As the situation stands today, the following should be all for acceptance of the Palestinian proposal and for the granting of full UN membership and recognition of Palestine as an independent sovereign state:

- Anyone who wishes to do permanent damage to the United Nations;
- Israeli hardline "zionists";
- Iran;
- Syria;
- Turkey.

Oddly enough counted amongst the ranks of those opposed are Hamas and Hezbollah who see the formal creation and recognition of such a Palestinian state as a betrayal.

Some facts with regard to this newly created Palestinian State:

1. It becomes internationally responsible for the activities of its citizens within its borders.

2. It becomes responsible for acts committed by its citizens against other nations and their citizens.

3. Becoming a full member of the United Nations requires that Palestine (new member) FORMALLY RECOGNISE the State of Israel (member since 1949) and acknowledge their right to live in peace free from threat of attack.

So grant Palestine "statehood" and the next rocket, mortar shell or kidnapping attempt initiated from inside Palestine against Israel all of a sudden becomes an attack by one member state on another. The state of Palestine as represented by Mahmoud Abbas cannot throw their hands in the air and claim we're sorry but we cannot control our own citizens - that would no longer be accepted as the government of Palestine you have to control your citizens if they are engaged in attacking another member state.

Palestine could of course acquire allies to aid their cause and by gathering them around her could possibly attempt to deter Israeli retaliation (Which Israel by the terms of the UN Charter would be fully justified in taking). But that takes us back to the situation that existed in 1948 and we all know how that turned out don't we, only this time the game would be seen through to completion and basically I would not give a "rats ass" for the chances of Egyptian; Syrian; Lebanese; Jordanian or Palestinian forces, all of whom for their entire existence have only ever performed one function and exercised one role - that of suppressing their own people in order to keep the ruling cliques in power. The IDF on the other hand for the last 63 years has fought and prepared itself to defend their country - they have learned well and they have become damn good at it.