In a sense. The Arab League has long rejected the concept. The West Bank and Gaza were under Jordanian and Egyptian control from 47 to 67, pending the destruction of Israel and unification as one nation. The Oslo concept established a less that sovereign state. Israel would have been responsible for defense, foreign affairs and controlled the airspace. The idea of a completely sovereign state is GWB’s. Most of the issues we’re reading about, like the borders or a West Bank-Gaza link were to have been settled in final negotiations under Oslo. Now they’re to be accomplished up front, prior to the Palestinians even embarking on their most basic pre-negotiation obligations, dismantling terror and ceasing incitement.
Thanks again for the refresher; I had forgotten that the Oslo accords had never been "finished". I do believe that a sovereign state is needed, but with Abbas' shaky grip on the security situation as well as some of his recent rhetoric, it seems further off. I don't want this to turn into another Islamic Republic(see Iran) that will feed more foreign fighters into the fledgling Iraq or continue to launch terror strikes into Israel. I understand that you cannot completely eliminate the suicide bombers.