Abbas, Israel, Hamas: Two State Referendum

President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority is brave and a patriot of occupied Palestine. His plan to put forward a referendum for a two state solution to the conflict puts him in the crosshairs of both Israel and Hamas. Israel doesn't like the referendum because it requires them to pull back to pre-1967 borders. Also it allows the right of return to Palestinian refugees and gives East Jerusalem to the Palestinians for their capitol. They call the referendum a " non-starter". Hamas is against the referendum because it compromises their ability to deal with Israel directly who they know will not abide by the referendum. So Abbas is loathed by both.

I don't think he will live to see the vote. Israel wants him out of the way more than Hamas. The bonus for Israel would be if Hamas takes him out or Israel does it and makes it look like Hamas did it. Then Israel would not have to deal with Hamas -period. And our stupid Bush would back them up.

Israel should be the textbook example on what is wrong and what can go wrong with nation-building. It was created in 1947 by a rigged U.N. vote and it is still fighting it's war of independence.