re: #294 califleftyb

Nope, sorry, Charles you’ve got it wrong. The phrase 1967 lines has always implied the pre-war borders and are in fact the lines agreed upon in the 1949 armistice. Please note that President Obama then when on to say “The full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces…” If he is referring to the post-1967 war borders, please explain from where to where this withdrawal refers? The fact is the “mutual swaps” the President referred to is adjustments to the salient of Latrun and other minor adjustments.

For an excellent analysis of the history of the US position on this matter see:
[Link: www.defensibleborders.org…]

I want to add a clarification as the why the Obama speech is such a game changer. I think that Charles and others believe that it has ALWAYS been the US position - and that President Obama’s is just reiterating it - that the US supports an Israeli withdrawal back to the pre-1967 borders with adjustments, and thus Pres. Obama’s statement is no change at all and thus there has been an over-reaction. But this is NOT TRUE! The US position from President Johnson through Pres. GW Bush is that the final borders be based on “defensible borders”. The US has NEVER used the pre-1967 borders as a framework, in fact it has been an evolving Israeli position that has moved it closer to this concept, but nevertheless the US has held that final borders need to be negotiated between the two parties. Thus for President Obama to now endorse what is basically the “Saudi plan” has taken the legs out from Israel to negotiate a settlement as it sees fit that meets it’s security arrangements, as the Saudi Plan was a non-starter for Israel.