Not sure where you're getting your information. Dennis Ross was the US envoy to the region -- he makes clear that the Palestinians were offered contiguous territory. Instead of a counter offer of this very generous concept, Arafat said no, left, and started the "suicide bomb" intifida.

You can read more of Dennis Ross reporting of the offer, and the map, here

http://www.mideastweb.org/lastmaps.htm

Here's the summary

http://www.tomgrossmedia.com/mideast...es/000555.html

DENNIS ROSS: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT CAMP DAVID AND BEYOND

A summary by Dennis Ross of what was offered and what took place at the Camp David and Taba negotiations:

1. Yasser Arafat presented no ideas at Camp David.

2. The Taba talks would have happened in late September if not for the outbreak of violence. Arafat knew the US was ready to make a proposal and thus promised to control the violence, but didn't. (I think he was hoping that he could leverage the violence into political gain.)

3. All of Gaza and a net of 97% of the West Bank were offered at Taba.

4. The West Bank area offered was contiguous, not "cantons".

5. The Jordan valley would be under Israeli patrol for only 6 years.

6. The Palestinians were offered a capital in eastern Jerusalem.

7. There would be a "Right of Return" to the nascent Palestinian state.

8. A $30 Billion fund to compensate refugees would be set up.

9. Taba was rushed due to Clinton's, not Barak's, end of term.

10. Members of the PA delegation thought Taba was the best they could hope to get and encouraged Arafat to accept it.

11. Arafat accepted everything he was given at Taba, but rejected everything he was supposed to give.

12. Arafat scuttled the Camp David offer. Arafat scuttled the Taba offer. Arafat scuttled the Mitchell plan. Arafat scuttled the Tenet plan. Arafat scuttled the Zinni plan.
Today, we see the Palestinians throwing each other off roofs as the Hamas terror group fights the Fatah terror group in Gaza after a full Israeli withdrawal. The West is lucky Arafat said No and we didn't see a terror mini-state appear between Israel and Jordan.

And of course I'm not saying that Israel is the "Golden Child" -- merely that it is on the front lines facing the exact same forces -- Jihadist terrorists and Iranian proxy groups -- that America faces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The geopolitical dynamics, along with Israel's standing as a Western democracy, mean that it is in American interests to support Israel in its struggle to survive in a very difficult region. It's perplexing that this point is controversial -- nobody really suggests "balancing" our support for South Korea with support for North Korea, or suggested "balancing" our support for Taiwan with support for China. Only in regards to Israel is America expected to be "even handed" vis a vis a democracy and forces of totalitarianism and terror.