Consensus: Set up Palestinian state to end fight

Local Jews, Arabs part ways on how to end the violence.
LIBERTY -- The local Jewish and Arab communities agree that the conflict in the West Bank most likely will end with the creation of a Palestinian state.
"I think that might be the inevitable," said Bonnie Deutsch Burdman, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation.
Husam Rafeedie, president of the Arab Community Center, added, "Let's have a Palestinian state in which the two people can live side by side."
However, they have different ideas about what must be done before that state can be created.
What's needed: Burdman doesn't think Israel will discuss the creation of a new state while Palestinians are using terror as a weapon.
"The way to end violence is for terrorism to stop," she said. "You can't make peace with someone who is blowing up your civilians and blowing up your women and children."
John Elwani, a Palestinian from Liberty, thinks Palestinian attacks won't end until the Israeli army leaves the West Bank for good.
"The Palestinians are the ones who are being attacked," Elwani said. "International law gives the Palestinians the right to defend themselves.
"All they're asking for is for the Israeli army to get the hell out of West Bank and the Gaza Strip."
Some optimism: Despite differing opinions, some local Palestinians and Jews are optimistic there can be a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
"The ability to make peace is there," Burdman said.
Sami Bahour, a Palestinian from Liberty, added, "They're not going to settle it by force and we're not going to settle it by force."