michael zacharia http://jta.org/user/profile/63890 en-us marcus@infolink.com.br Copyright 2009 2009-11-22T;22:02:00-05:00 uh, i agree with neuroshock. you dont know what you are talking about, Disend....you big dummy, you. 2009-11-22T;22:02:00-05:00 Alan, You couldnt be more wrong. You talk as if their is any parity whatsoever between the Palestinians and Israeis in their negotiating positions. Since 1967, the only party who can create a two-state solution is the Israelis. If the Palestinians could have, they would have. The choice for Israel, more so than ever before, is whether to be a Jewish state or a Democratic state, pure and simple. Even if they make peace in a way that Egypt and Jordan take over areas where Palestinians reside, it still means relinquishing land. And if Israel, has no intention of relinquishing any control of land where Palestinians reside (the Israeli position since Oslo) they must make them Israeli citizens. Perhaps a better title for this article would have been "Hey Israel: Yes or No?" 2009-11-22T;22:02:00-05:00 Since when has a foreign policy analyst never been paid in any capacity by a foreign source to lobby or advocate for their interest in the formation of policy in washington? Probably all have, so why arent we hearing about that. This case is about absolutely nothing. The Likudniks, who have no desire for any peace agreement in Israel/Palestine, have once more sabotaged a fair perspective to emerge in the corridors of power in washington. Shame on you, Congress. 2009-11-22T;22:02:00-05:00 One concerned about the security and welfare of both the Palestinians and Israels should hope President-elect Obama would bring a different approach than the Bush administration has followed during the past 8 years. Since the end of the Clinton administration progress on a resolution to the situation that would establish peace and security between the Palestinians and Israelis has been on hold. Under 8 years of Bush the Israelis in the south have experienced no security and the Palestinians have experienced no economic progress or progress in their aspiration to have their own country. This being the case, clearly Obama should try a different tack that gets both parties to the negotiating table to resolve this conflict once and for all. 2009-11-22T;22:02:00-05:00 I agree that Israel has a right to defend itself against these indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza, but at the same time Israel needs to get moving on a final status accord with Abbas so at least among the Palestinians it wont appear that there are no alternatives to endless war with Israel. Thats the only way there will be a final and long lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. The rocket attacks by the Palestinians and reprisal air raids by the Israelis are just more of the same. Anyone observing has seen this storyline played over and over again through the years. Its time for a true alternative, and I hope once a new Kadima coalition is formed they can finally get around to the much awaited final status accord all the non-partisans there and world citizens everywhere have hoped for. 2009-11-22T;22:02:00-05:00 What the NSC should have said is that for the last 6 years Israel hasn't moved fast enough in negotiations with Abbas (during both the Sharon and Olmert administrations), thereby discrediting Abbas in the eyes of his people. As elections become more and more rare due to continious election date postponements in the West Bank and Gaza the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority is greatly diminished to the point that one day the NSC will come to the conclusion that either Israel must recognize and negotiate with Hamas as the representative of the Palestinians, or abandon the two state solution and endorse the notion of a binational Israeli state where at some future point Jewish citizens will be a minority in Israel. 2009-11-22T;22:02:00-05:00 My gosh, why can't the jews and arabs there live together in the same town? How can they even consider a peace plan for the region if they can't even live together as neighbors in the same town? It reminds me a lot of the attitudes of Americans.. back in the 1950s. Maybe Nazareth Illit will be the modern town globalization never touched. 2009-11-22T;22:02:00-05:00 Maybe the Arab American Anti Discrimination Commitee shouldn't expect President Elect Obama to apologize for the statements of all related to or friends with members of his new administration, but statements like this don't reflect well on the Israelis. Statements like this, by either Israelis or Palestinians, don't serve to temper passions or get us any closer to an acceptable solution to expensive problems there. 2009-11-22T;22:02:00-05:00