Hard on the heels of a comprehensive opinion surveyshowing that most Palestinians support a two-state solution only as a stepping stone to a one state solution after Israel has been destroyed, and of a Palestinian Authority report denying any Jewish connection to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, we now have the third emphatic statement of Palestinian rejection of peace and its pre-requisites in under two weeks, this time from the Fatah Revolutionary Council.

Yesterday, the Council stated its implacable opposition to recognising Israel as a Jewish state, as well as to a peace agreement involving land swaps. The first issue is critical; the second important. If Palestinians will not recognise Israel as a Jewish state the conflict cannot come to an end since, as the afore mentioned opinion polls show, Palestinian society will only view any agreement as a temporary measure until the conflict can be resumed on more fabourable terms at a later date. If they reject a priori the possibility of land swaps they are effectively saying there is nothing to talk about on border questions, in which case what is the point of negotiations in the first place?

The Jerusalem Post quoted an Israeli government official as saying the following in response to the Fatah announcement: “I would ask the Palestinians the following question: If the Jewish state is fundamentally illegitimate in your eyes, what sort of peace are you offering us? “It is clear that their refusal to recognize the Jewish state’s legitimacy is the true obstacle to peace and reconciliation.” Indeed so. It is crystal clear. But only to those people who are aware of the facts. So let’s have a look at how these vitally important pieces of information have been reported on by the BBC.

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Here are a few interesting links about last week’s comments by senior UK Jewish leader Mick Davis — head of the United Jewish Israel Appeal. Mr. Davis said that there was a danger Israel may end up as an apartheid state if peace talks fail. He was particularly critical of the Netanyahu government, and said that the actions of the Israeli government had ramifications for Jews in the UK and elsewhere which were just as significant as for Israelis.

Some people I have spoken to say privately that this is a watershed moment for the traditional, UK Jewish leadership. I repeat what I always say on these matters: I’m sitting this one out since it’s a matter for the Jewish community per se. But I do offer here a range of perspectives on what is going on and I am interested in your (politely written) opinions on the matter.

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Two items of fundamental importance to understanding Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians have come to light this week, and both have been completely ignored by the BBC’s news teams. The first (see last entry but one) is the comprehensive survey of Palestinian public opinion showing that a solid majority of Palestinians view a two-state solution to the conflict as a mere stepping stone on the way to destroying Israel and taking “back all the land for a Palestinian state” ruled by Islamic law.

The second (see this article in today’s Jerusalem Post) is a “study” approved by the Palestinian Authority which denies that the Western Wall in Jerusalem has anything to do with Judaism and the Jews and is in fact the western wall of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

It is, of course, simply impossible to understand Israeli doubts about Palestinian sincerity in forging a lasting peace unless one knows such things.

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It is being reported in the British media today that at least 5,000 British Muslim schoolchildren are being educated according to the curriculum of Saudi Arabia, a curriculum which encourages extreme hatred of Jews and homosexuals amongst others. The reports peg off a BBC Panorama documentary to be aired on Monday evening. According to a report on the BBC’s website, Saudi education is a growing phenomenon in Britain and takes place in part-time schools and clubs rather than in normal day schools.

However, the documentary will also show how full-time Muslim school websites are disseminating extreme hostility to the British way of life including one saying: “Our children are exposed to a culture that is in opposition to almost everything Islam stands for… We need to defend our children from the forces of evil”.

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There is a reason why most of the Western media does not report the facts from out of the Middle East. And that’s because such facts would blow the anti-Israeli narrative straight out of the water. To wit, a major new poll conducted for the Israel Project highlighting outright rejectionism among the Palestinians of Israel’s long-term right to exist has been all but ignored.

The findings of the poll are truly devastating since they provide clear evidence of what many Israelis have been saying for years: the Palestinians are only interested in a two state solution as a stepping stone to the ultimate destruction of Israel and its replacement with a single Islamic state ruled by them and not the Jews. That’s what Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet are up against as the world pushes them to negotiate with the Palestinian leadership. The key findings of the poll are as follows:

1) 60% of Palestinians support the proposition that “The real goal should be to
start with two states but then move to it all being one Palestinian state”.

2) Only 30% supported the contrasting proposition that “The best goal is for a two state
solution that keeps two states living side by side”. A mere 12% of Palestinians supported that proposition “strongly”.

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