Here is an open letter to my friend Alan from another site:

Alan,

Concerning your ridiculous claim that the Jews “may have” purchased 95% of the land of the so called “State of Israel” legally, here is an interesting article from Middle East Quarterly that claims that the true number is 16.4%. So I stand corrected, all Israeli Jews may not be land thieves; only 83.6% of them are:

http://www.meforum.org/article/370

What do you think about them as a source? I’m sure that they are not as unbiased as The Jewish Virtual Library, but they claim to be an honest source of information. Here is what they say about themselves:

“Since its founding in 1994, the Middle East Quarterly has become America's most authoritative journal of Middle Eastern affairs. Policymakers, opinion-makers, academics, and journalists turn first to the Quarterly, for in-depth analysis of the rapidly-changing landscape of the world's most volatile region. The Quarterly publishes groundbreaking studies, exclusive interviews, insightful commentary, and hard-hitting reviews that tackle the entire range of contemporary concerns – from politics to economics to culture, across a region that stretches from Morocco to Afghanistan. The Quarterly, founded by Daniel Pipes and edited by Michael Rubin, appears in a print edition, and is available in full-text (except the current issue) on this website.

The Quarterly welcomes submissions of original articles, and will consider pre-publication of chapters from forthcoming books. The Quarterly specializes in timely and expeditious publication of articles that impact on today's critical issues.”

[I would say that they are about as unreliable as The Jewish Virtual Library given the pro-Israeli slant on the article that follows; nevertheless it will prove useful for our purposes. It will show that in 1901, 8.7% of the current land area of the “State of Israel” had been purchased by the Jewish National Fund (JNF). More than 70% of the remainder was public land vested in the British Mandatory Authority (Meaning that it was owned by the people, and the vast majority of the people were Palestinians).

With the establishment of the “State of Israel” in 1948, the new government inherited the state-owned lands formerly in the possession of British Mandatory authority as well as property abandoned by Arab refugees. The situation today is that 80.4% of the land is owned by the government, 13.1% is owned by the JNF (These lands were never sold, either to Jews or Arabs, but instead were leased on a long—term basis for kibbutzim and other forms of Jewish settlement), and only 6.5% is evenly divided between Arab and Jewish owners. So the 13.1% of land owned by the JNF plus 3.25% privately owned by Jews amounts to a total of 16.4% of the land of the current “State of Israel” that was actually purchased by the Jews; a far sight from your 95% number.]

An interesting article in today’s WP:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/13/AR2007121301470_pf.html

Churchill's Other Alliance
Why the British leader bucked the anti-Semitism of his time.

Reviewed by Glenn Frankel

Sunday, December 16, 2007; BW04

CHURCHILL AND THE JEWS

A Lifelong Friendship

By Martin Gilbert

Henry Holt. 352 pp. $30

"Even Winston had a fault," Gen. Edward Louis Spears, a dear friend of Winston Churchill, once told historian Martin Gilbert. "He was too fond of Jews."...

Churchill's profound admiration for the Jews, which was not shared by many of his closest political colleagues, was all the more amazing because it survived the rise of Bolshevism, which Churchill abhorred and which he believed was dominated, intellectually and politically, by men and women of Jewish origin. It even survived the turbulent years during and after World War II when Zionist extremists conducted a campaign of political murder against British officials, policemen and soldiers. That campaign reached its nadir with the 1944 assassination in Cairo of Lord Moyne, Britain's top colonial administrator in the region and one of Churchill's closest friends, and the 1946 bombing of British administration offices at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, in which 91 people died...

Why did the great man shower his affection on a people that could be, by his own reckoning, so cantankerous and problematic? It was, Gilbert writes, partly because Churchill saw Jewish ethics as the foundation stone for Western moral teachings... [Codswallop!]

It's also the case that Churchill had little use for Muslims... [A true anti-Semite]

Churchill was often accused by political opponents and anti-Semites of being in the pocket of wealthy Jews...

Lord Alfred Douglas, the poet and former lover of playwright Oscar Wilde, alleged that Churchill accepted bribes from Jewish financiers during World War I to manipulate wartime information for their financial advantage while he was secretary of the Royal Navy. Douglas was convicted of criminal libel and sentenced to six months in prison. [Let that be a lesson to you, it never pays to speak truth to power.]

Scanning the newspapers this morning I see that Paris conferees have pledged $7.4 Billion in aid to the Palestinian Authority, saying that an infusion of cash would help the peace process begun by the United States last month in Annapolis, Md.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/17/AR2007121700210.html

“But some delegates said that pumping money into the West Bank and Gaza Strip would not lead to long-term economic growth or political moderation as long as Israel continued expanding Jewish settlements and imposing a regime of checkpoints and closures that was strangling the Palestinian economy...

"Economic development is the best guarantee of lasting peace and long-term security for Israel," said French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the conference host...

But it was unclear how much of the $7.4 billion pledged Monday would go to Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, a radical Islamic group whose forces expelled the Palestinian Authority from the strip in June.

Events that followed the Nov. 27 Annapolis conference contributed to Palestinian resentment here and in the territories leading up to the Paris meeting. A week after both sides pledged to adhere to the U.S.-backed "road map" for peace -- a plan launched in 2003 that calls for Israel to stop settlement activities and for Palestinians to disarm militant groups and boost security -- Israel announced the construction of more than 300 homes on occupied land on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

"I'll be eager to implement all our commitments under the road map, and I expect the Israeli side to do the same, comprehensively, and without excuses from our side or theirs," Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the delegates. "I expect them to stop all settlement activities, without exceptions."

There is a fat chance that the Zionists will let up on their expansionist settlements and strangle hold on the Palestinian economy. They will prefer to keep their West Bank settlements, hog 80% of the water supply to keep their lawns green and swimming pools full, while denying the Palestinian natives the right to drill wells; even though both the UN and USA agree that the Palestinians are being deprived the minimum amount of water to maintain health.

Some people cannot be lived with; they must be expelled once again from the Middle East.

Here is the 2nd of two articles in the WP this week about the exhumation in Washington D.C. and reburial in Israel of Theodore Herzl’s grandson.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/05/AR2007120502025_pf.html

Here is the link to the 1st.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/29/AR2007112902368_pf.html

This is the tragic story of the Zionists’ greatest hero. The first article mentions in passing what an incredible simpleton Herzl was. It never occurred to him that the Palestinians would not readily give up their land and welcome the invading Zionists with open arms.

"Historians and others still sift through Herzl's writings and see many legacies. They note that he envisioned a Jewish state where people spoke not Hebrew, but German; that he and other early Zionists failed to understand Arab nationalism; and that in a utopian novel Herzl wrote, he describes a binational, egalitarian state."

From the 2nd article:

“Sixty years after jumping off a bridge to his death, the last descendant of Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, was buried Wednesday in a Jerusalem cemetery bearing his grandfather's name _ bringing an end to a torturous family saga and finally fulfilling Herzl's century-old will.

Herzl's son also committed suicide. He had a daughter who was mentally ill and another who was killed in the Holocaust. In the past year, three of the founder's four descendants have been buried in Israel_ no easy task because of rabbinical injunctions against Jewish burials for those who have killed themselves or converted to other religions.”...

"His vision was realized, and now there is an exemplary nation," said Liora Herzl, the great-granddaughter of Herzl's cousin. But she noted that Zionism's founder left behind a broken, cash-strapped family. "He was completely consumed with his commitment to the Zionist idea, and his family ultimately paid the price for that."

“Norman was the lone family member committed to Herzl's Zionist cause. He read about his grandfather's work and was active in his movement.”

So here we have the idealist Zionist simpleton who is the principal founder responsible for the incredible mess we have in the Middle East today. The question for us to unravel is: what are we going to do about it?

Clearly, the rightful owners of the land of Palestine are in no mood to welcome the Zionist invaders with open arms and they continue to demand the return of their land. The USA is stuck with the consequences of its incredibly poor judgment in siding with the Zionists on this issue.

We are stuck with only two very unattractive options that I can see:

1. Continue with the present approach of funding (with my tax dollars) the slow genocide of the Palestinian people through the denial of their basic human rights and dignity. This is a fate worse than death as evidenced by the tasteless joke of the occasional exploding Muslim. The Israelis confiscate most of the West Bank water, to the point that Palestinians do not even have what the UN and the US government both regard as the minimum necessary to sustain human life, while Jewish settlers - accustomed to living in their native Europe or America - water grass lawns and fill swimming pools with water taken from under the feet of the Palestinians, while the Palestinians are rarely allowed to drill wells.

2. Admit what horrendous mistakes were made by the League of Nations in the 20th century with the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and the UN Partition of Palestine in 1947 and correct them. How do we correct them? Restore the original pre-1947 boundary of the map of Palestine, go back to the single state solution, recognize the Palestinian Refugee right of return, form a UN mandate to control the allocation of water and enforce the peace. The Israeli planes, tanks, ships and nuclear weapons and all Palestinian arms would be destroyed.

To my mind the 2nd option is the clear choice. What are the odds of this happening? I would say not so good; it is very difficult to admit when one has made a mistake.

Here is another interesting site on the Israeli technological marvel.

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/america/2007/12/israel_silicon_valley_entrepreneur.html

Yup, Israel is a technological marvel. That’s why the Israelis need to hog 80% of the Palestinian’s water supply.

http://www.fmep.org/analysis/articles/water_policy_maher.html

…“According to recommended standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID), a minimum of 100 liters a day per capita are needed for balanced and healthy domestic consumption in rural households. In contrast, BâeTselem, the Israeli human rights organization, documents that Israeli per capita consumption of water already reaches 350 l/day, about five-times Palestinian consumption. Per capita consumption of water in Israeli settlements, most of which are strategically located directly above main water extraction sources, can reach even higher levels, estimated at seven-fold the Palestinian consumption rate. In contrast, Palestinian consumption rates per capita vary between 35-80 l/d, well below WHO and USAID recommendations, and in some communities, water consumption can dip to as low as 7 l/d under certain conditions…”

So Israel confiscates most of the West Bank water, to the point that Palestinians there do not even have what the UN and the US government both regard as the minimum necessary to sustain human life, while Jewish settlers - accustomed to living in their native Europe or America - water grass lawns and fill swimming pools with water taken from under the feet of the Palestinians, while the Palestinians are rarely allowed to drill wells.

So you folks go ahead and live well at the expense of your oppressed neighbors on your stolen land. My government will guarantee the continuation of your illegal existence and fund your atrocious behavior with billions of my tax dollars. Live long and prosper, until the world wakes up and puts a stop to your despicable treatment of the rightful owners of your stolen land.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/04/AR2007120401669_pf.html

The Myth of the Mad Mullahs

By David Ignatius
Wednesday, December 5, 2007; A29

…“All these strands converged in the bombshell National Intelligence Estimate on Iran that was released Monday. That document was as close to a U-turn as one sees in the intelligence world. The community dropped its 2005 judgment that Iran was "determined to develop nuclear weapons" and instead said, "We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program" because of international pressure…

The most important finding of the NIE isn't the details about the scope of nuclear research; there remains some disagreement about that. Rather, it's the insight into the greatest mystery of all about the Islamic republic, which is the degree of rationality and predictability of its decisions…

The debate about what the NIE should mean for U.S. policy toward Iran is just beginning. But for the intelligence community, this rebuttal of conventional wisdom will restore some integrity after the Iraq WMD debacle. In challenging the previous certitudes about Iran and the Bomb, the NIE recalls the admonition many decades ago by the godfather of CIA analysts, Sherman Kent: "When the evidence seems to force a single and immediate conclusion, then that is the time to worry about one's bigotry, and to do a little conscientious introspection."

The Iranians and Israelis can relax. We have no plan to end our dependence on Middle East oil any time soon.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/opinion/05friedman.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

December 5, 2007

Op-Ed Columnist

Intercepting Iran’s Take on America

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

There are two intelligence analyses that are relevant to the balance of power between the U.S. and Iran — one is the latest U.S. assessment of Iran, which certainly gave a much more complex view of what is happening there. The other is the Iranian National Intelligence Estimate of America, which — my guess — would read something like this:

To: President Ahmadinejad

From: The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence

Subject: America

As you’ll recall, in the wake of 9/11, we were extremely concerned that the U.S. would develop a covert program to end its addiction to oil, which would be the greatest threat to Iranian [and Israeli] national security. In fact, after Bush’s 2006 State of the Union, in which he decried America’s oil addiction, we had “high confidence” that a comprehensive U.S. clean energy policy would emerge. We were wrong.

Our fears that the U.S. was engaged in a covert “Manhattan Project” to achieve energy independence have been “assuaged.” America’s Manhattan Project turns out to be largely confined to the production of corn ethanol in Iowa, which, our analysts have confirmed from cell phone intercepts between lobbyists and Congressmen, is nothing more than a multibillion-dollar payoff to big Iowa farmers and agro-businesses…

The Iranians and Israelis can relax. We have no plan to end our dependence on Middle East oil any time soon.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/opinion/05friedman.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

December 5, 2007

Op-Ed Columnist

Intercepting Iran’s Take on America

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

There are two intelligence analyses that are relevant to the balance of power between the U.S. and Iran — one is the latest U.S. assessment of Iran, which certainly gave a much more complex view of what is happening there. The other is the Iranian National Intelligence Estimate of America, which — my guess — would read something like this:

To: President Ahmadinejad

From: The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence

Subject: America

As you’ll recall, in the wake of 9/11, we were extremely concerned that the U.S. would develop a covert program to end its addiction to oil, which would be the greatest threat to Iranian [and Israeli] national security. In fact, after Bush’s 2006 State of the Union, in which he decried America’s oil addiction, we had “high confidence” that a comprehensive U.S. clean energy policy would emerge. We were wrong.

Our fears that the U.S. was engaged in a covert “Manhattan Project” to achieve energy independence have been “assuaged.” America’s Manhattan Project turns out to be largely confined to the production of corn ethanol in Iowa, which, our analysts have confirmed from cell phone intercepts between lobbyists and Congressmen, is nothing more than a multibillion-dollar payoff to big Iowa farmers and agro-businesses…

I remember when the USSR was around, the US would sometimes be seemingly neogotiating with multiple parties. There would be the negotiators in front of them, and then there would be he "hardliners" that would also have to be placated as part of the negotiation, even though they weren't present. An agreement might be available -- one that everyone at the table thought was fair -- however it would never be acceptable because of the "need" to satisfy those not present.

In the Middle East this process has gone on before. There is the Palestinian Street that has to be satisfied. However, the situation is almost crazy right now when the elected government of Palestine -- in control of half the country is not present. To think that an agreement is possible is nuts. How can the Fatah representatives negotiate for the absent Hamas, who will deny an feasible agreement. What is point of this insanity and why is the media taking it seriously.

Rick and Ahab: Well now that we've settled the Middle East...(and Iran will wow GCC and bring around EU and Putin uber alles) then... Let's invade Venezuela as Hugo's putsch peters out. Chavez is a bit too much doncha think? Threatening US oil, Columbian trade (the legal kind) and even ...CNN!!! Let's avenge Christine and Wolf with some B52s. Just kidding! Have a great weekend until then!!

Mr. Rick Jones:

You are hunting White Whales.

That hunt will destroy you and your shipmates.

My quest to destroy Moby Dick destroyed me, and your quest to destroy Israel, your white whale, will inevitably destroy you.

I lost the Pequod in my hunt for white whales.

You will lose Palestine in your hunt for yours.

Melville described it all some 150 years ago.

I recommend you read the book, matey.

Okay, good, Rick, back to message. None of this Putin will push them to the sea stuff, shhh!

Captain Ahab,

My not so radical thought is that the Zionists should give up their ill begotten land, at the hands of the British Balfour Declaration and the League of Nations. These world super powers of the day had no right to take Palestine from its rightful owners and transfer it to the illegal Zionist immigrants.

No, I do not: ...“support a two stage solution acknowledging that Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people and a sovereign nation...”

Yes, I do say ...“that the Palestinians deserve a sovereign state of their own”...including the present “State of Israel”, the West Bank and Gaza.

This peace process will fail because the two-state solution is a nonstarter. The Jews have no right to a piece of Palestine after being absent for almost 2 millennia prior to 1947. The 5 million Israeli Jews should join their 5.7 million brethren in the USA and form a legitimate Jewish homeland with 80% of the Jews on the planet. We can support it; Palestine cannot.

Mr. Rick Jones:

Do you support a two stage solution acknowledging that Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people and a sovereign nation, and that the Palestinians deserve a sovereign state of their own living side by side in peace with Israel?

If not are after something a little more shall we say, "radical".....?

Rick, glad to see the gloves are off, and that you see the UN and especially the Russians as your not so friendly persuaders, bully boys and sources of terror. Putin fits into your fascist internationalism very well but I suggest all "good things" take time, so don't reveal his "mein kampf" thoughts too broadly.

Lisa,

Excellent point; the Israelis will require some friendly persuasion.

Here is an exchange of posts that Elevate and I had on a different board the may be of interest:

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/america/2007/11/hezbollah-america_lebanon.html#comments

1. “We can't let them go at it because that will disrupt our oil supply (one of the reasons if not the main reason we are so interested in the region).”

Excellent point; you are exactly right. That’s why we need to develop alternate energy sources to end our dependence on Middle East (and other, including domestic) sources of oil. The Greenies are right; damaging our environment is not required. Thankfully, the Google geniuses are now getting into this big time, so expect major advances in this area soon. See my previous post on November 28, 2007 8:44 AM.

2. “The Jewish people have done and continue to do a lot for this country... So ask yourself where would your loyalties lie?”

My sympathies lie with the oppressed Palestinians. No amount of contribution to our society or lobbying (purchasing) of our politicians can justify the illegal theft of Palestinian homes and land and atrocious oppression of basic human rights and dignity that has been and continues to be perpetrated on the Palestinians with the aid of my tax dollars.

3. “As for the North and South Korea example I believe that the DMZ and the largest landmine field in the world has a lot to do with the peace over there.”

Another excellent point; maybe we should surround Israel with an equivalent DMZ and police it with UN or US forces. It would serve a similar function as the Israeli wall, but would divide the land more equitably between Israel and Palestine. The water supply would also be UN controlled and equitably distributed between the two sides. Our billions of dollars of foreign aid would be shifted from Israel to Palestine until their economy recovers to a point equal to Israel’s.

Thanks again for the post; you are clearly an honest broker and great thinker. Now all we have to do is convince our geniuses in Washington D.C.

P.S.:

Unfortunately, after a moment of euphoric optimism, reality sets in and we realize that this approach is also doomed to failure. The hard liners of the region will never permit the “State of Israel” to remain on Arab land, nor should they. With the advent of the modern Cruise Missile that is low flying, GPS guided and impervious to radar detection, it is only a matter of time until downtown Tel Aviv and other major Israeli targets are flattened. Russia, Iran, Pakistan or someone will give or sell these weapons to the Arabs. They could but won’t use nuclear warheads because they want the land to remain habitable. They can be programmed to fly various land hugging profiles, approach from multiple directions, and no one will know where they came from.

David,

Do see any Israeli politician currently in power or on the horizon willing to take on the many extreme members of the settler's movement on the West Bank or their right wing supporters in Israel and in the US? If yes, I would love to know who they are...because I do not see them.

Good point Tom and adds Northern Ireland to my list of multi confessional states (next to a mono-confessional but not quite like Pak and India, huh). ............... And think about it, were there any theological issues involved in Northern Ireland - transsubstantiation, papal authority, idolizing saints?? - no, it was ethnic historical hatreds playing themselves out for political and economic reason.

Obviously, it's easy to be pessimistic based on the past but we can always be certain that history never stops changing. The world today is nothing like it was the last time a conference was held.

If nothing else, this summit will update everyone's prejudices and hopefully open the way to a more realistic and current view of the situation.

Lightning does strike sometimes. Did anyone expect peace in Northern Ireland (cross our fingers)?

The footnote will read: "Truman trying to cash Balfour's check with the blood of Palestinians and Hebrews alike".

Quick rebuttal to Professor Antun Harik

To rebut Professor Antun Harik, Rick Jones and others foreseeing the inevitability of Jews driven from the shores of Palestine, their example of medieval crusaders do not fit the strategic, economic and cultural position of the Israeli state. But in the interests of debate, let me also provide counter examples - Lebanon through all its suffering is still that Levantine country with a significant Orthodox and Catholic presence dating from and prior to the Crusades that is a multi-confessional state, and the territory known as Transjordan is already a two state de jure and the West Bank and Gaza are mini states de facto. Jerusalem is also under de facto multi jurisdictional international constraints to allow multi-confessional access and should remain so. The Algerian bloodbath as well as Spain’s reconquista from the Moors are examples of circumstances that SHOULD NOT be repeated because they are GENOCIDAL in intent and in practice. There are examples of both multi-confessional one state solutions and single confessional two state solutions with varying degrees of success through the world. South Africa is one where white oppressors were NOT driven out but seen as necessary sources of capital and expertise, who would thunk it 20 years ago?? The split of India and Pakistan, after the death of a million in sectarian violence, led to nearly one-confessional state of Pakistan, but a multiconfessional state of India that boasts one of the largest Muslim populations anywhere. Even now in Iraq, a Shia plurality has to resist its own “reconquista” feelings and bribe Sunnis to be part of a new future.

Prof. Antun Harik:

“Remember the recent history of Algeria. What happened to all the "Pied Noir”, the product of one hundred years of French colonial occupation? Now they live in Marseille.”

Yup, it’s time after 60 years of Israeli colonial occupation to return home to the USA.

“Another much older history. Four crusader States were established on the shores of the Levant. Two hundred years after their creation, the last Crusader boat left from the Island of Tarsus heading to Cyprus and points west.”

Yup, it’s time after 60 years the Crusader Israeli boat return home to the USA.

“A few generations from now, who will be around on the shores of Arab East? Will it be The Zionist pessimist or the Arab Optimist? Will history repeat itself at the shores of Haifa?”

Yup, this peace process will fail because the two-state solution is a nonstarter. The Jews have no right to a piece of Palestine after being absent for almost 2 millennia prior to 1947. The 5 million Israeli Jews should join their 5.7 million brethren in the USA and form a true Jewish homeland with 80% of the Jews on the planet. We can support it; Palestine cannot.

I like David Ignatius' optimism. Afterall, humanity is sustained on it! However, being too optimistic can sometimes take us away from realism. And the reality is that at Annapolis, the world leaders did not take even a single step forward. They remained exactly where they had always been. The Show Time was actually a Time Pass for all the attendees!

Howsoever complicated the Palestinian-Israeli conflict may seem to be, but, if only the so-called world leaders - the US in particular - had any sincerity, this could have been resolved peacefully long time ago. But then, in a peaceful world, there wouldn't have been any place for these political hawks who thrive in a complicated and chaotic world.

Peace? No. Two reasons:

1) Israel was formed illegally (do you really want to get into that?).

No justice - no peace.

Justice is long beyond the pale.

Ergo, no peace - ever.

2) Nationalism.

So extraordinarily and tragically sad.

The heart of this horrible tragedy?

1) the immorality of the US and the UK governments with the support of their immoral, stupid, and ignorant christian citizens.

Why didn't they take in the Hebrews?

Any moron would have seen this coming - would have known that they were mid-wife to a slaughter.

The footnote will read: "Truman trying to cash Balfour's check with the blood of Palestinians and Hebrews alike".

Ignatius wrote...
"But there's a bit more here than pessimists expected."

A "bit" is surely the smallest bit one can imagine; something requiring an electron microscope to view it.

Seriously, how can an agreement be meaningful without Hamas' participation? They were elected, fair and square.

This thing can't possibly lead to anything until the Palestinian people settle who shall speak and negotiate for them.

Very tired Rucin - you have a strange definition of moral authority if it is equivalent to popularity............Russia is also a paper tiger in the real sense of STILL being weaker than the Soviet Union was 30 years ago in term of military power, economic strength (beyond petro sales) and even in "moral" persuasion if you consider Communism was a real ideology offering deceptive but enticing benefits to a poor and post colonial world................. Now Putin just postures knowing Russian demographics will eventually doom even regional power....God bless America and all the ships at sea!

Robert:

80% of his people approve of him, indeed applaud him.

That's where he gets his authority, moral and otherwise.

And he hasn't blindly supported Israel and the war in iraq that they wanted either...which has given Bush 33% and a general world wide destatation of Israelis. And lately Americans.

Next question?

Rucin -

From whence does Putin's moral and economic persuasion come from? His KGB experience, his Chechnya charm, his radioactive personality, his corruption of national resources. New fascist suit on old Red skin does not a world statesman make.

This is too high profile.
The world is too sick of Israel and it's rape of Palestine and it's attempt on Lebanon, et. al.

Americans, courtesy of George Bush and his Iraq war and blind support of the Israeis has no
moral authority or anything else in the world. He can be no buffer for the Israelis to arrogantly continue their rape and land grabbing.

As it may turn out, the Jews chose a weak sister to try to use for their takeover of the world,starting in the ME. The stock market is blowing up. America is hated because of it's support of said Israel. Who knew?

Perhaps they should have tried Germany again?

In any case, there is Russia and China andthe rest of Asia. The times, they are a'changing. And who is delighted with the flames in the ME caused by Israeli continued aggressiona?

This is too high profile.
The world is too sick of Israel and it's rape of Palestine and it's attempt on Lebanon, et. al.

Americans, courtesy of George Bush and his Iraq war and blind support of the Israeis has no
moral authority or anything else in the world. He can be no buffer for the Israelis to arrogantly continue their rape and land grabbing.

As it may turn out, the Jews chose a weak sister to try to use for their takeover of the world,starting in the ME. The stock market is blowing up. America is hated because of it's support of said Israel. Who knew?

Perhaps they should have tried Germany again?

In any case, there is Russia and China andthe rest of Asia. The times, they are a'changing. And who is delighted with the flames in the ME caused by Israel?

I have NEWS for you Ignatius.

This is too high profile. THe Jews can't just
shake hands and go back to raping Palestine as usual (and Lebanon and the Golan Heighs.)

The Sauids are there, and the Arab League.
The world is sick of it. The Chinese and Russians and Europe, and and know that the ME flames won't subside until the Israeli/Palestine thing is settled. And, let us say in understatement, they don't blame the Palestinians.

And America has no, LESS THAN NONE, moral or economic 'suasion in the world.
Putin does, and isn't crazy about Iran being threatened.

So continue your pro-Israeli stuff, which you think you conceal...

If nothing happens in this conference, or very soon, watch out below.

The only residues that remain after Annapolis are questions:

How much do the Palestinians and Arabs really want an independent state versus their maximalist demands of either destroying Israel or making it admit there is no place for it in the Middle East?

Has the average Palestinian Arab suffered long enough to now accept a realistic solution to their plight versus their dream of subsuming Israel?

Can Israel make the necessary concessions to make peace with a weak Olmert in power?

Can Fatah implement any agreements with Israel with a radical Hamasistan in power in Gaza?

I don't think anyone can answer those questions now.

Only playing out the scenario of negotiations that started with the speeches and shows of amity in Annapolis will answer the questions.

The only thing that remains after Annapolis are questions:

How much do the Palestinians and Arabs really want an independent state versus their maximalist demands of either destroying Israel or making it admit there is no place for it in the Middle East?

Has the average Palestinian Arab suffered long enough to now accept a realistic solution to their plight versus their dream of subsuming Israel?

Can Israel make the necessary concessions to make peace with a weak Olmert in power?

Can Fatah implement any agreements with Israel with a radical Hamasistan in power in Gaza?

I don't think anyone can answer those questions now.

Only playing out the scenario of negotiations that started with the speeches and shows of amity in Annapolis will answer the questions.

Yes, pessimism does pay.
Why should the Israelis give one inch on any of the major issues that are endemic to this one hundred year old struggle in the Arab East.
Israelis know history too well. Let us review a couple of instances of colonial history.
Remember the recent history of Algeria. What happened to all the "Pied Noir”, the product of one hundred years of French colonial occupation? Now they live in Marseille.
Another much Older history. Four crusader States were established on the shores of the Levant. Two hundred years after their creation, the last Crusader boat left from the Island of Tarsus heading to Cyprus and points west.
Yes, the Israelis know all too well this history.
Why should they risk any deal with a sea of Jihadists. Making deals with Abbas-like authorities? Is this a serious option for Israelis?
Such deals are as lasting as the paper they are written on when soaked in the acid of religion.
Israelis should be given all the credit available for making sure that a Palestinian State will never be created. The day that entity becomes reality, the clock will start ticking for the end of the Israeli dream.

For the last hundred years, Arabs have been dying to make a deal with the Zionist dream but to no avail. Zionism knows too well that a peace settlement with the Arabs of Palestine is their Poison Pill.
A few generations from now, who will be around on the shores of Arab East? Will it be The Zionist pessimist or the Arab Optimist?
Will history repeat itself at the shores of Haifa?

I have similar 3 steps which I have also put in comments on Power Barometer

Nobody's expectations are too high, so Step 1 - announcing the negotiations back on track today hits the right note (even though it took a lot of background work though I think the last minute negotiating to negotiate was "hokum" is put the right spin on today. Step 2 - in some manner the Arab nations and the European cheering section will support this effort. Step 3 - Syria and some others will spout some discordant notes, but guess what? Just showing up will leave Syria looking like it supports the result.....What of the fact that the 3 main players, Abbas, Olmert and Bush are lame ducks? ....I think it actually works in favor. Time frames are limited and both sides have to both sweeten the pot for each other and offer verifiable steps because they don't have to convince the guy ACROSS the table, they have to convince those NOT at the table who may be the next leaders.

I was under the impression that the Israelis had a large hint as to what Arab recognition would look like when the Arab League offered to recognize them and neither Bush nor Israel did anything but ignore the offer.
Frankly, I am far more pessimistic of the Bush administration's competence than I am of the participants. Isn't it clear he doesn't have any stake in this and is going to get by with a few canned speeches about being optimistic?
We do not at present have a government with the credibility to pull this off even before we get to the needs of the parties. Even before we get to Iraq and Pakistan and Iran isn't it clear they themselves are internally divided?