Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that Israel has no choice but to divide up its ancient homeland for the sake of Middle East peace.
Olmert was speaking at a special Knesset session commemorating the 60th anniversary of the United Nations resolution that approved the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.
Just as the division of mandatory Palestine was “necessary” in 1947, so too is the division of the land essential today.
"There is no other alternative," Olmert said.
The leader of the opposition Likud Party, Benjamin Netanyahu, denounced the Palestinian Arabs who instead of wanting two states for two people - in accordance with US President George W. Bush's vision - are determined to get "two states for one people - a Palestinian state, and an Israeli state flooded with Palestinians under what they call the 'right of return' of refugees displaced during the war, along with their descendants."
Olmert himself returned a few days ago from Annapolis, Maryland, where he pledged before an international gathering to do everything possible to help secure the creation of a Palestinian state on the biblical heartland of Israel in the coming year.
Israel "deserves credit from the world" for accepting the 1947 partitioning of its land, Olmert said perversely.
He believes the world will credit Israel too for the "courageous" step he took on behalf of his nation by going to Annapolis last week.
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