Israel is constantly accused for being responsible for the lack of peace with the Palestinians, and for denying them the state they have right for.

The issue upon which Israel is found guilty is the settlements on the conquered territories which are intended to prevent a Palestinian state.

True, the building of settlements is one of the biggest mistakes done by Israel. Milliards of dollars were wasted on those settlements while it was much better to build them in the Galilee and the Negev who are praying for settlers.

Further more, the attitude of some of the settlers on the Western Bank towards the Palestinian peasants is outrages, it is in contrast of Jewish values and despised by many Israelis. But, those settlers are a very small group and you can't blame all Israelis for a rebellious minority.

Do you blame Abu Mazen for Hamas crimes against humanity in their police state in Gaza?

About 60% of Israelis support a 2 states solution (including my self), and even 50% of Likud voters, as many polls show.

The question is: are the settlements an obstacle for a Palestinian state or who is responsible for the lack of a Palestinian state?

Palestinian rejected a state 6 times because the plans did not include the elimination of the Jewish state:

In 1936, the British government who was given the Mandate on the Holy Land came to the conclusion that Arabs and Jews could not live together and nominated the "Peel Committee." The committee heard both sides and decided the country should be divided into 2 states; a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews agreed, although the national state promised them by the League of Nations was much bigger. The Arabs rejected the offer and demanded the whole territory.

In 1947, the U.N sent an Investigation Committee to the Holy Land, because of the hostility between Jews and Arabs. The committee heard both sides and recommended to the U.N to establish 2 states: a Jewish state and an Arab state. The U.N accepted the recommendation and the 1947 resolution was to establish 2 states. The Jews accepted the plan. The Arabs rejected the plan and started a war against the Jews, the 1948/9 war, with the formal declaration: "to throw the Jews into the sea."
The local Arabs (Palestinians) and Arab states invaded the new established Israel, but failed "to throw the Jews into the sea." 650,000 Jews won the war against the whole Arab world. One of the results of the war was the Palestinian refugee problem. Some ran away because they were directly involved in the war, some left in response to a call from their leaders to leave "until the Jews are thrown into the sea," and some were expelled by the Israeli army because of security reasons.

Between 1948 and 1967 the Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza Strip were under Arabic rule: Egypt and Jordan. But, the Palestinians did not demand and did not get a state: why?

In 1967 Israel was attacked again by Arab states that planned to eliminate the Jewish state. The Jews won again and took the Western Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Desert and the Golan. Levi Eshkol, Israeli Prime Minister suggested to end the conflict by "peace for territory. The Palestinian could get a state, but the offer was rejected. There no settlements at that time.

In 1979 Israel and Egypt made peace. Israel destroyed all the settlements in Sinai. The Settlements were not an obstacle for agreement.

In 1993 Arafat and Prime Minister Rabin signed the Oslo agreement. Israel recognized the right of the Palestinians for self- determination. Arafat promised, but never declared.

In 2000, at Camp David, Arafat rejected the Clinton- Barak plan to establish a Palestinian state. The plan was:
* The Palestinian state will get 97% of the Western Bank and whole Gaza, and will be compensated with Israeli territory for the settlements that will be annexed to Israel.
* Jerusalem will become the capital of 2 states.
* The Holy Mountain will be de-facto under Muslim control.
* The refugees will be settled in the Palestinian state by an international project.
Arafat rejected the plan because it did not include settling the refugees in Israel and started the second Intifada.
The settlement of the refugees in Israel means to turn the Jews into a minority and putting an end to the Jewish state.
The settlements grew in number between 1967 and 2000 but they were not an obstacle for agreement.

In 2006 Prime Minister Arik Sharon evacuated all Jews from Gaza Strip and destroyed all settlements in hope that the Palestinians will develop the place for the sake of their people. This did not happen. Gaza became a terrorist state. The destruction of the settlement proves that they are not an obstacle for agreement.

In 2009 Ehud Ulmert, Prime Minister of Israel, negotiated an agreement with Abu Mazen, the Chairman of the PA. Abu Mazen himself admitted on an interview to the Washington Post, that the offer was even better that the one in 2000, but he did not respond to the offer. The reason: the demand that the refugees be settled in Israel.

Now, the PA, supported by the USA, demanded Israel to freeze building on the Western Bank as a pre- condition to talks. Israel agreed, but no concession was done by the PA. The PA REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE ISRAEL as the national state of Jews, and keep demanding that the refugees be settled in Israel.

In short, the settlements are not the obstacle for agreement. The real obstacle is the "Palestinian dream" to eliminate the Jewish state by the settling of the refugees in the Jewish state. The refugees are a throian horse to put an end to the Jewish state.