Netanyahu Does It: Kills Two-State Solution Dead

This is from Ha'aretz today: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel would never agree to withdraw from the Jordan Valley under any peace agreement signed with the Palestinians."

The Jordan Valley is the area on the far east side of the West Bank, adjacent to Jordan.

So here is what Netanyahu says Israel will never give up for a Palestinian state: (1) the entire area of East Jerusalem, massively expanded by Israel to include hundreds of thousands of Palestinians -- along with the holy sites of the Old City (2) all West Bank cities and settlements near Israel which will be incorporated into Israel itself (3) the huge city of Ariel smack dab in the middle of the West Bank.

Now, remember, Israel, without any of the occupied areas or East Jerusalem constitutes 78% of historic Palestine. The Palestinians want the other 22% to be their state, no more but no less.

Netanyahu is now ruling out a sizable chunk of that 22%, making any kind of Palestinian state impossible.

The silence from Washington should be deafening.