Readers’ Responses to Our Question (164)

Is there a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? The answer is yes. But the solution has to be fair and just, based on international laws and treating both parties impartially and without prejudice. No single Mediator has a chance to bring about an agreement between the two sides. Only the United Nations Security Council has the authority to impose a solution and the United States should refrain from vetoing its decision. The solution has to be forced on them.

A United Nations Mediator should convince the two sides that the days of intransigence and belligerence are over and would present the following as the only viable solution to their conflict:

A. To begin with, an immediate cessation of all hostilities by both sides will be enforced on both sides with severe sanctions for anyone who fails to comply.

B. The city of Jerusalem should be completely demilitarized and declared a neutral “Holy City”
protected by the United Nations.

C. Israel must be compelled to:
1) Declare unequivocally that it has no aspirations to any land other than that whose boundaries were defined in the U.N. Declaration which established it as a state.
2) Withdraw from the occupied territories including all the illegal settlements and the Golan Heights.
3) Accept the creation of an independent Palestinian State.
4) Allow the return of Palestinians who were forced out of their homes under the Israeli ethnic cleansing campaign.
5) Provide just compensation for the homes and lands previously owned by Palestinians and forcibly appropriated by Israel or return such homes and lands to their rightful owners.
6) Accord and guarantee equal human rights and civil liberties to all Palestinians who choose to live within Israel as stipulated by the U.N. resolution which created the state of Israel.
7) Adhere to all U.N. resolutions aimed at establishing peace in the region.
8) Sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and allow inspections of its nuclear facilities.
9) Recognize the authority and jurisdiction of the World Court as the sole arbiter of disputes regarding international law.

D. The Palestinians:
1) Must accept the existence of the state of Israel as a fact with which they must live.
2) They must refrain from future hostile acts against Israel.

When Israelis and Palestinians have fulfilled their obligations, the Palestinians can redirect their energies into building a peaceful and prosperous nation without animosity for their neighbors. Time can be relied-upon to heal many wounds opened by both sides.

Both sides must exclude the religious fanatics from the peace-making processes.

The other Arab nations must also recognize Israel as an independent sovereign state.

Unless both sides can “bite the bullet” and sincerely work towards establishing permanent
peace, it is obvious that the world can anticipate the open wound of their conflict to become an
incurable gangrene that would cause the demise of the afflicted and perhaps the entire humankind.

Is there a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? The answer is yes. But the solution has to be fair and just, based on international laws and treating both parties impartially and without prejudice.

In order to bring an end to the wanton killings and to the suffering of millions of people, and since the United States government is the key sponsor and supporter of Israel, the initiative rests with the United States. However, any final agreement has to be endorsed and enforced by the United Nations.

Following are some suggestions for a viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

A. To begin with, an immediate cessation of all hostilities must be IMPOSED by the United Nations on both sides..

B. The city of Jerusalem should be completely demilitarized and declared a neutral “Holy City”
protected by the United Nations.

C. Israel must be compelled to:
1) Declare unequivocally that it has no aspirations to any land other than that whose boundaries were defined in the U.N. Declaration which established it as a state.
2) Withdraw from the occupied territories including all the illegal settlements and the Golan Heights.
3) Accept the creation of an independent Palestinian State.
4) Allow the return of Palestinians who were forced out of their homes under the Israeli ethnic cleansing campaign.
5) Provide just compensation for the homes and lands previously owned by Palestinians and forcibly appropriated by Israel or return such homes and lands to their rightful owners.
6) Accord and guarantee equal human rights and civil liberties to all Palestinians who choose to live within Israel as stipulated by the U.N. resolution which created the state of Israel.
7) Adhere to all U.N. resolutions aimed at establishing peace in the region.
8) Sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and allow inspections of its nuclear facilities.
9) Recognize the authority and jurisdiction of the World Court as the sole arbiter of disputes regarding international law.

D. The Palestinians:
1) Must accept that the existence of the state of Israel is a fact with which they must live.
2) They must refrain from future hostile acts against Israel.

When Israelis and Palestinians have fulfilled their obligations, the Palestinians can redirect their energies into building a peaceful and prosperous nation without animosity for their neighbors. Time can be relied-upon to heal many wounds opened by both sides.

Both sides must exclude the religious fanatics from the peace-making processes.

The other Arab nations must also recognize Israel as an independent sovereign state.

Unless both sides can “bite the bullet” and sincerely work towards establishing permanent
peace, it is obvious that the world can anticipate the open wound of their conflict to become an
incurable gangrene that would cause the demise of the afflicted and perhaps the entire humankind.

The Zionist fanatics’ aspiration is to use every possible means to create a incontestable “Eretz Yisrael” (Greater Israel)stretching between the two great rivers: The Nile and the Euphrates. To accomplish this the territorial integrity and, perhaps, the very existence of five nations Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq) has to be compromised. If the world allowed Israel to pursue such a schizophrenic course what would be the consequences?

Zionism comes from the bowels of the Old Testament. A book written by Jews for their own self-serving interests.

In a display of chutzpah even more galling than the Balfour Declaration, the first Zionists invented a God who “commanded them” to commit genocide. After declaring that their “God gave them” land which had belonged to other peoples for thousands of years, the spiritual ancestors of today's Zionists embarked upon a campaign of mass murder:
…”In the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has “commanded” (Deuteronomy 20:16-17).
The Jebusites were the people of Jerusalem, and like the other nations that were slated for destruction, they had no quarrel with the Israelites. Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that The People Of The Book were bent on genocide according to the modern definition of the word:
"They should be utterly destroyed and should receive no mercy but be exterminated, as the Lord commanded Moses . . Utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling..."(Joshua 11:20 . . . First Samuel 15:3).

Then the Jews decided to disperse among charitable nations which provided them with refuge. By the end of the 19th century, using the lessons provided by their religious books, they managed to elevate themselves to positions of economic and political power which enabled them to influence the decisions of the Superpowers that eventually allowed them to reclaim part of the land which they had originally grabbed, claiming that “God had promised it to them”. But that land was already occupied for thousands of years by the Palestinians (descendants of ancient Canaanites and Philistines); and the Palestinians had to be evicted sometimes by the same methods that the ancient Jews used: Genocide and extermination.

Item: Israel has perpetrated many well documented massacres as well as ethnic cleansing operations against Palestinians (http://www.ummah.net/unity/palestine/massacres.htm).
Item: For the past 59 years, Israel has pursued a policy of brutal oppression against a people whose homeland was arbitrarily taken away from them. During the same period, Israeli occupation forces have killed thousands of Palestinians and never hesitated to kill unarmed Palestinian children or to arrest and torture them in order to elicit from them information regarding members of resistance organizations including possibly their parents.

Item: It is documented that a large portion of the US financial aid to Israel is used for the construction of settlements most of which are on illegally occupied territory. Many of the settlement homes are used by American and European Jews as summer vacation or retirement homes.

Item: Whereas Israel owes its existence to a United Nations resolution, it has repeatedly violated the provisions of the U.N. charter and with the concurrence of the United States arrogantly thumbed its nose to subsequent U.N. resolutions regarding its borders, and its persistent violations of the human rights and civil liberties of Palestinians.

Item: The U.S. legislative and executive branches, kowtowing to the powerful Zionist lobby (11 Senators, 26 Congressmen, tens of pro-Zionist organizations, many Zionists in key decision-making positions), have blindly aligned themselves with Israel giving over two hundred billion dollars of US taxpayers' money in economic and military aid to Israel's oppressive regime. US arms were and are still being used against Palestinians. (The total cost in lives and financial resources incurred by the United States in its support for Israel to date is immense). This selective, one-sided, US policy has aptly branded the US as an accomplice to Israel's crimes against the Palestinians and is the root cause of many terrorist acts against the United States.
Item: In the absence of any other rational explanation for the blind subservience to Israeli interests, would it be unreasonable for one to assume that some of the aid funds are sent back to the United States and are given to American-Jewish organizations or individuals who, in turn, pass them on as political contributions to both party candidates for office in order to secure their support for the Israeli cause?

Item: There are some people who say that Israel is a friend of the United States and deserves such unquestioned support. The intentional Israeli attack on the USS Liberty in 1967, killing 34 and wounding 172 American servicemen (http://www.ussliberty.com) is indicative of the absurdity of such blind support of Israel. As one of the survivors of the attack stated: “With friends like Israel, the U.S. needs no enemies”

Item: During WWII, in virtually all the Nazi-occupied countries in Europe, the patriotic resistance against the occupiers was encouraged and actively supported by the United States. Many of the freedom-fighters did not hesitate to place their own lives on the line in the cause of freedom from their Nazi oppressor. The similarity with the acts of Palestinians against the Israeli occupation forces is evident and a distinction should be made between freedom-fighters and terrorists.

Item: Many of the past and present Israeli political and military personalities had also been leaders or members of Zionist terrorist organizations such as the “Irgun Z'vai Leumi”, “Stern Gang”, “Haganah”, “Giddy Paglin”, “Palmach” etc. (The assassination of U.N. mediator Swedish Count Folke Bernadotte was an act of one of these organizations). These Zionist organizations “wrote the book” on modern terrorism which, until their appearance, constituted but random and isolated acts by anarchists.

Item: When Ariel Sharon became Prime Minister of Israel, he had adopted the satanic ploy of demanding from Palestinian Chairman Arafat to “rein-in the terrorist groups”. This impossible-to –comply-with demand had allowed Sharon to launch his hard line campaign of assassination and destruction with presumed impunity. Unfortunately, this absurd demand had also been echoed by President Bush. Given the facts that there are almost 3.5 million Palestinians living in Israel the West Bank and the other occupied territories and that every Palestinian family has been brutally victimized by the Israeli occupation forces, how in the name of reason could Yasser Arafat know who the next Palestinian -who had had sufficient reasons to seek revenge and, in his or her desperation, was determined to sacrifice his or her life to achieve it- be reined-in? Furthermore, How could Arafat arrest resistance fighters when the Israeli occupation forces systematically targeted Palestinian police installations and policemen? Needless to say, similar irrational demands are constantly made on the Palestinians by the intransigent Israeli government. Such demands seem to have one purpose: to stonewall any final resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian problem.

Out of the tragedy of the terrorist atrocities of September 11th, renewed hopes had also emerged that a permanent solution would be found to the 59-year old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Instead of a solution, and in spite of the obvious ability of the U.S. -as the sole Superpower- to impose one, we became witnesses to a severe deterioration of the situation with hostilities from both sides. In light of this, the US foreign policy, blatantly supportive of Israel's aggressive posture, has to be re-evaluated using more pragmatic and objective criteria. For a correct assessment of that situation, one has to view the above historical facts through their proper perspective. By so doing, one will discover one of the real causes of the September 11th attack on the United States. (The other being the unabashed U.S. support of oppressive regimes in Muslim nations.)

Is there a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? The answer is yes. But the solution has to be fair and just, based on international laws and treating both parties impartially and without prejudice.

In order to bring an end to the wanton killings and to the suffering of millions of people, and since the United States government is the key sponsor and supporter of Israel, the initiative rests with the United States. However, any final agreement has to be endorsed and enforced by the United Nations.

Following are some suggestions for a viable solution:

A. To begin with, an immediate cessation of all hostilities must be IMPOSED by the United Nations on both sides..

B. The city of Jerusalem should be completely demilitarized and declared a neutral “Holy City”
protected by the United Nations.

C. Israel must be compelled to:
1) Declare unequivocally that it has no aspirations to any land other than that whose boundaries were defined in the U.N. Declaration which established it as a state.
2) Withdraw from the occupied territories including all the illegal settlements and the Golan Heights.
3) Accept the creation of an independent Palestinian State.
4) Allow the return of Palestinians who were forced out of their homes under the Israeli ethnic cleansing campaign.
5) Provide just compensation for the homes and lands previously owned by Palestinians and forcibly appropriated by Israel or return such homes and lands to their rightful owners.
6) Accord and guarantee equal human rights and civil liberties to all Palestinians who choose to live within Israel as stipulated by the U.N. resolution which created the state of Israel.
7) Adhere to all U.N. resolutions aimed at establishing peace in the region.
8) Sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and allow inspections of its nuclear facilities.
9) Recognize the authority and jurisdiction of the World Court as the sole arbiter of disputes regarding international law.

D. The Palestinians:
1) Must accept that the existence of the state of Israel is a fact with which they must live.
2) They must refrain from future hostile acts against Israel.

When Israelis and Palestinians have fulfilled their obligations, the Palestinians can redirect their energies into building a peaceful and prosperous nation without animosity for their neighbors. Time can be relied-upon to heal many wounds opened by both sides.

Both sides must exclude the religious fanatics from the peace-making processes.

The other Arab nations must also recognize Israel as an independent sovereign state.

Unless both sides can “bite the bullet” and sincerely work towards establishing permanent
peace, it is obvious that the world can anticipate the open wound of their conflict to become an
incurable gangrene that would cause the demise of the afflicted and perhaps the entire humankind.

http://DrugsHome.com

Well, just give me a chance - you will be begging for more .... ask the brits if you have any doubts

When a company finds that despite a great deal of funding and planning, a portion of its operations continuously loses money and fails to meet its objectives, that portion of the company is either sold or is terminated.

The settlement movement and the occupation that supports its growth and safety have lost untold wealth and growth for the Israelis, while absolutely failing in their objectives of increasing security or helping to ensure the Jewish majority of Israel.

Furthermore, for 40 years, the US has given Israel between 3 to 6 billion dollars in aid, load guarnatees, and military aid.

This money is only needed in order to cover the massive budgetary shortfall that Israel experiences every year in trying to continue to pay for the growth of the settlement movement and the occupation that acts as it's personal security police. Imagine the cost of staying in Iraq for 40 years while also trying to guard hundreds of thousands of US citizens who moved to the outskirts of Baghdad and claimed the territory as part of the United states which had been given to them by God. You get the picture.

This money is given despite the fact that official US policy has always condemned the settlements and called for their removal.

This unhealthy and relationship has hurt Israel and hurt the US, as the settlements and the occupation are the primary engine that have driven Middle Eastern terrorist recruiting and fund raising for decades.

Ater 9/11, the cost of our complicity in a program that we officially condemn is in the trillions of dollars, thousands of lives, and tens of thousands of casuaties.

My first action would be, as Bush I tried to do, to make all funding for Israel conditional on a complete pullout of all settlements. That would make the occupation largely irrelevant, and would cause it's end relatively quickly.

I would ask the UN to bring in a mostly arab peace keeping force in the interim, in order to stave off the attacks from the Palestinian factions that would like to scuttle the process, and to keep the Israelis who support the settlements from doing the same. This is working fairly well in Lebanon now.

I would also demand that Israel tear down any portion of the wall that extends over the green line and rebuild it on the 67 borders.

This would help move both Israel and the US back to towards the Moral Highground in the eyes of the entire world (which, based on voting patterns in the UN on related subjects, seems to want some version of exactly what I have laid out here) and would soon bring about teh begining of the end of the War on terror, saving the US and Israeli untold trillions in the decades to come.

Give the Palestinians the 1967 borders and bring in UN Peace keepers to keep them and the Jews apart !

Israeli-Palestinian negociations should be encourage, in an effort to secure peace. The problem is the return of palestinians who fled the war in 1948, and could become a majority if left to stay in Israel again. The previous boundaries of 1967 could be negotiated, even though the rest of the land was won in military confrontations.

Israeli-Palestinian negociations should be encourage, in an effort to secure peace. The problem is the return of palestinians who fled the war in 1948, and could become a majority if left to stay in Israel again. The previous boundaries of 1967 could be negotiated, even though the rest of the land was won in military confrontations.

All parties involved should simultaneously retire their forces within one month, the Iranians/Hezbollah from Lebanon, Hamas guerilla troops disband altogether, and Israel ends it occupation of the West Bank withdrawing to the former 1967 border. The UN should send a
non muslim miltary group to spervise withdrawls. Israel should pay damages to Lebanon for uneeded damage to Lebanon's infrastructure or the USA should pay using funds it has set aside for Israel be they from miltary support or other ends.

Since 1948 and the formation of Israel, the real villains in this situation, have been the US and UK. Although done with the best of intentions towards the Jewish people as a mea-culpa for all the historical butchery and mistreatment meted out to them, mainly by so called Christian nations, neither the US or UK respected the rights of the Palestinian people. Their one eyed support for Israel at the expense of the Palestinians just grievances, is what has led to the current situation. The real solution to this problem is for the US and UK to finally shoulder their moral responsibility, step in and force Israel back to the agreed 1948 borders. Likewise the Palestinians should be allowed to form their own State.
Failure by either side to comply should be dealt with by international blacklisting and isolation, until they come to their senses. The US and UK should be economically liable for all costs and should compensate the Palestinian people for the Isralei land grab and ongoing destruction of their infrastructure. That's what should happen, but with the UN a toothless tiger and war mongering war criminals holding the reins of power, there is little chance of this occuring.

In view of recent events the Israeli, Palestinian problem, is the preimminent political problem of modern history. Given the world's dependency on Middle Eastern oil, a regional war would no doubt (rapidly) escalate into a world war, waged by the major oil importing nations. All this to the delight of Tehran, and everyone else in the Muslim world, who justify murder in the same breath that they speak God's name!
However, to answer the question, I offer the following as a solution:
1. Through world aid, primarily the Arab world, eradicate the grinding poverty of the Palestinians. Regardless of other circumstances, poverty knows neither peace or human dignity.
2. Through the U.N. general assembly, establish a body of people to determine a boundary between the autonomous states of Israel and Palestine and, have armed forces from security council members patrol and police the boundary. Disagreement or violation of the border by any means, by either side, would result in economic sanctions and an immediate cessation of any kind of aid.
3. Last, and most importantly (for myriad reasons), there needs to be a collaborative effort amongst oil dependent nations to replace oil with an alternative fuel source.

Shadi Manasra

As usual, the Israeli government has moved against a clearly defenseless population without any regard to international norms or human decency. Acting with little interest in diplomacy and wielding its overwhelmingly huge stick, Operation Summer Rains is simply the latest attempt to destroy any hope for a resolution of Middle East hostilities.

The Israeli planes have cut off electricity for nearly half the population of Gaza ? no refrigeration, fans or air conditioners in a scorching climate. ?Unacceptable and barbaric punishment of civilians ? women, children and the old,? stated the office of Mahmoud Abbas as the Palestinian leader worked to secure the release of young Shalit. Add to this the sonic booms used to further terrorize the population.

How long can silence reign in light of illegal house demolitions, extrajudicial murders, and the destruction of thousands of olive groves, the consistent refusal to honor UN resolutions 446, 452, 465 and 471? the return of land captured in war. Israel and its wealthy patron the Bush administration refuse. ?Shadi Manasra?

To late,That tiny sect of settlers from Russia and Poland sandwiched amongst a billion Arabs has caused the beginning of a major war.Who would of thought that all these white settlers with there private religion would upset the brown skinned native people of the opposite religion.Ya this works.

1st Israel has to have a secular government. I can't believe we ever supported the creation of a state that was designed to be of one religion. It is contrary to what we believe because we know that the exclusion of people because of their religious beliefs is unsound and unhealthy for the future existence of the country. The two state decision won't ever work. Palestinians and Israelis must be a part of one government. They must both agree to combat vigilante violence on both sides.

The Palestinian National Authority's prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, writes, "The current Gaza invasion is only the latest effort to destroy the results of fair and free elections held early this year. It is the explosive follow-up to a five-month campaign of economic and diplomatic warfare directed by the United States and Israel," in an op-ed in today's Washington Post titled, "Aggression Under False Pretenses" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/10/AR2006071001108.html.

Haniyeh criticizes the U.S. role— which American politicians often frame as that of a mediator — in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Haniyeh asks readers, "Who is the underdog, supposedly America's traditional favorite, in this case?" What do you think?

The problem between israel and the palestinians will never be resolved because the establishment of Israel created millions of arab refugees which nobody wants to acknowledge. Most Jewish Americans and Israelis incorrectly claim that nobody was living there and that the land was empty.

For all the money that we have given to Israel over the years, we should have simply bought the land from the palestinians like the US bought Florida from Spain, Louisiana from France, and Alaska from Russsia. It would have been cheaper and more peaceful in the long run for the US to have paid the palestinians to move to other countries. The UN never had a right to give the Palestinian land away without compensation. After WWII the European countries and the US didnt want the Jewish refugees so they prevailed upon the UN to send them to Palestine and to give them land that belonged to someone else.

If the Jews can go home again, why can't the Native Americans? I know, it doesn't work that way. Might makes right. Okay, back to the final solution: the Jews should all move to Montana - or some similarly deserted U.S. land - and the Palestinians should be allowed to rebuild their lost homeland. What will happen then is that the U.S. will resent the Jews - even more than it has in the past - and the Palestinians will be mistreated - as they have in the past - by their Arab bretheren. So then the Jews will move back and recreate the ancient state of Israel and force the Palestinians out and we can start this dance all over again.

I mentioned earlier that Israel is an artificial country build right on top of a suppressed real country - Palestine. Also mentioned that I'm a West European, for many years pro-Israel because of shame/guilty/sadness feelings from the WW2 killings of Jews, but then slowly-but-surely realized that Israel, as it is now, should move on. Use India or South-Africa as an example of how to give a dictatorial colony back to its rightful owners. The many letters from well meaning experts constantly emphasizing that Israel and Gaza/West Bank should better communicate, accept each other, get along, etc. is unrealistic. It is like forcing two people that can't stand each other to get married and live happily ever after - it doesn't work that way. We have to get back to square one, realize that Israel is artificial and that somehow that part of the world has to rebuild itself with Palestinians taking the lead - it is their country. I know many Jews and Arabs in other parts of the Middle East and there seems to be a natural balance - things evolved naturally. I also know many Jews now in Israel but whose families have lived there for generations or immigrated in the early 1920 (after WW1) - their present families also are unhappy and want to get back to "before" Israel. So let's get back to square one (the only alternative is to continue this already 50 year old destruction of each other).

It is wrong to state that Israeli oppression of Palestinians continues to flame passions in just the Arab and Muslim World. Majority of people of the World including many in Israel, consider this colonial repression and its whitewash in Western media a shame. The sympathy for Palestinian cause is immense throughout the World especially in the third World.
Even Europeans who in a poll taken last summer considered Israel the biggest menace to peace consider Isreali policies reprehensible. As late Edward Said asserted the Palestinian cause is the greatest moral compass of our time.

The emergence of a viable, well-governed Palestinian state is not possible to envision in the foreseeable future.

Indeed, Gaza, particularly, but, also the "West Bank" seems to be a failed state; another Somalia.

Therefore, the ideal of two states living side-by-side in peace, is not likely to be realized in the short- or mid-term.

There is a remote possibility that a peaceful solution could be reached by returning to the situation prior to the 1967 war regarding Israeli boundries and regarding the sovereignty of the two Palestinian areas: ruled, respectively, by Jordan and Egypt.

This settlement would guarantee Israeli security and ameliorate the desperate conditions of the "Palestinians".

Will it happen — of course not.

"Hamas will never renounce terror and it is not quite clear me why we ever needed their approval in order to exist. We are a sovereign nation who has done nothing ever as aggressor in this region at any time in our history."

One of the sad realities about the Palestinian-Israeli impasse has been and continues to be the inclination of people on both sides of the divide, to claim the moral high ground or worse one side disavowing the notion of moral equivalence when people lose their lives.

The ongoing escalation of events in Gaza today, stem not from the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier alone, but from disproportionate measures by the Israeli military machine that shelled a Palestinian beach and killed 7 members of a family that were picnicking at the time. That happened in June and is undeniably the onset of the problem and the underlying reason that pushed militants to pursue their unjustifiable agenda of indiscriminate attacks on Israelis.

This may be only part of the story but it certainly is a salient component of the wider struggle between two peoples.

The protracted conflict that emerged with the birth of the State of Israel and the forced exodus of thousands of Palestinian inhabitants (now 4 million refugees according to the United Nations and international relief agencies) of what was then known as Palestine, under the British mandate, continues to hold the development of the entire Middle East captive. Worse it prolongs the deep-seated animosity that has festered for 58 years.

Israel and the Palestinians have no viable alternative other than to sit down at a table, and ostensibly come to an agreement under the framework of UN resolutions 242 and 338 that lay out a settlement along the borders of the pre-1967 war. Until such an eventuality the ominous and violent realism of this conflict will continue to play out whenever one side decides to ignite the flame. And sadly people will continue to lose their lives on both sides of the divide as the situation incrementally gets worse and worse.

Midway the 20th century, Israel was created by world's powers in Palestinian land. That land was not the surface of Mars; there were people over there -the Palestinians- who were expelled from their own land in order to make room for the recently created state of Israel. Later, Israel also took land from Syria, Egypt and Jordan.

For more than half a century, Palestinians have been treated exactly the same way Jews were treated by the Nazis: human beings without human rights, non-citizens in their own land.

Any solution to the conflict must start by acknowledging the above-emntioned facts. It is extremely cynical to propose "solutions" that only recognize Israel's rights while denying Palestinians any rights at all.

Simple: Offer peace for law. Israel obeys international law: Dismantle the Jewish colonies in the West Bank, End the occupation of and return the West Bank intact; Allow the right to return of exiled Palestinians; and permit the Palestinians to do what they have been demanding for almost 40 years ñ live as a sovereign people in their land.

The unending violence is the result of Israel illegally occupying and imprisoning Palestinians in their own land.

I have visited both Israel and Palestine (including Gaza) numerous times - the first time as a student in 1965. As a West European for many years I was pro-Israel having, as a teenager, met many Jewish survivers from German concentration camps. As time progressed though these past 40 years and having met Palestinians that lost their homes and lively-hoods in land that undoubtedly was (is) theirs I changed my mind. Pretty much because of collective European guilt feelings and UN and USA concurrence Israel was created but the bottom line now is that it is artificial and thus cannot survive as is. The only way out of this mess is for Israel and Palestine to blend and integrate and eventually for the real owners (Palestinians) to take the lead. Many former colonies, in particular South-Africa, are good examples of how to accomplish this - it takes time and hardship but there is no other way out. That is really the issue that should be discussed. To constantly argue who started fighting last week or last month or yesterday is wasting time. Right now we have a dog chasing its own tail. get back to square one and determine how Israel integrates with Palestine and then dissolves.

The tenets of mediation are: Voluntariness; Civility; Balance; and; Neutrality. Your post has received responses to the following question: "Whose side are you on?"
The answers mirror the dispute, since none of the elements necessary to work towards peace are in the hearts or minds of the disputants or in the vast majority of those who offer up suggestions. While many are shouting, few are listening.

Jacob Gurewiwich: I seem to recall something about the Philistines. That is the Falastinians you are referring to. Your attitude is very illustrative of the problems that the Near East has.

There was never a falastinian tribe, a falastinian people, a falastinian region or a falastinian country in the Land of Israel to begin with, and there are no falastinian chronicles. Ever. Israel's own enemy within (the leftists) are caving in to pseudo friends reeking with petroleum, who pacify the Arabs on the expense of the State of Israel and the Jewish Nation.Jewish Settlers shall never be displaced from the Land of Israel—and the world shall never ever see a 23rd Arab Hostile state within the boundaries of the Land of Israel.

Can anyone address exactly why the US has such a love affair with the state of Israel? I believe Israel has every right to exist and every right to defend ints territory, but the billions and billions of dollars we GIVE to Israel each year and the discounts we give israel on military equipment, etc. has bought us nothing but heartache and distrust from the Arab world. Whatever we gain by way of a "strategically positioned" ally in the Middle East is far outweighed by the negative consequences of America being viewed (rightly so) as a dishonest, one-sided mediator. If I were President, I'd make it my top priority to wean Israel off of US aid— at least to a point where it is equal (per capita) to the money we give to the Palestinians.

A first step, which absolutely needs US involvement, is for Israel to abandon its "three-state" solution: I/WB/G. The Sharon vision was never a "two-state" solution, and in point of fact the US has never fully signed onto a single Palestine. Americans have been dragged into tacit support of the 3-state solution without a robust debate in any Presidential campaign, less so in any Senate or House campaign. Rice, Hadley, Cheney...none has ever publicly denounced the de facto "three-state" solution. We must assume that it is, in fact and sadly, US policy.

What is wrong with Hamas?

If you see it from a neutral point of view those guys are serious in all aspects, not only in building schools etc, but also in defending their country. The best governement Palestine ever had, whatever Israel etc say.

Chandra what a splendid idea.It would probably be cheap labour at that.We could look at the reserves in America as a model,which i am sure you look at glowingly.It is also worth noting that poverty propels people to work for the days food.

The Palestinians trade

1- Recognition of the right of Israel to exist as a nation (borders undetermined)

2- The kidnapped soldier

3- Cease rocket attacks.

for Israel and the U.S. to:

1- Recognize Hamas and resume economic aid.

2- Release Palestinian prisoners under the age of 18 and women.

3- Further removal of settlements in the West Bank.

Begin preliminary talks of the U.N. occupation of the West Bank and full Israeli withdrawal.

Begin preliminary talks to declare Jerusalem the first city of the world to be governed by the U.N. and shared by all peoples of the world. Israel and Palestine would lose all private, if you will, claims to the city.

One can mediate between people who want a settlement. If the only settlement for one is destroying the other, there is no point mediating.

Israel should hunker down and keep killing the replacements terrorists and continue improving the living its citizens by economic growth and good governance.

Eventually, 50 years from now (may be), the Palestinians (after two generations of poverty) will want to jump the Israeli wall to look for jobs in Israel and want Palestine to be part of greater Israel.

This may happen sooner if Europeans and Americans stop propping up the terror regimes of Palestinian with $100s of millions of aid money.

There is no hurry in settling this dispute. The likes of al-Qaeda will always find another excuse for mass murder.

In submitting an addiitonal comment one must express commendations to WP for initiating an opinion section about an area of the world that possibly because of its being the fountainhead of three main religions of the Westernworld is also responsible for extreme emotionalism.

It may be that the only kind of mediation that will provide a basis for a peaceful solution is to set the parameters that the original UN Resolutions divvying up the old British Administered mandate of Palestine is irrevocable.

The WP might further contribute to an airing of policies that are based on a rationale of equality and respect. A personal view in support of such an undertaking is for the WP to stop publishing the psycho-imbecelic ramblings of Mr. Krauthammer and views so one sided that have become irrelevant and inane.

If the USA aspires to regain its lost stature as a leader worthy to be followed and or imitated it must drastically change its posture in its foreign policies. To accomplish this the media has to initiate its own supporting role [and hopefully regain some of its prestige as the fourth estate] by contributing to the education of the citizen the reality of the world. Not AIPAC's views, or its equivalent Arab lobby [if one exists].

The politicos in Washington DC must come to terms with the reality that they serve at the pleasure of the American electorate and must represent and uphold America's interest not special interests. The foreign policies of the USA must satisfy and be representaive of ALL Americans regardless of race, ethnicity or religion.

This slow-burning war is a major factor destabilizing the entire Middle-East and inflaming Moslem opinion everywhere against the West. However, we in the West by our policies are promoting conflict rather than compromise.
We say that there must be a two-state solution - two viable soverign states divided along the peace-line, yet we have done nothing to facilitate such an outcome.
The occupation of the Palestinian territories has continued for decades - long before the second intifada began, as has the incremental robbery of Palestinian land resources revenue and water. Yet we who preach freedom and liberal rights subsidize and arm the occupier and robber while punishing and vilifying those who resist the occupation. If the Israelis and not the US taxpayer were picking up the tab for this occupation the Israelis might be more incentivized towards negotiation rather than reprisal and expropriation.
To make matters worse, we in Europe effectivly subsidize the reprisals and collective-punishments which attend this obscene occupation by paying for the rebuilding costs of bulldozed and bombed Palestinian infrastructure.
Under international law the occupier is responsible for the welfare of the occupied. If the Israelis and not the Europeans were paying the cost of rebuilding vandalized infrastructure I wager that the Israelis would act more proportionately towards their unwilling hosts.(unless their real objective is to reduce the Palestinians to the status of hedons)
The current excuse for the one-sided policies of the West is the election by the Palestinians of the rejectionist Hamas party. So what, the Knesset is full of elected members who reject the notion of a Palestinian state, or would only allow an unviable patchwork of 'Bantustans'.
As long as we insulate the Israelis from the financial consequences of their actions, they will continue them. And why wouldn't they?
Unfortunately, the determining factor isn't right or wrong but a combination of power over the political media in the US and 'Holocaust guilt' in Europe.

It is disturbing to read the views of some who have posted comments on this site. There appears to be a natural sympathy for Israel and Palestinians are dismissed as terrorists. The fact is that Israel is the clear agressor and occupier in this situation. Just as the UN and the US demanded and ensured Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait, they should do the same in Israel. Hamas is no more a terrorist organization than any others who invariably spring up in the course of a natioanlist struggle, e.g. some prefer moderate means and other prefer violence. That is why it is important to make peace with the moderates so that the extremists are marginalized. Israel has consistently refused to do so. Mearshimer and Walt are correct in pointing out that the unqualified US support for Israel is not only imposing undue hardships on the Palestinians, it is contrary to the US interest. US support for Palestine by way of concrete action would not only the moral thing to do, it would go a long way in destroying the roots of anti US terrorism.

What steps would I recommend if I were appointed as mediator in this latest Israeli-Palestinian crisis? I would start by urging the Israelis and their supporters to look somewhere other than your anti-Israeli panel for guidance.

Needless to say, for the Post to have "mediators" who are neither Israeli nor Jewish begs the question of the real motive of this blog. Be that as it may, the bloggers are wrong in many respects, first of all in believing that a terrorist organization has any interest in stopping its terror in order to achieve "peace." Hamas will never renounce terror and it is not quite clear me why we ever needed their approval in order to exist. We are a sovereign nation who has done nothing ever as aggressor in this region at any time in our history. Imagine Canada or Mexico attacking the US through stealth, kidnapping and killing its citizens or taking them hostage. Would Detroit like missiles aimed at its population centers? I think not. The reverberations would be felt through the halls of the UN for years to come. We have a right to defend ourselves. This nonsense about a "disproportionate" response is just that, nonsense. We are entitled to use all the means at our disposal to protect the lives of Israelis, whether they wear an IDF uniform or not. If the Palestinian government were so "poor" and "destitute" as the media constantly claims, then why have the Palestinians been caught recently trying to smuggle tons of weaponry across our borders? Who pays for these shipments? Why, the UN, the EU and the US with a little help from their friends in Iran and Syria. Why has over $40 million in cash recently been confiscated from Hamas officials attempting to smuggle it into Aza from Egypt? Who are they kidding? As for the bloggers who claim that the US supports Israel financially and such support should be withheld, well Israel as a nation enters into financial obligations. As far as I know they receive loans which they repay with interest, unlike many South American and African countries who do renege on their loan obligations at will. Such anti-Semitism masquerading as a would-be US policy is absurd.

I say enough time, money and blood have been expended on the Israeli/Palestinian problem. The major powers should convene a conference, work out a solution with the parties, and impose one if the parties refuse to agree. Israel should dismantle ALL its settlements, return to its internationally accepted borders, erect any walls it wants to within its own territory, compensate Palestinians who can prove their assets were confiscated by Israelis years ago, and guarantee that any aggressor who crosses a border will be punished militarily by the major powers. UN troops should be stationed on the frontiers of Israel and the Palestinians should organize their own affairs and get part of Jerusalem. Put a wall between the two halves if need be. I say a plague on both your houses and the time has come to end this farce once and for all.

It is impossible to envision peace in the ME with Israel located there! The good western solution is to give each Israeli a Million dollars to leave and resettle anywhere else but the ME.

The Jews have prospered in many countires over the thousand plus years since they had any ligitimate claim to any ME land not owned and paid for. The Zionists and the western powers from some guilt trip used their great power after the WW2 to give colonial lands of one people to another. There was and is no justification for this land grab and the wars that have followed, justified or not, have resulted in these people occupying greater and greater lands and becoming as despotic as the Nazi tyrants they use to justify their inhuman actions. There is limited grounds for asserting the need for a Jewish homeland in order to prevent another holocast. Peace demands a end to this wretched condition and while one could hope for some sort of reasonable accomodation, neither side seems willing to reach such an arrangement. Enough, this must end!

Though the following may make you wonder, I'm not an arab. I think I'm one of a growing number of Americans who find ourselves reaching a conclusion I never thought I would:

We must stop selling the lie that Israel's position is just and the Palestenians' is unjust. Moreover, we must admit that we made a terrible mistake in 1948.

After World War II, humanity felt justifiable guilt over the Nazis' atrocities against the Jews. Our own national anti-semitism contributed to the world bigotry which allowed that abomination.

Using the instrument of the infant UN, the United States chose to address the crime of the holocaust by imposing an Israeli state where Jews had ruled perhaps 500 of the past 5,000 years. We sought to redress the crimes against Jews by perpetrating a crime against the Palestenians.

We helped throw hundreds of thousands of Palestenians out of their homes. Almost 60 years later, we think they ought to just get over it. They never will.

More Americans are coming to realize that the current Israeli offensive has about as much to do with justice as KKK nightriders had to do with voting rights.

This discussion began with a former U.S. envoy's suggestion that Hamas' resistance to Israeli occupation is wrong. This argument continues the self-delusion. It accomplishes nothing.

When the U.S. acknowledges that the Middle East problem is largely of our own making, we'll be in a credible position to broker an honest peace. Barring that, all the guns and financial blackmail on earth will not make us honest brokers before the world.

If I were negotiating in Palestine, I would seek to resolve the problem by beginning a new era of honesty before the world. Only then would I have credibility to fairly address things as they are now.

There isn't much that can be achieved if the dispute resolution is left in the hands of Palestinians and Israelis. There is so much of bad blood between the two that it would be simply day-dreaming to expect the two parties to come to a negotaited resolution. The only solution is the direct involvement of the US. US is the only country that can broker a long term deal. Hamas is a political reality. They have the following of the Palestinian people as demonstrated by their election to the govt. It makes hardly any sense not to engage with them. It is quite clear that Hamas will have to be a principal party to any successful negotiations.

In my assessment, Hamas has been preparing itself to gradually move towrds accepting Israel. The international community must give Hamas more time to see whether they can be good partners or not. They should be allowed to govern. Holding back financial assistance would not result in Hama's surrender. On the contrary, it would strengthen the hands of militants and radicals in the party. All the moderate elements in the party have been marginalized by the latest Israeli attacks and indifference shown by the US and and the international community.

The solution lies in recognizing Hamas's goverment and striking a long-term cease-fire with them to begin with. UN should send the monitors to make sure that cese-fire is honored. Israel should stop building new settlements in the disputed areas. US should enagage in negotiations. A quick resolution this conflict is essential for international piece as well. A peaceful middle-east will deprive the radicals of the most attractive recruitment cause.

As mediator, nothing can't be done. History and other state prove it. To much power on one side. Almost all white nation in africa history(black-slavery-apartheid), all America, north and south, british, spanish, portuguais to vanish(indian-local-inca), Japan-Korea-China(read their history, Serbia(all other etnic than serbe to be eliminated, and finaly, gremany and interior jeew(racial cleaning).

All that to come a comparaison betwenn Israel and Vietnam, Israel and Irak, and to come Israel and Iran and North Korea.

Germany was powerfull enough to promote and defend is own vision. Loosing to more powerfull made them accountable to the world. Same to Japan, Serbia, Chili, Italy and thousand in the last 3000 years.

Israel dislike Hamas as much as US was with Sadam in Irak, as US dislike communist in Vietnam. Nothing in those time where able to stop big powerfull country to bull small one. Vietnam had nothing to oppose, US big powerfull capacity. Irak had no planes, no sub, no planes carrier, no satellites, no thanks, and force to abdict almost half of is sky. We see now, that no reconsialation could be done with The US. Only and inside friendly force can do.

Israel will be seen as the conqueror, and nobothy ever in history or in the world right now, ever left conqueror have easy way( Israel wait 2000 years, Poland 900 ect). In France they call it RÈsistance(heros now) under powerfull germany invasion. Germany conqueror call it terrorist act. Ben Gourion activity was seen as terrorist act by British conqueror. Full hero now, with name all over, especialy: well know airport.

Palestine under British power was given to Israel. Just imagine if: Japan given in 1946 by US to chinese, Kurde given by Us to Turk, Israel(let say UN) now given to arab state.

No mediation possible. In a big conflic, every body have big to loose. Hamas have nothing for mediation. Like I said on previous blog, let them solve it. Nataniaou was not the favorite before, Arafat was not favorite then, and now Hamas. Nobody will ever be favorite. Mediator is a plaster on leg to cut. It seem that not anought blood have bleed, so have it bleed severely on each side. I am tire and borsom with their news. They are not wounded enought to seat. They have to much power on one side. Like Bush in Irak, let die the conflict by itself at all lost.

Todd thanks for sugegesttion,that i learn my history.Would you prefer that i learn it through your eyes and thoughts.I must inform you that i dont concider the Bible a history book.So right there we have a problem.

If any two people deserved each other, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians. The former have gone from victims to landgrabbers, the latter from victims to mindless killers. The Israeli left is a disaster and could not be trusted by any rational Israeli who hoped to live to see his or her grandchildren; the Israeli right has been so busy building settlements in occupied lands it has no credibility as a trustworthy partner for peace. Fatah is probably a terrorist organization and corrupt to boot; Hamas is clearly a terrorist organization. The real victim: the United States, which must support the one truly democratic state in the Middle East out of respect for the principles on which America was founded, and thereby becomes the target of every wacko Islamic fundamentalist (who seem to reproduce like lemmings without the lemmings' innate love of cliff diving). This conflict is going to be interminable, and will only end when the Palestinians are sufficiently thrashed that they will cry uncle — which unlike 20 years ago, is going to take a very long time — or until the Palestinians become sufficiently militarily strong that they can actually stike targets in Israel — which they will continue to seek to do, notwithstanding the efforts of the IDF. At this point, it's not absolutely clear who is going to win, but as time goes on, the less likely one can count on the Palestinians being as easily intimidated as in the past.

If I were appointed as mediator in the crisis, the first thing that I would do is make sure that I had international support for resolving the crisis both short-term and long-term. The international community, led by the United States, needs to step up to the plate and really put resolving this crisis (and I don't mean just the immediate Gaza violence/hostage) at the top of its agenda.

That is why I have joined the Campaign for American Leadership in the Middle East (CALME). CALME advocates U.S. leadership working for a two-state solution, and I believe the only way the Israelis and the Palestinians will come to a two-state solution is with active, sustained American involvement. You can check out the CALME petition at http://www.mideastcalm.org. Go ahead and sign up!

AS MEDIATOR I WOULD NEED:
Stop all money flowing into Israel.
Stop all government contracts with Israeli firms.
Stop all heavy handed demands for repration by Israel.
Stop security leaks to Israel.
Stop all military aid and military cooperation programs.
Make Jerusalem a free city.
Investigate the Israelis involved in the initial interrogation of the early Iraqi captives.
Place a block on Congressional travel to Israel and Middle East.
Secure the free passage of Christians from the West Bank and fenced areas.
Tell Israel to negotiate a peace and as they sign portions return portions of the stopped programs.
Stop all aid military and any other to Middle East.
Stop buying oil from the Middle East.
Restart these programs as the peace accord is made.

QED(thus it is proven) there will never be peace.

It starts and ends with Assad. Palestine has a legit leader in Abbas. Israel has its first pragmatist in Olmert. The Syrian is stirring the cesspool by allowing Hamas to hold the would-be peacemakers in politics hostage to a losing philosophy based upon hate, a desire for vengence, lack of Arab self esteem, and lust for power... all disguised behind a message that they are the only ones who can save the Palestinians with a Koran as cudgel...

It is time to marginalize the terrorists - have the internal battle within Hamas.. but that cannot be done with the meddling of Assad. Cutting Syria off from the financial and western world access middle eastern leaders so love is a good start. Syria is the real problem in the mid east, followed - if not tied - by the wahabists of Saudi Arabia... time to marginalize them all.

Wahabism should be re-labled for what it is - terrorist encouragement and fascism - and roundly, publicly criticized at the highest levels of government in the Arab world. Wahabist Imams should be sent packing home to Saudi Arabia, to be replaced by actual scholars of the Koran and peaceful, post tenth-century Islam.

I suggest that the UN offer to buy land for the Arabs now living in refugee camps in places being de-populated by AIDs. These places need people and the Arabs are up to the task. In addition to the land, the UN should give direct payments to individual families, not to any government or authority, for a period of 25 years to help them adjust to their new homes. This should have been done long ago, but the world must feel it needs the drama of this crisis.

Gentile,

Jeb is not saying that Israel should never be criticized. He is saying that Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state just as the Palestinians have a right to a state side-by-side with Israel. Israel has not been the aggressor. The Palestinians and you both advocate the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people and that is simply atni-semetic. How can Israel be expected to make peace and negotiate with a government (Hamas) who has in its charter the destruction of all of Israel not just the retaking of the so called occupied territories. All of ISrael to them are the occupied territories. You are either anti-semetic or you think that the US has no right to defend itself aginast Bin Laden who would like to see the US destroyed as well. Israel wants peace and has shown great restraint. If the situationw ere reversed Hamas would kill every Jew in Israel and wipre it out without hesitation. Since 1948 ISrael has been attacked, well before they ever occupied Gaza etc. which was of course after they were attacked by the surrounding countries. Every day ISrael struggles to survive and polls show that 85% of Israeli's want a 2 state solution while onlyt 15% of Palestinians want a 2 state solution.

If the palesitnians are so great why haven't other countries like Jordan, which is part of Palestine offer them a homeland. Oh, I forgot, they did and the Palestinians tried to overthrow their governement. You need to learn your history and understand that Israel is far from eprfect but the standard of living that they provide to Arabs in Israel is higher than for arabs in any other Arab country. Israel is a democracy which is surrounded by enemies and needs the US help to remain in existence. You are anti semetic. Israel deverses criticism not the hatred and vile racist rants of individuals like you who seem to think its okay for Palestinians to intentionally target innocent Israeli women and children with the intent of casuing as much harm to them as possible and who instead of weanting to negotiate want destruction to Israel. The simple words from the Palestinians that they recognize Israel as a JEwish state that has the right to exist would ensure them of their own state. But refusal to do that, even though Israel recognizes the Palestinian right to a homeland makes many of them and you anti-semetic.

The most ridiculous aspect of this "conversation" are the "panelists" 4 obvious anti-zionists, 3 of whom are Muslim, and a left wing Israeli. This is ridiculous journalism and is, unfortunately all too common from the editorial and op-ed pages of the Washington Post.

Why has the writer who feels that Israel should occupy 8% of the British Mandate in Palestine not include that the entire Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Trans Jordan) was included in the territory of Palestine, a fairly large chunk of the total mandate territory given to the Arab population of Palestine. Please include this when calculating the area of the mandated territory given to the Arabs. The 1947 division was quite even, between Jews and Arabs, in dividing a small, remaining portion of the totality of Palestine but what about the rest (Jordan). I would like to know how much of the WHOLE of Palestine was given over for the Jewish state at its inception and any additional land was the result of the Arab desire to allow the Jews even this small piece of Palestine. I know that I keep repeating myself but in the absence of historical reality judgements cannot be made.

I wonder why my response was not posted?? No doubt,"politically incorrect"

Conditions 1 through 10,000—Israel MUST OBEY ALL UN RESOLUTIONS! Especially 242 and 338.All else is meaningless.