With the removal of Saddam and the feverish backpaddling of Syria, the chance of peace in Israel is probably better than it has ever been.
You have all the major players agreeing on one simple plan. You have a clear time table, one with clear benchmarks. You have political will from Israel, you have a new Palestinian leader.
Israel hasn't agreed to the plan.
Phase 1 of the road map calls for an end to settlement activity. Powell raised it with Sharon last week, and Sharon's response was settlement growth must continue. His exact remark was "do you want them to have abortions?" (Settler women)
So do you Pal-defenders note the relationship between the IDF easing the grip on the Pals ever so little and new suicide bomber attacks? Heh, did it take 2-3 days after the Israelis opened up the West Bank until the suicide bombings resumed?
What makes you think the Israelis opened up the West Bank?
They had specific warnings of suicide bombings in Tel Aviv last Tuesday, and imposed heavier than normal security. See:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=292500&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=YFrom what I understand, the latest bomber in Jerusalem was disguised as a religous Jew, and probably came in through the usual back door in to Israel, along the roads reserved for settlers. They have very few checkpoints.
The Palastinians don't wan't a state..They wan't the destruction of Israel.
Evidence for that? The PLO adopted the "two state" solution in 1988, and have held to it ever since.
well, do remember israel is literally being asked to give away its land to a people hell bent on killing them.
I haven't heard anyone suggest Israel gives up any of it's land to the Palestinians. They are currently disputing the West Bank and Gaza, which are not Israeli land.
BTW Dowding...would you please remind us all of the most recent independent Palestinian peace proposal to be brought forward to either Isreal or the US by the PLO itself?
The Palestinians have of course been calling for negotiations ever since Taba broke up just before Sharon was elected. Sharon actually ruled out substantive negotiations at all during his first term, always saying talks could begin "after the next election"
The Palestinians also supported the Saudi peace plan, and have endorsed the roadmap, which Israel has still failed to do.
But to understand Yasser Arafat's situation is not necessarily to forgive his decision. Despite all these complications, what Bill Clinton offered and Ehud Barak accepted did give Arafat grounds for loudly proclaiming victory, and going home in triumph. After all, "formal custodial status" on the Temple Mount, recognized by all parties, smacks of control by right, not by suffrage.
The Palestinians have 3 main "wants" out of the peace process.
Their own state on 100% of the West Bank and Gaza (which means approx 22% of the area of Palestine immediately prior to partition, despite being 50% of the population)
The right of return for their refugees displaced during 1948.
Sovereignty over the Temple Mount.
Bartak offered them 75% of their territorial demands, but with major conditions, like no territorial integrity, waqter rights etc. He offered them 0% on refugees, and 0% on Temple Mount.
Israel has 3 major "wants" from the peace process.
Security
No right of return for Palestinian refugees
Retention of existing settlements
Barak's plan fullfilled all of those for Israel (security as much as can be achieved)
Barak didn't actually make any concessions to Arafat. Giving up the bulk of the West Bank and it's population is actually one of Israel's goals. They know they cannot continue to rule over a rapidly increasing Arab population indefinately, and the only alternatives to a Palestinian state are the expulsion of 4 million Arabs at gunpoint, into surrounding countries that won't take them, or a "final solution". Neither is acceptable anymore. (Look what happened to Milosevic when he tried something similar)
