After more than a week of anticipation, today's speech by Netanyahu was such a dispointment and essentially offered nothing new.  Based on the buzz that preceeded the speech, peace activists from all sides were hoping for a major change in Israeli attitudes, instead, what they got was more of the same, thinly veiled as a "bold move".

 Netanyahu declared that Israel would be ready to recognize a Palestinian state by its side, but with conditions.  Conditions tso absurd that it will be unlikely for Palestinians to consider.

Condition 1: Palestinians are to recognize Israel as the "National State for the Jewish People".

 Am I the only person on this planet not outraged by this notion?  For those pro-Israel apologists who get so upset when the Zionist state is compared to South Africa, how can you not see the apartheid in such statement?  

Let us try to replace words here as an exercise... repeat the following sentence out loud: The National State for White People... or.. The National State for Christian People... or Muslims... etc.. etc..

Such clearly racist statements can never be accepted by the Palestinians who, ironically, have always advocated thru the PLO, a Palestine that includes ALL religions.

And what about the over one million Arab citizens of Israel?  How would they fit under such a "recognition statement"?  Zionism.. I see your true colors shining thru.

Condition 2: The Palestinian state would be demilitarized...

Why?  Last I checked, Israel, whenever it felt the need goes waltzing in Palestinian towns and villages, killing and wounding civilians, destroying homes, schools, churches, mosques, etc.. etc... So, shouldn't the Palestinians at least have some sort of defense mechanism?  who will protect them? Isn't that a basic right?

The latest Gaza incursion caused over 1,000 Palestinian lives, yet, the Israeli PR machine portrayed the Isreali side as victims... despite the body counts, many people here in the US bought it.   So, somehow, we are expected to believe that the most armed nation in the region (including nuclear weapons) would be threatned by Palestinians, most likely armed with outdated weapons.

Netanyahu's speech mentions nothing about the illegal settlements in the occupied west bank (take that Obama and Hillary), and proposes a resolution for the "Right of Return" issue, affecting millions of refugees, outside of Israel... perhaps we can send them to Palau...

Considering that this apartheid state is getting $10 BILLION of our tax dollars annually, the least they can do is properly address the administration's request to halt the settlement

Media outlets in the US are likely to portray the speech as a breakthrough..  a "step in the right direction"... and when those conditions are not met, the pro-Israel pundits will repeat the tired lines about how Palestinians always miss opportunities...

Today's performance by Netanyahu was interesting, but totally lacked real substance and, if anything, underestimated the intelligence of his country's main ally