Let's be serious. Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority currently being championed by Condoleezza Rice are doomed to failure unless the Palestinians give up their unrealistic expectations. While everyone hopes Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia can reach some kind of an accommodation, the far-reaching goals of the Palestinian Authority -- agreement on a permanent peace that includes right of return for millions of refugees and Palestinian sovereignty over Jerusalem -- are ridiculous. The peace part is totally right on, they need to have peace. But the other demands -- well, let's be honest about this. Such demands should be called what they are -- a pretext to ensure more and repeated conflict. The Palestinian people should be told the truth and should learn to live with it, instead of being told by their leaders -- the same ones who claim to seek peace with Israel -- that such demands are acceptable. If the Palestinians were truly serious about peace, they would agree to a deal that still would give them a lot more than they deserve -- an independent country. Israel will never give up sovereignty over East Jerusalem and its holy sites nor permit millions of Palestinian Arabs and their descendents to exert unrestricted claims over property they abandoned 40 years ago. When Jordan had sovereignty over East Jerusalem, it did not even permit Israelis to visit the holy sites. Arabs can visit the sites now. Similarly, Israel's Arab neighbors are not even considering honoring the rights of Jews who were forced to flee from Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Working-class Palestinians and Israelis understand that peace, not conflict, is synonymous with prosperity for all of the people in the region. Conducting foreign policy to satisfy the demands of radical right-wing Palestinians does not serve the interests of the region, just as Israel fights every day to resist the demands of its radical right-wing minority. Tell the truth. Palestinians and Israelis are brothers; they can get along if they really want to.
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2 comments:
Nate said: "Palestinians and Israelis are brothers; they can get along if they really want to."
So true - but unfortunately the Palestinians aren't interested in peace. They just want to take Israel back bit by bit - all of it and at all costs. Sure, they're brothers but sometime's Mom has to step in and tell one brother to stop bullying the other or else. I don't think that Ms. Rice is woman enough for that job.
So well said! you're right on! The problem is that the people in authority aren't saying it and it's time they did.
Do the Arabs really want peace or are they just using this as an excuse to keep their people ignorant and distracted from the real issues--the leaders living in luxury and the people living in poverty. I just came back from a trip to Egypt and Jordan who have made their peace and are concentrating on education and infrastructure--NOT WAR!
eclaire
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