79, M

@hippyjoe1955 They are on the land god gave them! The only criticism in the New Testament is that the chosen have not yet bowed before the king the father sent!!

hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

@Quimliqer That is what is called a type. As Israel of the old testament got the 'land' so we Christians in the New Testament inherit the Kingdom. The difference being that the land is inferior to the Kingdom. We are no longer to seek land but the Kingdom. Jews are not Jews (in the Biblical sense) by birth any longer. "jews" are now those who believe in Jesus and therefore inherit the Kingdom. That theme runs throughout St Paul's teachings. The other interesting fact is that none of the Israelis leaders are observant Jews. They don't follow any of the Mosaic laws. they simply put their beanies on and claim Jewish heritage. Sadly too many Christians got conned into believing Scofield and his 'bible' which BTY was only made popular by a Jewish publisher in New York. The point I am making is that Zionism and Judaism are very very very different things. What we are witnessing in the Middle East is Zionism not Judaism. Zionism is a fancy name for Nazism. Same effect same purpose same ideology. I was listening to a Jewish man whose family was terrorised by Israel to move from Morocco to Israel in the 1950s. The family didn't want to move because they felt more safe in Morocco. The Zionists terrorised them into moving to Israel and when they got there they found themselves to be second class Jews. He went on to say that there are also third class Jews. Those who came from Africa. Israel is not at all like the Israel of old and in fact orthodox Jews do not support it. They believe that the creation of the state of Israel is to be a miracle performed by the Messiah and not the creation of political machinations. Bibi is certainly not the Messiah and the genocide he is presently ordering is not of God.