Headphones Not Required

jonathan-cunningham:

Israel informed the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council last week, as well as several other prominent European Union countries, that if the Palestinian Authority persists in its efforts to gain recognition in September as a state within the 1967 borders, Israel would respond with a series of unilateral steps of its own.

…

The Israeli diplomatic corps conveyed the message that support for international recognition, particularly by most of the members of the European Union, encouraged the Palestinians to forgo negotiations with Israel and to move more quickly toward recognition at the UN of Palestinian statehood. Israeli diplomats stressed that such a move violates the Oslo Accords and will not lead to a Palestinian state even if the General Assembly grants recognition, but could lead to violence on the ground.

To those who continue to say the Israeli/Palestine conflict is between two equal sides: how can you justify Israel not recognizing the existence of Palestine, killing six Palestinians (including civilians) with an armed, disciplined military for every Israeli killed, and continuing settlements/bulldozing/forced evictions?  There is only one ‘side’ of this conflict that can end the violence, and it’s definitely not Palestine.