"And it only takes a significant fraction of people--considerably less than 50%-who are committed to non-acceptance to ensure that peace remains impossible."
Israeli polls consistently indidcate that from 1/3 to 40% of the Israeli public opposes the creation of any Palestinian state. Moreover, the term "Palestinian state" as used in Israel typically assumes a demilitarized and only semiautonomous state whose policies are subject to Israeli veto, not full sovereignty as Israel enjoys.
Does it not follow from your statement above that Israeli rejectionism also makes peace impossible? How could one interpret your placement of exclusive blame on Palestinian attitudes as anyting but unfair bias against Palestinians?
OTOH, if minority opinion can always limit a government's ability to compromise, why can't a minority limit a government's ability to refuse compromise? In other words, what makes you think that minority rejectionism will always be more powerful than minority willingness to compromise, or is this phenomenon unique to Palestinians?
"So the percentage of Palestinians who believe in the necessity of the elimination of Israel is very significant at over 50%...."
Actually Pipes probably had to dig for last Spring's poll to get his 51% number. A more recent poll (December 2002, likely available to Pipes when he wrote his February 2003 article) from the same source show that 46% of Palestinians want a 242-style state (occupied territories), 47% want liberation of all of historic Palestine, and 4% would be satisfied with improving the Palestinian negotiating position. (Error rate of 3%, 95% confidence).
http://www.jmcc.org/publicpoll/results/2002/no47.htm
Moreover, if Pipes is truly concerned about rejectionism his prescrption is backwards. Based on the polls, the PA is more willing than its constituents to compromise territorial claims. The government of Israel is way behind most Israelis on the same issue and currently opposes a Palestinian state in the occupied territories or even withdrawal and removal of settlements from them, a precondition to any viable Palestinian state. (Sharon's own party is on record as opposing
any Palestinian state and Sharon's notion of a Palestinian state, if any, remains unspecified, but he's not willing to negotiate one in any case). Despite these facts, Pipes concludes that it is Palestinian rejectionism that "flourishes" and that the U.S. therefore should support Israel.
It is clear from his article that Pipes is a rejectionist himself, understands that most people abhor this attitude, and is therfore using old statistics and logical sleight of hand to shift blame away from those responsible for the current impasse.