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CANDLELIGHTING

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THE JEWISH VIEW

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HOLIDAYS

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JUDAISM 101

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{weblog_name} - Israel, Palestinians: Disagreeing To Disagree
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News reports from Jerusalem this week were aflutter with a half-hearted offer from Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the Palestinian Authority to extend a [Jewish] building ban in West Bank Jewish communities. Mr. Netanyahu asked his quasi-partners in these tortuous talks to “say unequivocally to its people that it recognizes Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.” That was met by a patently offensive response by P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas. “If we showed flexibility on these [core] issues the peace agreement would have been signed a long time ago,” he said. Israel, he added, must agree upfront to create a Palestinian state on all West Bank territory captured in the stunning 1967 Six Day War. (Click here: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/abbas-we-ll-never-sign-deal-demanding-recognition-of-israel-as-jewish-state-1.319329 .) In other words, give us what we want before we talk and then we can negotiate on more.… read more