No Time Really for Palestine

Claiming that "it is in Israel's vital interest to resolve the conflict and end the 45-year occupation", Maen Rashed Areikat, chief representative of the general delegation of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United States. writes in the Wall Street Journal

The Time for a Palestinian State Is Now

Some excerpts with my comments, italicized in brackets:-

This week marks the 45th anniversary of the Arab-Israeli War, when Palestinians living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip fell under Israel's occupation. ["fell"? like in a spell?  like  a ripe apple from a tree? or like 'after three years of renewed Arab terror conducted by the PLO, the organization I represent, and after the Straits of Tiran were closed to Israeli shipping and the UN Truce Observer force was kicked out of Gaza as per the Egyptian demand, Israel, in its legitimate response to Arab aggression, assumed administration for those portions of the original Jewish historic homeland territory to be reconstituted the Zionist movement had lost in the 1948 war'?]

Israel has hailed [Israel? or elements of its population?] its victory as divine providence, a testament to its superiority that kindled a misplaced sense of entitlement for regional hegemony. It annexed East Jerusalem, started [in other words, "settlements" had nothing to do to the outbreak of the war or the continuing conflict since 1920] building settlements on Palestinian lands [what happened to the Jewish communities that existed there before 1948?  in Hebron? Gaza? Shchem/Nablus? Gush Etzion? Neveh Yaakov? all and more ethnically cleansed], and began a military rule in the occupied territories [wait, didn't Jordan occupy and illegally annex that area to the Hashemite Kingdom? and it was never eve an independent Arab state in all history?] that only grew more inhumane with each turn of the year.

Palestinians, however, took stock of the calamity, began some earnest introspection, and forged ahead to take charge of their own fate and reclaim their rights with determination and zeal. A relentless pursuit of education and self-empowerment became our telltale sign. Widely recognized as hard-working, educated, resourceful and entrepreneurial [with slush funds, etc.], Palestinians became the preferred candidates by employers across the Arab world and wherever else they migrated in search of opportunity.  [what, no mention of Palestinian terror?  of a dozen or so terrorist groups? airplane hijackings? etc.?]

...Today, Palestinians...are building institutions, preparing for elections, and expanding civil liberties despite the immense obstacles presented by Israel's military occupation. [like arresting journalists, bloggers? etc.?]

Palestinians today control only 18% of the West Bank (60% is under complete Israeli control and 22% is jointly controlled). [but over 90% of the population. and that was the agreement as per Oslo]...

This is our story despite the 45 years of occupation. [hey, what about the terror? the intifada? the suicide bombings?] Imagine what Palestinians would accomplish if they were freed from the current constraints. Imagine what we would accomplish once we claim back the Jordan Valley, the West Bank's bread basket, or if we controlled our borders and hosted millions of pilgrims to the Holy Land? Then imagine the thousands of people flocking to cross a highway between the West Bank and Gaza. Imagine the opportunity, the richness, and the hope that such a scene would bring...

Imagination.  Actually, a nightmare.

And I left a comment there.

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P.S.  Urged by Warped Mirror, I have now left this there as well:

Since the author, asking us to use imagination, seems to be so inviting of religious tourists, modern pilgrims, would Jews have the right to freely enter their most sacred site, the Temple Mount, and tend it due respect and observance?  Of course not.  Even now, when Israel is administratively in control, Muslim authorities prevent that, rant and rave about "Jews storming the El Aqsa/Haram E-Sharif", etc.  So when an Arab Islamic state would assume full responsibility the best the Jews can hope for is what they experienced during 1948-1967, despite the armistice agreement signed: no freedom of access even to the Western wall, no freedom of religion.

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