Mikio Ikuma has no real background whatsoever in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I do not understand why the Post would invite such a person to provide insight on this topic. Mr. Ikuma is wrong to think that once Hamas "recognizes" Israel suddenly the Palestinian economy will improve and Israel will allow the Palestinians to prosper. In 1993, the Oslo Accords were signed and the PLO recognized Israel. It turned out the accords were only a ruse in order to expand the illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian territory. These settlements are built in such a way as to divide Palestinian cities from one another. JEWS ONLY roads are built to connect the settlements to one another, leaving Palestinian cities surrounded. More so, Palestinian cities are unable to expand naturally. Because of the various Jewish settlements on Palestinian land, Israel maintains an entire system of checkpoints and licenses with different colors depending on whether you are a Palestinian or whether you are an Israeli. Israelis never have to stop but Palestinians are humiliated in never ending lines. A trip that is supposed to take 10 minutes can take up to 4 hours. More so, Israel is now building an illegal wall that cuts into Palestinian territory, leaving Palestinian areas cut off from one another. There is no freedom of movement, which is integral to any economy. Israel controls all the land borders and routinely closes them whenever it feels like it as a form of collective punishment. Import and Export trading is non-existent and can never thrive with such arbitrary and discriminate control by Israel. Israel does not even allow for a Palestinian airport to be built! No sea port of any kind is allowed! A complete Israeli siege of Palestinian territories has been going on for decades. Israel's settlements on Palestinian land would make one think that Israel proper was running out of room. Not the case. Israel continues to allow for thousands of new JEWISH immigrants to settle in Israel. The blatant racism is unbelievable. Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas on earth- with about 1.5 million people. The majority of Palestinians in Gaza are refugees that were forced from their homes that are in Israel. Israel refuses to allow them to return to their homes but yet allows new Jewish immigrants with no connection to the land whatsoever to reside and receive citizenship. The Arabs residing in Israel are also discriminated against in ever way- including employment opportunities and housing. Arabs are not hired because they are Arab and Arab communities in Israel are grossly under funded and the educational systems are neglected for no other reason other than that they are Arab- even though they are Israeli citizens! Even when Israel allowed for Palestinian workers, their jobs were 3rd rate. Palestinians with medical degrees or law degrees were forced to work as construction workers, often building the JEWISH ONLY Settlement homes! What needs to happen for the Palestinian economy to improve is first the most important step: END THE ISRAELI ILLEGAL MILITARY OCCUPATION. How can an economy thrive under an occupation that does not allow it to? It is impossible. This entire talk about "recognition" overlooks the real issue. After all, what would be the purpose of Hamas "recognizing" Israel? Obviously they recognize it exists- it is the source of the occupation. Why does the world not demand that Israel recognize the legitimate right of the indigenous population, the Palestinians, the right to self-determination- the right to be let alone and the right to live free. Why does the world want an oppressed nation with no state to defend itself to recognize the Occupation? It is one thing to merely "recognize" but it is another thing to "legitimize". The question of recognition is more so an avenue to legitimize the illegal Israeli military occupation. The only thing that can alleviate the situation is for the U.S. government to pressure Israel to end the occupation. That will only happen when me and you and all Americans wake up and ask ourselves why we are blind to the constant support of a military occupation. Why do over 3 billion dollars in our tax money go to Israel to fund the illegal military occupation? I would rather see that money go to my children's' schools! Ending the occupation would be getting rid of the source of the disease and only then can the healing begin.

The end the occupation call is a funny one and popular too with the leftists that scream them on the top of their lungs but it has one problem: It is disconnected of reality.
Mikio Ikuma is right...you can't win against economic success and if you can't win then join the winner...
Palis would be better off if they would stop the fire entirely and start to talk finilising process with the following line: I am willing to make painful concessions!! ( Israel uses it for a long while to enforce its hand!). Palis never made such a call...always promising things they won't achieve...
It is time for a bit of truthfulness...nobody will win 100% in this conflict....may aswell get what they can.
And start working with Israel for its economic recovery. Both Egypt and JOrdan have done so and are heaping the rewards....Pali People will be much better off for this! Intifada only gave Palis a whole lot of pain...but nothing good came out of it.
Cheers,
An Australian

Hmmm, so Mr. Ikuma thinks the Palestinian people should just submit to their economic "masters." I'm glad he wasn't advising Lincoln back in the 1860's or else I'd probaby still be submitting to my "masters" today.

After all, the argument he makes about the state of Israel vs the state of Palestine could have been made regarding the state of slaves vs the state of slaveowners.

One is in better economic shape than the other, so the weaker one should just submit.

If the Palestinians really wanted to improve their lives, they could do so easily, but hatred for Israel is greater than their desire to impriove the lives of their children. That is why children are brainwashed to become Shahids, not from fringe groups, but by official palestinian tv and schools.

It has nothing to do with so-called "brainwashing", it is about the extreme pressures the Israeli occupation places on Palestinians. Living in virtual prisons, with your life dictated by a foreign occupying power, with the daily killings of your family and friends...there are some that realize that better to go out killing some of the other side rather than die sitting in the living room by an Israeli bullet. Watch the documentary "Arna's Children", which is about an Israeli Jew who attemts to better the lives of children in the refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin.

It has everything to do with brainwashing. Palestinian political ideology is total victory(eliminating Israel) or suicide. Since the former is not possible they have chose the latter not only as individuals but as a society.

Life was 10 times better for the palestinians during the 90's, but instead of reaching a compromise they chose war.

Instead of using the Gaza withdrawl as an opportunity, they used it as an excuse to tell their population that violence had won them a great victory so we should continue.

It would be simple for palestinains to improve their lives tremendously and move forward to achieving a state as the 90's showed, but better living standards and political compromise can never be a "carrot" if the goal is total anhilation of one's enemy.

Dave,
Please try to find a Palestinian living in the US and talk to him or her. I have a Palestinian friend here, and after discussions (and extensive reading) I came to realize that John is right. The Palestinians have nothing to lose. Every time they got involved in talks and negotiations the came out loosers -Israel used these to stall the peace process and build its settlements on occupied lands. See for yourself what kind of Gulags are people forced to live. There's no need for brainwashing.

The problem that no one wants to deal with is that muslims cannot accept the existence of Israel. Mohammad conquered the Holy Land, and claimed it for Islam. He said that the muslims were the rightful heirs to the Holy Land and Jerusalem because the Jews had forfeited their right on account of their sin. When the Jews returned to the Holy Land, Mohammad was proven wrong. That makes Mohammad a false prophet unless the muslims can destroy Israel. The current conflict with Hezbollah (Party of God) tells it all. Why would God fight to destroy the Chosen People of God, the Jews? Obviously, this is not the Party of God, but the Party of satan. Satan has been trying to foil God's plans from time immemorial. Satan wants to seize Jerusalem to prevent Jesus Christ from returning. This is the fundamental reason for the conflict.

The problem is that in the currently configuration of states and balances of power, Israel has nothing to gain from any further peace treaties. The US via the Israeli lock on political debate and the media, via the legal and understandable local ethnic groups lobby, is brain washed to a right-wing Israeli mind set. So the 3 billion dollars will be delivered forever. The US will always block all pressure on Israel. This will not change until either the US losses enough power or the US population learns that what was once seen as a haven for European jews has become a Jim Crow state for anyone not jewish, or the Palestinian-Israeli population reaches 40% of Israel. Currently the last option appears most likely to me.

Nice to hear a refreshing "outsider" view of the what is going on from Mr. Mikio Ikuma , far from the false and worn rhetoric that is passed off so often. People forget that once there was fairly free movement from Gaza to Tel Aviv, few check points and much less unemployment for the citizens of Gaza. That was of course before 1989 but even during Netanyahu's government (1996 - 1999) the situation was not so dire as today. The bus bombings and the knife attacks against Israelis by Palestinians literally cause walls to be put up, opportunities for employment to be closed and connections severed. At the same time, shooting attacks against civilians with the West Bank forced the army to set up roadblocks there and to restrict access for the Arabs there. This is not to mean that know Arabs do not suffer. I am sure they do.

However I wonder if Mr. Ikuma isn't being either overly optimistic or naive. Years of lies and propaganda will be hard to overcome and unless the Arabs are sincere about non-hostility than there is little economic incentive to increase economic cooperation with, for example Gaza. Even trade with Egypt is insignificant for Israel, beside oil and gas, they have nothing to offer.