[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

First of all PAL :) I didn't claim that the Palestinians deserved a state because Israel had been brutal and I, like you believe that to be an irrelevant fact regarding their ability to direct their own destiny. (If that's even possible). If I gave that impression I apologize. But as far as I can tell the Palestinians are "ruled" for lack of a better word by the Palestinian Authority not Jordan and thus already have their own government if it could be called that. Who are they going to revolt against?

Presently, they are (at the incitement of their Imams) revolting against continued Israeli administration of the West Bank areas not under the administration of the PLO, at least that's my impression. (Well, many seek the total destruction of Israel, but those are just plain wrong and may be treated however Israel sees fit).

Is this revolt just?

No, I don't believe it is. Since the PLO is not a just Government, Israel has no duty whatsoever to respect the "independence" movement of the Palestinian insurrectionists, any more than the Czar should have respected the insurrection of the Communists. Those who advocate Israeli withdrawal and PLO rule seek to bring their fellow-citizens under a worse tyranny; Israel has no obligation to grant them their aims.

In fact, Israel would be justified in liquidating the PLO administration as a bad experiment that didn't work out, and see if the Palestinians will either come to terms with Israeli administration, or bring forward more worthy independence representatives.

[Demidog]

OK, the only place I would tend to disagree with you (because your legal arguments are extremely sound) is the fact that Israel appears to have agreed to the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority as a governmental body and has only now rejected its legitimacy on the grounds that Arafat hasn't "done enough" to combat terrorism against Israel.