Comments on: The flare-up over the ‘freeze’ shows that Israel has little interest in the peace process

By: Citizen

Citizen — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:46:47 +0000

Yes

By: ThorsProvoni

ThorsProvoni — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:19:52 +0000

Leaving the State of Israel intact in a two state solution only guarantees that Israel will go on some racist, murderous, genocidal ramapage. The Zionist leadership has had 60 years to perfect the Zionist (ethnic Ashkenazi Nazi) conscience among the Zionist interlopers in the ME and among Jews throughout Europe and N. America. All Americans should read The Nazi Conscience by Koonz -- I mention it in Drone Attacks, Buenos Aires JCC -- in order to understand the mentality of far too many wealthy and powerful American Jews. The problems that we experience in Boston from the Jewish power elite are only a small taste of the future for the US and all of the Western world as long as the Zionist Virtual Colonial Motherland remains intact: Patterns of Boston Jewish Power.

By: Solow

Solow — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:38:23 +0000

Successive Israeli governments have had a settlements policy for the occupied territories for more than 40 years. The primary goal of the policy has never varied (except briefly with Rabin). That goal was, and is, to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state. The 1967 war was launched by Israel with that goal in mind. The shared objective of preventing creation of a Palestinian state is what unites Israelis of many political stripes in support of the settlements policy – even many who are not enthusiastic about a Greater Israel. Everyone understands the goal. Ha'aretz recently reported on a poll of 500 Israelis, in which 46 per cent (a plurality) wanted a continuation of settlement construction in the West Bank even if that resulted in damage to the "special relation" with the U.S. The central problem Obama faces in his Middle Eastern policy is the hard fact that most Israelis simply do not want a State of Palestine to come into being, and will vote out of power any government that tries honestly to make that happen. In the end, since he has put his personal creditability and the prestige of the Presidency on the line, Obama must realize that he has to bring meaningful sanctions against Israel to achieve a viable two-state solution. Wisely, I think, he is proceeding slowly and allowing time for American popular opinion to build behind him. If Obama plays his cards wisely, he can allow Netanyahu, Lieberman, et al, to hang themselves with their own indiscretions. So far, he seems to be playing this well. But sooner or later the Obama team, led by Emanuel and Axelrod and Obama himself, will need to start using American mainstream media to dramatize the policy differences with Israel, and to explain why this matters to American interests. The case for sanctions must be made publicly. A general public airing of the issues is what Israel and its American likudnik lobby fear the most. The threat of an Obama prime-time address to the nation on problems and solutions in the Middle East is his all-too-visible nuclear option. But he must proceed with his usual care and caution.

By: Marion

Marion — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:01:13 +0000

The Palestinian Think Tank argues that neither does President Obama have an interest in justly resolving the conflict: Shmuel Amir - Two Speeches: Obama in Conflict with Netanyahu? " target="_blank">http://palestinethinktank.com/2009/06/30/smuel-am...

By: Shingo

Shingo — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:29:45 +0000

Margaret, When Thom says Palestinians are attacking Israel, he deliberately ignores that the Palestinains were reposnding to an Isreli atatck. Peopel like Thom would have you believe that a man who rapes a woman is acting in self defense is she tries to fight back.

By: Shingo

Shingo — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:27:39 +0000

That woudl be the same Abbas whi's term as leader ended in January and who accepted money from Israel and Washington to renege of the unity talks he was to have with Hamas in 2006 and instead launch a coup to overthrow them? As for your theory about peace efforts, the last ceassefire was broekn after 4 months by Israel, becasue as Tzipi Livni told the world, it is not in Israel's strategic interests to have a long ceasefire. In other words, if Israel were to have a freeze on settlements, they would look for a way to provoke the Palestinians into a response that they could claim was proof that the Palestinians are no serious about peace. How long have we heard the same old mantra about how Israel didn't have a partner for peace? The game is up. Everyone is onto Israel.

By: Koshiro

Koshiro — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:09:54 +0000

Have you looked at a map of the West Bank recently? It's absolutely, totally and definitely impossible to build a working Palestinean state with the settlements "remaining the same". "[...]and a vast majority of them are conceded by most to be living on land that will eventually be incorporated into Israel." I keep reading this. Anybody ever care to show me what land they mean, and how many settlers live outside of these borders?

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:56:35 +0000

Israel should stop ALL settlement construction, immediately and for six months unequivocally would be a good start. It is necessary for the Arab world, including Palestinians, to respond in some substantive manner, for it to bear fruit, to call Israel's bluff. Lots of people don't want any peace progress. Today in Haaretz the PA declared that they arrested Hamas operatives (ordered from the top?) intending to assassinate Abbas, in order to dissemble any peace efforts. Not a new strategy. They have historically timed most of their terror immediately before peace talks. " target="_blank">http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1097504.html

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:52:55 +0000

Who said "remove"?

By: Margaret

Margaret — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:49:38 +0000

Thom, "I think Israel should do a 6 month suspension of all settlement building outside of Jerusalem. With building to resume if the Palestinians don't stop attacking." So what do you have to lose? The Palestinians are attacking Israel? Concrete examples of current events would be appreciated , if you intend to go anywhere with that.