Beirut, Lebanon -- I would resign. Diplomacy in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is futile today. Indeed, it has become a means of perpetuating an irresolvable conflict. It would be better for mediators to step back and let Israelis and Palestinians pursue...
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April 12, 2007 9:04 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 12, 2007 09:04
My only objection to the Israeli tactics is that they are not being applied to Syria. If the Israelis and the U.S. told Syria it had 48 hours to stand down Hezbollah or face the combined destruction of both air forces that would leave it seventeenth century country I believe Syria would blink. I seem to recall the Serbs fighting all kinds of proxy wars until they looked the choice of having their country wrecked or quitting.
July 27, 2006 5:06 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on July 27, 2006 05:06
Michael Young is a complete bafoon. Why does MY TAX DOLLARS have to be spent on an already wealthy nation the size of New Jersey? This money could be used to improve the education system and maybe fund the bankrupt No Child Left Behind!
Apparently, John Win was left behind when it came to English class, based on his typos and grammatical errors.
July 26, 2006 8:21 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on July 26, 2006 20:21
Michael Young is a complete bafoon. Any elementary school kid knows that one cannot do anything without having the power to do such a thing. Israel is a nuclear state/developed country/one of the largest militaries and one of the richest countries in the world. Israel occupies Palestinian land. Palestinians live in poverty, no military, no wealth, and do not occupy another people's land. Solution is simple: END THE OCCUPATION. All Palestinians ever wanted was to live in peace. The violence that comes from the Palestinian side has only to do with Israel's illegal military occupation. The violence that comes from Israel's side has only to subjugate an entire people. Let's not pretend the solution is difficult. All it takes is Americans waking up and pressuring the US to force Israel to end its occupation. How to do that? Withhold the billions in aid we give to Israel every year! Jesus Christ! Why does MY TAX DOLLARS have to be spent on an already wealthy nation the size of New Jersey? It makes no sense! This money could be used to improve the education system and maybe fund the bankrupt No Child Left Behind!
July 6, 2006 12:45 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on July 6, 2006 00:45
What is depressing is that people like Brian D. actually think that the middle east conflict would be solved if Israel would ignore the murder of its citizenry. What evidence exists that this strategy would "possibly rally the international community to Israel's side"? Who would be impressed with Israel simply burying its dead women and children? China? France? And what greater pressure would they put on the palestinians to stop killing? The Arab nations have repeatedly sworn to kill the jews. They have started war after war. This very year, Iran has pledged to destroy Israel while it seeks nuclear weapons. What is truly "beyond my comprehension" (as Brian D. puts it) is how anyone with any knowledge of history can believe that any conflict can be fairly resolved by one side allowing itself to be murdered by the other. Sure, it may be a solution, but I think we have seen this type of "final solution" before, haven't we?
Read this carefully: the middle east conflict is a WAR. It is not a "cycle of violence". It was begun by the arab states in 1948, because they refused to accept self-determination by jews. And this war has been continued by the arab states since then. Only one state, Egypt, has made peace with Israel, and Israel readily gave up land in exchange for it. All other arab states have continued their state of war against the only liberal democracy in the area.
Israel has already accepted a future Palestinian state. The palestinians have not accepted Israel. They want their own country, and the right to continue trying to eliminate Israel from the new state that Israel allows to be born. That is not fair, not right, not reasonable, and not Israel's fault.
So how about trying something "drastically different"? How about if the Palestinians stopped killing for a little while? How about if they agreed that Israel has a right to self-determination, and worked to develop a fair and just society of their own? To paraphrase Brian D., how about if "all answers must lie in unilateral" Arab actions? The arab states have greater territory, greater population, and control of the world's oil supply. Surely these very fortunate rulers could find some semblance of peace in their hearts, some pity for the few surviving jews in the world. And if they can't, maybe Brian D. could muster some, instead of condemning more jews to unanswered death.
July 5, 2006 9:52 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on July 5, 2006 21:52
I agree with Young's sentiment that Israeli-Palestinian negotiations at this point are a waste of time. Until both sides are able to amend their views of the situation, negotiations will not be useful.
However, the balance of power in the region provides the possibility of a unilateral Israeli solution to the conflict. It is apparent to outsiders that the constant back and forth violence has not cowed either side into changing positions on substantive issues and is unlikely to do so in the future Why Palestinians and Israelis believe that violent retaliation is effective for anything other than perpetuating conflict is beyond my comprehension. Israel should try a radically new strategy: ignore Palestinian violence completely. Israel should do its best to fortify the wall and keep violence out, but when Palestine attacks, it should not respond. This strategy could possibly rally the international community to Israel's side, as it would become the victim, allowing Israel a better negotiating position in the event that the Palestinians eventually respond to nonviolence positively. It is not clear that this type of strategy would be effective, and it may in fact require more discipline and patience than democracies are generally known to have. But what is clear is that the current Israeli strategies have not succeeded in pacifying the Palestinian population. Something drastically different should be tried.
As the Palestinians seem to be constantly hovering just above failed statehood, (or should one say, 'failed pseudostatehood') all answers must lie in unilateral Israeli actions. Such solutions will always unfairly favor Israel, but given that the two peoples cannot negotiate, unilateral plans by the stronger and more stable power are the only path to anything different from the status quo.
July 5, 2006 8:23 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on July 5, 2006 20:23
Thank you Tom B for speaking the truth and admonishing both sides. It is hard to believe the level of butchery on both sides. And even more difficult to comprehend the support these methods receive. At the very least, we can demand both parties to respect the conventions of war and spare civilians on both sides. Those who have not taken up arms need protection. Let there be an International peacekeeping force on the ground, disarm both sides and find a political solution over a period of 10 years. In the meantime, the citizens on both sides will engage in economic activity, trade will grow and arts will flourish. Ordinary people are more similar than different. A relative period of peace will do wonders in bringing the two peoples together and forget the bitter past. Let there be a new tomorrow - tomorrow.
July 5, 2006 6:28 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on July 5, 2006 18:28
I fail to see why the attack on Israeli soldiers counts as a "pretext". An armed attack is what is called in international law a casus belli and is in essence a declaration of war.
July 5, 2006 5:47 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on July 5, 2006 17:47
It is obvious that both sides of this conflict demand unconditional humiliating surrender by 'the other'. The Israeli mantra of 'terrorism' is a pretext; the current round of violence was provoked by an armed attack on Israeli military forces, and the capture of an Israeli soldier. It did not involve any terroristic action against civilians whatsoever. As for the Palestinians, they have proven over and over to be generally incompetent in military actions and have (apparently) taken up the abhorrent alternative of killing babies, women and children. The Palestinians could have learned from the Israeli's successful struggle waged against the British, and culminating in the defeat of Her Majesty's forces. Instead of attacking military forces within Gaza and the West Bank, they have chosen to attack civilians on the Israeli side of the Green Line. It appears that both sides will need to learn the lessons of war before they realize that mutual destrucion is good for neither party. In the meantime, the rest of us can do nothing.
July 5, 2006 5:32 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on July 5, 2006 17:32
Some solution? This will lead to a wholesale massacre as the Israelis simply know how to fight better than the Arabs.
The wall is helping, at least to far.
July 5, 2006 5:31 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on July 5, 2006 17:31