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Musings of a First Lady... and Other Thoughts

© lawhawk

News reports yesterday reported that Hillary Rodham Clinton has suggested that Palestinians would be best served by the creation of a Palestinian state. In her comments to a group of youths at a Conference on Middle East Peace, she suggested that a Palestinian state was the best thing for the region.

President Clinton and State Department officials were quick to respond by saying that Mrs. Clinton's comments were her personal views and not official US policy. However, this was seen as a positive step in the eyes of some, including Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasir Arafat.

The First Lady's views are outside the structure of the government, but the fact that Mrs. Clinton has the ear of the President suggests that the President might lean in this direction at some point in the future. Although US Officials will deny that this is the policy of the US and that it isn't something that the US is pursuing at this time, one must wonder as to whether this is going to be the US policy at some point in the future.

While there wasn't any reaction by the Israeli government, it is clear from prior statements that the Israeli government opposes a full statehood granted to the Palestinians. It is unclear how this will influence the planned upcoming Mid-East Summit in London. The media has reported an on-again, off-again status with Prime Minister Netenyahu first attending, then not attending the meetings. US Envoy Dennis Ross has gone to the region to try and get the parties to come to the bargaining table.

The problem remains that the Israelis are standing by their claim that they cannot give back 13 percent of the land in the West Bank that remains in Israeli control. They have suggested that eleven percent is more reasonable. This has angered the Palestinian Authority since they have tempered their demands to get 30 percent of the land down to the US initiative of 13 percent.

What does this two percent represent? Several hundred square miles perhaps? Why does the Israeli government not want to give back this land? Well, the answer the Israelis give is quite reasonable considering the geographical constraints of the border between the West Bank and Israel. Security concerns and worry about potentially cutting Israel in half at Israel's narrowest point have been the worry of Israeli Defense Force planners since Israel was founded. Giving control over land adjacent to the border to the Palestinian Authority places Israel in the position of putting faith in the Palestinians to secure Israel's peace and security.

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