James, your "explanation" is a list of potential positive outcomes that could result from a negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians. However, my primary point was not that peace would be undesirable, but that it's unrealistic to expect Israel to negotiate with Palestinians given that the two main factions in the territories have been flirting with civil war. If Hamas and Fatah cannot sign a lasting peace with each other, how can we expect them to come together to honor a peace deal signed with Israel? And even if Israel was willing to negotiate, who would it negotiate with? Mahmoud Abbas, the president, or Hamas, which controls the parliament and is still dedicated to Israel's destruction?
