How can the rocket fire of Israeli cities possibly be a war crime? These cities and towns are defended by Israel's integrated national defense. These towns are clearly legal military targets.

Are we going to round up the bombers of Dresden and haul them off to the Hague?

Excluding Hamas will doom any peace settlement. Israel had a chance to negotiate with Fatah and they chose to destroy it instead. Hamas is clearly the legitimate government of the Palestinian people and no peace agreement signed against their wishes has a chance.

Israel has repeatedly elected governments who have rejected the Palestinians rights. After the negotiations with Clinton did not succeed Israel said that it would never agree to the terms it offered at those negotiations.

Why must the Palestinians honor earlier agreements when Israel steadfastly refuses to do the same.

The entire rubric of terrorism has become useless . Sure the Palestinians would attack Israeli military targets with conventional forces if they had the means, but they don't. When Israeli leaders claims that rocket fire could lead to a holocaust and then launches a raid where many civilians are killed it is hard to believe the civilian casualties were accidents.

Occupations always breed terrorism. Even in Tibet there has been terrorism. This does not justify the acts of terrorism but it is unreasonable for Israel to expect that it can continue to occupy Palestinian lands and not suffer attacks against civilians. Israeli's are becoming dangerously out of touch with reality. The deaths due to terrorism in Israel never approaches the gun violence in a major US city. It is really hard to Americans to see this level of violence which we steadfastly refuse to do anything about here warrants extraordinary response by Israel.

Israel needs to drop the recriminations and make a deal. They had their chance with Fatah, that chance is gone. Now they must make their deal with Hamas.

http://bagreddet.com

http://bagreddet.com

US Image abroad is hard to fix says longtime US ally Bernard Kouchner, the foreign minister of France. He made his comments during an interview at the opening of the Forum for New Diplomacy in Paris.

Asked whether the United States could repair the damage it had suffered to its reputation during the Bush presidency and especially since the 2003 American-led invasion of Iraq, Mr. Kouchner replied, “It will never be as it was before.”

“I think the magic is over,” he continued, in what amounted to a sober assessment from one of France’s strongest supporters of the United States.

Europeans have officially rejected all contact with Hamas, listed as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union. Asked whether there was a way to engage Hamas, which is supported by a significant minority of Palestinians, Mr. Kouchner appeared to hold out hope of contact.

“I’m looking for a diplomatic way to say yes,” he said.

He then noted that, in general, “we have to talk with our enemies” and that the Fatah faction of the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, which controls the West Bank, “always said they were in favor” of unity talks with Hamas. But since Hamas routed Fatah forces from Gaza in June, Mr. Abbas has refused to deal with Hamas, which he accused of committing a coup.

[I wonder if Hamas supporters are really in the minority of Palestinians as Kouchner says. I don’t think so.]

OPEC’s Triumph

Here is the real solution to US and Israeli arrogance and agression, as described by Robert J. Samuelson in today’s WP. OPEC, after 47 years of impotence, is finally beginning to act as a cartel. Look no further than last weeks meeting in Vienna, where OPEC refused to increase production in the face of $100 per barrel (and rising) oil. //

Declining oil prices is one of the mechanisms that normally bring a recession under control, but forget about it. The producers are in no mood to reduce prices by increasing production. Since 1999, oil revenue for OPEC countries has quadrupled to $670 billion in 2007. But has OPEC merely benefited from higher prices or acted as a true cartel, restricting output and raising prices. The answer is both. //

True, OPEC has been aided by two huge miscalculations: (1) China’s consumption has doubled to 7.5 million barrels per day (mpd) and the US consumption has increased by 20.8 mbd (up 7%), and (2) oil supply has been constrained by war, civil strife and nationalization in Iraq, Nigeria, Iran and Venezuela. //

But that’s only half of it. In late 2006, oil prices were slipping from $70 per barrel toward $50 per barrel. What did OPEC do? It responded by cutting production twice to 800,000 barrels per day. By July 2007, 125 million barrels of oil inventory had been wiped out, inventories were at their lowest point in three years by end of 2007 and prices started to rise. In early 1999, oil was priced at $10 per barrel. Saudi Arabia took the lead in negotiations with other cartel members and the result was a sharp cut in production. //

We are paying for past shortsightedness. Mr. Samuelson states that dependence on oil imports (now 60% of our supply) was inevitable, but that we could limit OPEC’s market power by sharply curbing our demand and increasing our supply.

[I disagree. If we had not squandered the last 60 years and trillions of dollars supporting the Zionist invasion of Palestine, alienating the Muslim world, leading the Christian invasion and occupation of Iraq, and further alienating the Muslim world, we could have achieved energy independence long ago. There are plenty of other options including nuclear, wind, wave and geothermal.

And today we learn that our top U.S. commander in the Middle East, whose views on strategy in the region have put him at odds with the Bush administration, has abruptly announced his resignation, calling reports of such disagreements an untenable "distraction."

Our only hope lies with the next and future administrations.]

Pete Murray,

I 2nd Lisa’s complements of your post. I googled your name and only find an Aussie singer-songwriter:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Murray

Pete Murray is an Australian singer-songwriter whose two full-length albums have both reached #1 on the Australian music charts. He has been nominated several times at the ARIAs and has had several songs reach the top ten in Australia.

Too bad, you should be in a position of power to bring your ideas to fruition.

Only Israel is expected to absorb attack after attack and do nothing. Israel's response is "disproportionate" - in that any other nation in Israel's position would have already flattened the Palis long ago.

Also, the sheer idiocy of the comments is insane. Israel pulled out of Gaza. Israel did not interfere with the elections. Israel did not interfere when Hamas took over. Israel left them with all sorts of infrastructure that the Palis then destroyed.

But you are correct that Israel should completely pull out. That would mean no more supplying those animals with food, water, sewage treatment or electricity. The Palis have the lowest infant mortality rate of any Arabs in the mideast because they get access to Israeli medicine. Israel should keep them out of their hospitals too. Perhaps the Palis can build those things in their "state" rather than rockets. Perhaps they can study things like medicine and agriculture and engineering rather than killing and murder.

The palis get more international aid per capita than any other group of people on Earth. Look what they have to show for it.

I am utterly appalled by this article. The Arabs start war after war. The Arabs attack (or try to attack) everyday. The Arabs reject all offers of peace. The Arabs elect Hamas, which has sworn to make war on and destroy Israel. The Arabs launch rockets - that is an act of war you idiots - and you blame Israel.

It is high time Israel really gives them something to cry about and takes off the gloves. It is hight time, that when the Hamasnicks throw a parade, Israel takes the gift of a coupple of thousand irregular troops in one place at one time and hits them with napalm. It is high time that Israel destroys their munitions bunkers - even if they are placed in mosques. It is high time that Israel hunts down and kills the Hamas leadership. It is high time that the Palis learn that there is such a thing as personal responsibility. If you elect a genocidal terrorist organization, then the social contract works both ways and you take the consequences of the war they start. There will be no peace from half measures and there will be no peace when terrorist barbarians are whitewashed into some kind of hero.

I really don't care if you people here hate Jews. I really don't care if you think you are clever or if you think that your impotent whining will do anything to further the evil causes and the evil regimes you champion. There will come a day when Hamas and the Palis commit one atrocity too many, and then Israel will take off the gloves and do what the US or Britian or China or Russia would do in this situation.

As to the rest of you lefty pricks that want to say that Israel is not Jewish land, it was always Jewish land - just as much as Dublin is Irish. So cut the crap.

Finally, when the day comes that Israel has been pushed too far, and they take proper firm action, know that you left wing idiots helped to bring it because you helped to enable and embolden the terrorists. When that day comes, many more will die than if the world had been honest.

Well as of today (3.10) there appears a tacit agreement between a Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire which is very good...Qatar is helping with peace negotiations which is very good too as there is a personal relationship there with Damascus Hamas leadersship and a good one with Israel...Recently Yossi Beilin referenced that Qatar wanted to assist and it looks like someone n Isarel finally listed to him...now they should listen and meet his request for negotiations with Hamas...

One concern in an otherwise more positive turn of events as a new week starts is that Cheney is off to Middle East on March 16 ..even going to West Bank ...I hope not to meet with Dahlan ..let's hope his attempts to meddle in Palestinian politics is over....off course if you want to see endless intra fighting between Palestinians that is exactly what yo would do ...give Dahlan power in a Abbas government or replace Abbas with Dahlan...maybe some intrepid journalist will tell us the reason for Cheney's visit to West Bank...he is also going to Saudi Arabia ...maybe to apologize to King Abdullah for destroying/disrupting the Mecca Agreement of a unity gov for Palestine last March? He should because Condi was no doubt only saluting...

OR maybe there is positive movement on a Hamas-Fatah new unity government and he wants to see what portfolios Hamas will have?

MS:
Below is another reference about Camp David 2000, and I don't see in it that Arafat was the one to foil a deal that meets the bare minimum of Palestinian rights.
You are the one who should make sure of your "facts" before accusing others of ignorance.

http://www.nationbooks.org/book/73/ The Truth About Camp David

sites such as "Palestine Facts" or "Palestinian Media WAtch" are ZIONNIST sites that spew their expanzionism propaganda" The sites appropriate the name Palestinian or Palestine as if they were them, they are dishonest starting from their titles right down to their content and not worth looking at if you are looking for the TRUTH. Here's a link to the honest truth, no devious names, no need to trick folks with false sites or dress them up with sheep's clothing.

The Truth Regarding the 2000 Camp David Summit
By Gary D. Keenan
http://www.canpalnet-ottawa.org/campdavid.html

OBSERVER:

Camp David facts could be observed on following link:
http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1991to_now_campdavid_2000.php

There is no explanation why Arafat refused the offer in Camp David without offering something... maybe you have an explanation? Please educate yourself with know fact and then make a point.

MS says:
“Israel wanted to keep land and Fatah wanted Jerusalem and get back refugees, but when Ehud Barak offered to Arafat all this he just refused and opened another intifada.”

Where did you get all this information? Does MS stand for multiple sclerosis?

To Mr. Pete Murray, thank you for a very intersting post...there are certainly some points to ponder in your post...here's hoping you are in a position either in government and/or military to advance some of your ideas down the line ...but in a new US administration...it's useless to advance anything with current US and current Israel government...

No peace is possible until Hamas and Hezbollah is dismantled.

The road map to peace has been followed by Israel. They have remain restrained and have given up "Land for peace." Where is the peace?
Two entities continue to promote the dream of Israel being pushed into the sea and they must be punished for not following the collective will of the world.

Damascus and Tehran must be held to account for their acts. They must be punished for promoting deaths of the innocents. The vision of a "War on Terrorism" should require American aircraft support is made available to target those entities who support terror.

The time has come to address those nations who continue to believe that America's words are empty and without substance.

Atheist in Virginia,

You are so right! The Israelis stole their land from the Palestinians, just as we stole ours from the Indians.

Bur there is no way that Israel will just disappear, any more than the USA will.

The people of Palestine have suffered the most with no end in sight. The problem is that we, the US citizens, support Israel with technology, money and influence. This is not only unfair, but it makes no sense.

The best hope for a solution is that the Arab leadership will meet in Syria this month and agree to dramatically cut back on the supply of oil. With Israel importing over 90% of its oil, mostly from Russia, and the US importing 60% of its oil, mostly from OPEC and with its economy already in the tank; a $6.00 per gallon price on gasoline would do wonders for the Palestinian people.

Pete Murray,

" The only people who have the muscle to do this are the US and EU through their economic leverage."

Yeah! Except that the US is suffering from muscular dystrophy not only attendant upon its debacle in Iraq and the metdown of the dollar and the US economy, but also from the total loss of confidence of its population in its leaders (read the latest mudslinging by Tommy Franks against his former Pentagon and State department colleagues in today's issue of WAPO).

As for Europe, having for some time considered launching its own alternative to NATO but seemingly having shelved the idea while Asia took it up to consider the launching of an 'Asian NATO', it is now too pre-occupiesd with Russia/Gazprom/Ukraine's repeated threats to cut gas supply that it feels it has better aims for which to flex its muscles than wreak greater havoc in Palestine.

But, no doubt Israel can go it alone, can it not? If not, Yossi Melman will do it himself, Samson-style!

Dear Mr Melman,

The people who are primarily to blame are the rejectionists on BOTH sides.

They will both need to be told that 1. Israel has a right to exist within its legal borders, and, 2. The Greater Israel project is over.

Because neither side has the military orpolitical will to confront their respective extremists, peace will need to be imposed.

The only people who have the muscle to do this are the US and EU through their economic leverage.

The steps are as follows.

1. A complete halt to settlement activity, and to economic transfers which enable the expansion and expropriation to continue.

2. Hamas and Fatah to agree a ceasefire for the duration of talks.

3. An international force to replace the IDF at the interface between the respective population centres and territories for the duration of talks and implimentation.

4. The building of a separation-wall along the 1967 cease-fire line, and the transfer of the illegal settlers to Israel or whatever western countries will ahve them.

5. The establishment of special protocols for Jerusalem to ensure access to historical and religious sites, and special arrangements for secutity and division of the city (which will become the dual capital).

6. The recognition of a peaceful Israel individually by all nations in the region.

7. Because of the separation-wall which will limit contact between Israel and its Arab neighbours (The Palestinians will have to make their economic ties with Egypt, Jordan, etc, and will have no right to travel to Israel), Israel to be given special relationship status with the EU - (free-trade and movement of people and goods). Such a status, politically impossible while Israel occupies Palestinian land, would be accepted by Europeans under the new conditions.

8. An international compensation court to adjudicate on claims of Palestinians whose property and possessions were seized or destroyed since 1948 (this could be modeled on the procedures which are used to recover and compensate for property seized by the Nazis)

9. Both sides to have control of their own airspace and territorial waters.

10. A wate-court which would ensure on a just allocation of the water-resources according to population and adjudicate on disputes.

Simple really (And unlike your proposal, compliant with the principle of equal rights and international law)

Mr. Melman:
Below is a portion of the petition the women of Palestine sent to the UN on the occassion of "Women's Day". It might give an idea on some of their grievances.

The General Union of Palestinian Women
Women's Associations and Centers
Ministry of Women's Affairs
-------------
-------------
An immediate end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian State would be a first step towards
achieving this goal .

Until such a time we call upon the UN to

1.Take legal measures to stop the Israeli onslaught against our people
in Gaza and in all the occupied territories
2 . Lift the siege imposed on Gaza, which is not merely threatening the lives of 1.5 million people but is leading to an environmental disaster with grave consequences on the whole area.
3. Accord international protection to our people under occupation and implement UN resolution 1325 that calls for the protection of women and children in times of war .
4. Ensure that the 4th Geneva Convention is respected by Israel as an occupying power, in all Palestinian land including East Jerusalem.

Apocalypse Now indeed!

"Israel is out there operating without any decent restraint, totally beyond the pale of any acceptable human conduct."

I read every commentary related to this subject written by both sides. Not a single one is correct. You want peace between the West and the Arab World and of course Palestinians and Israelis, let the Palestinians and the Arabs aquire the same weapons including nuclear warfare and related technology, you will achieve peace the very next day. Why nobody understands the fact that terrorism and suicide bombing is the only weapon one side has. Render both sides in equal force, you won't see one suicide bomber in thousand years.

MS,

If you refuse to understand, so be it.

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, even Francis Fukuyama have been there before. I have been writing newspaper articles (not in Canada or the US ming you) telling them and my readers that they were wrong, and that Bush and his coterie were heading direct to catastrophe. In my modest way, I was doing the same sublimely prophetic job that Howard Zinn, Tony Hedges, Scott Ritter, and many other brave, nearly-divine souls had been doing. To help the targeted innocent civilian-population victims (Bush and co cynically call them 'collateral damadge') of Afghanistan and Iraq (very soon, of Iran as well) but also the American and British youths who were going to be sent to the front, we took the courageous stand, as Uri Avnery and others are doing (God bless them!), to tell the lucid truth as we saw it. Of course we, were proved right!

Now, it is your choice, the choce of Yossi, and that of the Israeli people to take up the offer of, first, a 'Tahadiyeh', then a 'hudna' (made before and observed unilaterally for 12 full months despite Israel's rejection of it, but which still is on the table), as Uri Avnery explains, or reject it. Rejection would be a folly on Israel's part.

I have explained to you, just as we expalined to Bush and co, what the consequences of rejection would be, despite 'superior force'. Israel's response might very well echo that of the noecon idiot who thumped his chest and responded " Reality? What reality? We are an empire now. We create our own reality!"

And then THE reality strikes back -- they call it blowback!

Shalom!

Mohamed MALLECK,

I have read the article, but there is basic thing that left wing of Israel just couldn't understand: Hammas and Fattah are not interested in peace with Israel. Why all peace talks with Fatah before didn't succeeded? Probably both sides were to strict in their positions: Israel wanted to keep land and Fatah wanted Jerusalem and get back refugees, but when Yehud Barak offered to Arafat all this he just refused and opened another intifada. Why Arafat refused the proposal? Maybe because it's much better keep the situation in same state with image of bad Israel and pure Palestine image than build their own country...

Dave Ellis wrote in a previous post which I believe is appropriate to our topic here.

"No one ever says the Arabs don't have their problems. They most certainly do. And no one ever says the Zionists are the only people to practice racism and ethnic cleansing; they most certainly are not. But facts are facts, and the facts of Israel's creation are truly sickening. So is the story of the American Indians. But one can be dealt with, while the other is basically history.
Why do most of the Israel defenders I read here start in the MIDDLE of the story? Yes, it's true, there have been many Arab attacks on Jews since 1917, when Britain decided to give Palestinian land to Jewish settlers. Who can possibly blame them? Are they supposed to say, "Here, Mr. Chosen One, take my land. Take my house. Take my wife..." C'mon, folks.
My point is this: Once a war is started, like the Zionist's war against the Palestinians was started in 1917, there will always be those who choose to fight, rather than submit to occupation. And the hatred grows stronger every year, on both sides. But in this particular conflict, one side clearly started it all. And it WASN'T the Palestinians.
And to NOT IN MY NAME, I'll say this: If you are really a Palestinian and you really don't want me to defend you, with WORDS, not weapons, fine. I'll quit now. But I'm not going to shut up about our American soldiers who are dying right now doing Israel's dirty work. Nor about the Iraqis and the sick war the Zionist neocons have started there. And now that we're probably days away from war with Iran, when is a good time to get mad enough to tell the Zionist neo-cons to *&%#$ off?

Yossi,

Will you or anyone of the warmongers, like Military Realities, who simultaneously accuse Hamas of wanting the destruction of Israel and tout the military-superiority/barbarity of Israel, care to read the advice given by Uri Avnery in the article titled Good Morning, Hamas, accessible at the following web address?

http://www.counterpunch.com/avnery03042008.html

It is no doubt true, as Military Realities says, that Israel's military might is superior, but ask Bush or Cheney or even Petraeus what success 'military superiority' is delivering in the context of their plan to 'win the peace' in Iraq.

That's pretty funny Military Realities. I have a better one: You guys take all the land. You build a great big wall all around it. Make it real thick and impervious. Then we'll flood it!

Here are my nine steps:

1. Israel cuts off all of the power, food and water that they supply the palis. Give them something to whine about. Maybe they can rebuild those greenhouses they trashed...

2. Everytime the Hamasnicks celebrate in the streets for mudering Jews, Israel should look at the gift of many terrorists in the open at the same time in the same place. White phosphorous is a beautiful thing in such a case. So is napalm. The white phosporous will kill many, but more importanly leave the survivors with hideaous disfigurements. They will be an object lesson.

3. Tear down that abomination of a Mosque on the Temple Mount. Let them know that they do not get to spam their religion on other people's property.

4. Everytime one of them gets caught smuggling weapons or explosives across the boarder, no handwringing, just a pistol shot to the head. Fortunately they wear nice big rags on their heads to clean up any mess.

5. Everytime a rocket is launcehed, flatten a squre mile around the launch site with heavy artillery. The palis elected Hamas, they get to have the responsibility of electing a genocidal terrorist organization. The social contract works both ways.

6. Hunt down Hamasnicks. Blow up the Hamas gov't buildings, television stations and mosques.
Do it when there are as many of the rats inside as possible so they don't fade back into their holes.

7. Take back the northern part of Gaza. Keep it permanently. Sorry you don't get to launch stikes and expect nothing to happen. Kill all resistance that pops up. Build a wall and plant mines.

8. Break their will to fight by showing them that Allah does not help animals like them.

9. Tell them that this is what war means. The gloves will stay off. They can either make peace or die.

Here are my nine steps:

1. Israel cuts off all of the power, food and water that they supply the palis. Give them something to whine about. Maybe they can rebuild those greenhouses they trashed...

2. Everytime the Hamasnicks celebrate in the streets for mudering Jews, Israel shoul look at the gift of many terrorists in the open at the same time in the same place. White phosphorous is a beautiful thing in such a case. So is napalm. The white phosporous will kill many, but more importanly leave the survivors with hideaous disfigurements. They will be an object lesson.

3. Tear down that abomination of a Mosque on the Temple Mount. Let them know that they do not get to spam their religion on other people's property.

4. Everytime one of them gets caught smuggling weapons or explosives across the boarder, no handwringing, just a pistol shot to the head. Fortunately they wear nice big rags on their heads to clean up any mess.

5. Everytime a rocket is launcehed, flatten a squre mile around the launch site with heavy artillery. The palis elected Hamas, they get to have the responsibility of electing a genocidal terrorist organization. The social contract works both ways.

6. Hunt down Hamasnicks. Blow up the Hamas gov't buildings, television stations and mosques.
Do it when there are as many of the rats inside as possible so they don't fade back into their holes.

7. Take back the northern part of Gaza. Keep it permanently. Sorry you don't get to launch stikes and expect nothing to happen. Kill all resistance that pops up.

8. Break their will to fight by showing them that Allah does not help animals like them.

9. Tell them taht this is what war means. The gloves will stay off. They can either make peace or die.

Maybe below facts was not widely published, but significant percentage of suicide bombers are people that being forced to do so against their will. For example there is Palestinian girl that being raped and forced to become suicide bomber otherwise the fact would be known to the family and that’s shame on whole family, so instead the family being honored by having shahid. Or boy that being infected by AIDS in purpose for making him decide dying as hero and not by the AIDS... There are brainwashed nice boys and girls that doing this ugly, stupid act that against human nature and this should be changed by education, but who controlling it if not the same Muslim extremists/radicals that interpret Koran not for original purpose of any religion: don't kill, don't sin, but for their purpose.
There is no power in the world that can change it. Looks like it will go on and on.

"As long as there is no real change in individual and group thinking of the Middle East’s leaders, the region is doomed to paralysis."

Your first and final statements bring home the ultimate point. That being that nothing will ever be done to finally end the tensions. Not because it cannot be done, but rather because the Islamo - Fascists have twisted the religion so far that it is no longer the Quran that was once understood as positive

With that said, I believe that since the Radical Islamic groups will never accept the West or Israel regardless of how much money or influence they hold in the world, we should attempt to complete the takeover of the entire Muslim world to effectively eliminate the sub-culture that spurs the pure hatred of anyone other than them.

Logically thinking, even if we had 1+ million US deaths, this will save lives and tensions down the road for centuries to come, and will allow most rational thinkers and leaders of the world to move on with more pressing matters that have more impact on the world as compared to dedicating our collective resources to a World Culture Minority that stands against most principles that have anything to do with individual freedom.

So in conclusion, seeing as how radical Muslim fanatics represent less than 0.001% of the overall Muslim population, perhaps the saner and sensible portion of their sect can begin trying to influence their subversive movement, rather than silently agreeing with them and publically denouncing them (and not even all that much). Otherwise the only other choice will be a total annihilation of the Muslim culture as you know it today by using subtle influence over time. Once that is completed, the remaining “normal” Muslims will have a chance to practice their religion without fear of a US Missile dropping on their heads because they have been hiding terrorists in their bathrooms and blaming America when we kill everyone in the house.

Much like Rabid Dogs, you cannot negotiate with terrorists or extremists. They have only one goal, that being the total destruction of the West. Our response can be nothing short of delivering the death that they so feverishly work for ;)

Isn't this exactly what Arafat turned down?

ECONOMY MODEL; REQUIRES ONLY 3 STEPS.
I begin sharing by my perspective via the simple questions: why does Anwar Sadat lie moldering in the grave? Why did the bus bombings of innocent commuters (the mothers and babies everyone only seems to want to ask Israel about in terms of accountability) start and then intensify in the 1980s? Why did more casualties in the so-called first infatada result from Palestinian-on-Palestinian violence (and the cover of Newsweek about 5 years ago show a dead Palestine dragged by others through Bethlehem)? Why do, first, street bombings (including, say, families gathered around the Passover cedar table) and more recently, rocket attacks seem to intensify during peace overtures -- resulting each time in a "lets call the whole thing off" collapse? (Forget for a moment mass Islamic-on-Islamic barbarism in masques and markets, and Hindu/Islamic violence in India; I'm sure these would all vanish if the “Palestinian problem” were solved…NOT!)
Is the answer to these; because Israel is not serious about peace? Or is it rather that because peace, however improbable, was at those times almost within reach -- or at least being reached for?
The questions beg the answer obviously, but no one seems to notice. Yet, nobody in a responsible position anywhere is benefiting from this “mother of all” vicious cycles (reminiscent, albeit far more tragically, of the film, Groundhog Day, in which the same character is forced to re-live the same day over and over until important lessons of life and loving are learned).
SO: I have a simpler and therefore more practical “three” step solution.
• Lets let the parties go through the next round of whatever it is they go through; achieving whatever they can, for now;
• But then: lets please have a formal consensus of the world actually matching it's peace loving rhetoric; one that holds: the process itself is hereby deemed essential to world peace and stability. Simple?
• THEN; whatever faction (or proxy; it's not even necessary to name the puppeteers here) disrupts the process -- for partisan objectives or religious dogma -- by spontaneous violent acts thereafter (and we have our own possible perpetrators here too: e.g., why does Rabin lie moldering in the grave?); let that actor then and immediately be designated officially as Enemy Of The World, for they are exactly that, and be dealt with accordingly.
An Immediate, aggressive, unified response would be best -- and maybe even attainable under this framework, but: even the clear label once and for all may prove almost as efficacious: finally; clarity, purpose, isolation and possible containment of the contagion that infects the world.
Plus you save the cost of 6 full steps during a possible recession.

6. After securing a stable and permanent cease-fire, an intensive round of negotiation will be opened to conclude a peace treaty based on four central principles:
A. Israel has to agree to withdraw from all the occupied West Bank lands and dismantle most of the Jewish settlements there, while guaranteeing its security needs.
B. A Palestinian State will be declared and recognized by the UN. The Palestinian State will be fully demilitarized.
D. Israel within its 1948 recognized borders will not accept Palestinian refugees.
-----
A. Why Isreal should not give back all the occupied territories?
b. u mean Pelestinans should always be under the Israel
D. Jews all over the world has the right to live in that Area,,,but only Palestinans have no right to live in their own land... Wow, wht ideas you have. nothing but hypocracy

On the murder of the Jewish religious students: It is not correct that Hamas took credit...There were some in Gaza that displayed support for the act according to press accounts. Hamas did not take credit for the attack . A goup supporting Hezbolah stated it was a revenge act for the killing of Iman in Damascus last month. More reports of Isareli planes flyingover Beirut and there are US warships off Lebanon's coast...if Isarel takes on Hezbollah without an agreement tacist or otherwise then they will need another Winograd investigation next year...Israel needs to encourage a unity government in Palestine and/or make its own agreement with Hamas if Abbas remains an obstacle to intra Palestine unity

It's such a shame... terrorist killed people in Jewish seminary in Jerusalem, innocent people, religious, not armed... Hamas took responsibility... I sure that other organization or nation wouldn't kill other people while they pray... Israeli also killing innocent people in Gaza, but the only reason is that Hamas using them as a shield. They are using kids and woman to hide behind...
Golda Meir once told: “We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us”.

Point one is a total non-starter and Israeli propaganda. We're now seeing yet another round of vengeance killings that will ultimately result in the abandonment of Israel by residents who don't want to live in a perpetual state of war.

Los Angeles and Europe beckon. This conflict promises only death and destruction, forever.

SOLUTION: LEVERAGE WATER FOR PEACE

Hey Yoshi, have you ever wondered what it's like to own land with NO WATER?!?

One could only imagine what it's like to pay for water as a Palestinian.

Pray, do tell about the current state of Israel's aquifers?

And do tell about the powers behind desalinization projects and the 10 Billion dollar endeavor to bring water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea.

Here's a SOLUTION: LEVERAGE WATER FOR PEACE. Using available wastewater remediation technology, employ brave Israelis and Palestinian to build a wastewater remediation/purification facility TOGETHER, sharing in the labor and the rewards. There's some pragmatic and common ground for you.

Ibrihaim,
(sp) Read Innocents Abroad - Twain did indeed write this. Also, review Churchill and Marx's early articles, they both make the same claims.

Good ideas, but you do not know your enemy to better defeat her or him. The Arab/Muslim world has been humbled by tiny Israel, and this one fact keeps the kettle boiling. That is, they are using their brethren as cannon fodder to avenge their honor.

The only solution is to pay economic compensation, and expel all Arabs from Israel, and this includes Gaza and the West Bank. If this is declined, demand compensation be paid to the Jews exiled from Arab land. Afterward, militarily drive the Arabs from the land, and continue building the wall, along with rocket defense capabilities.

Know your friends well, keep them close, know your enemies better to destroy them.

Rashid
You corrected my posit that the present day Palestinians are the descendents of the Caananites and Philistines by saying.
“Mafouz- you are partly correct- some of the Palestinians are descended from the minority of those Cannanites and Phillistines who did not assimilate into the Israelite population after the Israelite conquest. The others are descended from the unrelated Arab invaders.”

When Omar I entered Jerusalem the whole population of Palestine were Christians. Those are the descendents of the Canaanites and Philistines with few Greeks. This population remained predominantly Christian till the 14th Century when the Egyptian Sultan Baybrus as a “retaliation” against the Crusaders carried out a campaign of “religious cleansing” against the Christians of Greater Syria, as if the natives had anything to do with those wars. No doubt there are some Arab blood in the present population, especially among the inhabitants of the towns around Jerusalem( Bethlehem, Ramallah Beir Zeit, etc. )who moved in from Yemen in the 15th Century, but there is at least that much Jewish blood, not to mention European from the Crusaders who settled there. The whole family of Barghouthi are decedents of French Crusaders. You only have to compare the features of the Palestinians with the Gulf peoples as well as their cultures; folklore , food, music, rural women garments etc. to gauge the difference. The Israelis know the above very well , but do not publicize it because it does not serve their purpose.

QUINN,

The information that I have to share is multifarious. Firstly, the Vanity Fair article that has been referred to by so many bloggers on this site, reprinted in Tikkun, a Jewish magazine that tries to knock some sense into Israeli foreignpolicy makers' heads so that tragedies like the loss of eight innocent Jewish lives (but also more than 50 inocent Palestinian lives) don't happen. But there are barabrians out there who prefer to listen to Condoleeza Rice and/or post hate literature on WAPO PostGlobal Forum rather than listen to the voice of reason.

But, yes, I have MORE information to share. Check out http://files.tikkun.org/current/article.php?story=20080305212552907

and

http://files.tikkun.org/current/article.php?story=20080304090911823

If you need even more info, revert to me.

why do jews always wants others to pick up the tap?

Mafouz- you are partly correct- some of the Palestinians are descended from the minority of those Cannanites and Phillistines who did not assimilate into the Israelite population after the Israelite conquest. The others are descended from the unrelated Arab invaders.

Was there peace before 1967 when the Israelis were NOT occupying the West Bank, Gaza or East Jerusalem? We all know there wasn't. So why do so many say the occupation is the root cause of the problem?

Mr. Malleck : Is not a Hudna a form of truce offered by a Muslim to a non-Muslim, which can be breached by the Muslim, at any time desired, and without any reason ? I also don't know why these lives were lost because of Israeli barbarity, instead of being lost because of Arab barbarity. Do you have some information to share ?

MELMAN,

I have been wanting to post what follows for the last 16 hours at least, but I decided not to because I think that warmongers are too stupid to be given good advice.

But, now that eight innocent Jewish youths have lost their lives because more than 50 innocent Palestinian civilians have lost their lives in the past few days because of the Israeli Government's barbarity, here are the nine steps:

(1) Talk to Hamas. You should have accpted the Hudna in the first place.

(2) Talk to Hamas.

(3) Talk to Hamas.

(4) Talk to Hmas.

(5) Talk to Hamas.

(6) Talk to Hamas.

(7) Talk to Hamas.

(8) Talk to Hmas before other innocent and not-so-innocent Jewish lives are lost because of blind retaliation for 20 times more innocent and not-so-innocent Palestinianlives are lost in blind 'might-is-right' barbaric warfare.

(9) Talk to Hamas and reciprocate their sincere wish for peace and dignity for all peoples of the Middle East.

Devlin: You are exactly correct.

There is a simpler way that the whole world would applaud.

Evacuate Israel now. By any means necessary.
With no right of return. Equal justice.

Palestine for the Palestinians.

You are a fool if you think that the Arabs under the PA will stop their attacks on Israel if they gain control of Gaza. They don't care what we or the west wants...they are the same as Hamas except that they hide behind masks so all the fingers would point at Hamas rather than them, which makes them even more dangerous than Hamas in the long run. You think your so wise, telling people "I told you so"...wait till the PA has its own state, then remember this comment because i'll be thinking "I told you so"

This plan is virtual and never will be implemented for 1 simple reason: one side don't want peace, while other want peace but can't do it without other side.

I am not trying to find who was first on that land (as most of you did) because it’s pointless. History could be interpreted differently depends who doing analysis.
In current history it is important to remember that UN offered country to Jewish and to Palestinians in 1947, but Israelis accepted it while Palestinians opened the war.

Let’s see what is happening currently; what the intensions of the represented sides are?
Arabs want that Israel will just disappear, but for a meanwhile they can't do that and that the reason that they divided to who want to do it in long way (some kind of temporary peace agreement with further terror activity but with establish Palestinian country - Fattah) and short way (just war - Hamas). Don't forget that Fattah also have long history of terror attacks in the world and not always Israel was the reason for that.

When somebody killed in Israel all Arabs are celebrating that fact. Did you hear once that Israeli people were happy when civilians have died in Palestine? The answer is NO...
Israel is just one of front lines in worldwide war... If Israel will disappear, we will get more terror attacks in North America and Europe. The same reason is why USA so involved with Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, etc... I sure that there is oil and money involved in Iraq war, but for Afghanistan there is no reason for USA and Europe to be involved except keeping terror away from USA and Europe. There is simple fact that all current terrorists came from Muslim countries. I don't know why it's happening, but its fact and we need to face it. Can you imagine that Jewish will go to some Muslim country and will blow himself in the crowd? I don't think so...

I sure that there is bad and good people in each nation; the question is how their anger is realized in actions and what government doing against it... I know that in Israel there are criminals that killed Palestinian civilians because of hate, but they were found and placed in the jail. In other side when Palestinian will kill Israeli civilian, he will be honored by others.

I hope I made my point...

A. Israel has to agree to withdraw from all the occupied West Bank lands and dismantle most of the Jewish settlements there.....

Why MOST not all Jewish settlements if Israel is returnig to it's 1948 borders?

Isreal was created by the British, et al after WWII. Yes, the land was effective stolen - so was the US from the Native Americans; so was many other lands over the course of time.

There is no way Isreal will just disappear, move on, etc. Would/Should the US do the same? I think not.

Here's the rub - Isreal won't/can't give the land back; Palenstine needs a place to 'be' - they want Isreal, but can't have it.

So, Isreal can pull back to some arbitrary border that everyone can agree upon, Palestine could be created with more land than it currently has - if Isreal really wants peace, then it will give up what it needs to to have that. Conversely, if Palestine really wants peace, than it will have to acknowledge Isreal as most of the world does.

In my mind, this is just another religious war, based on (frankly) fiction, that both parties BELIEVE they are the true people of the area. I've got news for them - neither of them are correct, and eventually, this mess will go away, one way or the other. 60 years from now, will we be having this same conversation? Or will someone have 'won'? Or will a reasonable compromise be reached? Or will both Isreal and Palestine cease to exist?

Also, if an agreement is reached, whose to say that 10 years later, one or the other will start the fighting all over again?

If we were to only think of the future, not the past, would we all be better off, at least for the time being?

The people of Palestine have suffered more than anyone in this fight, and part of the problem is that the US, and it's citizens,(including myself via taxes), support Isreal with technology, money, and influence. Not only is it not fair in the purest sense of the word, but it makes very little foreign policy sense.

Melman is saying in effect: If I had some eggs, I could have ham and eggs, if I had some ham. This is better than one of his colleague David Landau at the left wing Haaretz who wants the US to "rape Israel" to obtain peace.
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=55&x_article=1416

Why, again, does Israel have a "right to exist" in its current form?

Anyone?

Re:; Living In the Real World

To my statement
"The Palestinians who were evicted from their homes in 1948 are the Arabised
descendents of the Canaanites and Philistines."
You ask
“What the heck does "Arabised" mean? Does it mean creating a false link between the Philistines and the Arabs who invaded and conquered the region 3,000 years later?”

It means the Canaanites and Philistines adopted the Arab language and many, not all, also adopted the religion of the conquering Arabs, who set a civil service and moved on to North Africa and Spain. The mere question about the meaning of such a term reveals profound ignorance.

You comment:
“Really? I guess that the archeological evidence showing the existence of communities consistent with Jewish traditions, including remnants of two temples, was only a "wandering in””.

1.5 Millennium in the history of races is a “wandering in”. Besides when the Hebrews where building their temples, the Philistines and Canaanites were there and stayed there 2000 more years after the Hebrews had left and up until the Haganah gangs evicted them in 1948.

THIS is a last straw.

There is a simplier way that the whole world would applaud.

Evacuate Israel now. By any means necessary.
With no right of return. Equal justice.

Let's see, the Jews kicked the Palestinians out of their centuries old homeland.
And they can't go back.

The rest of the 'rich' world must pay them for the Israeli's actions.

The occupied Palestinians protest bombs in Israel are war crimes...but the occupation, incursions, bombings and murder of innocents are NOT by Israel are not war crimes.

There's more, this is ridiculous enugh.

Surely this is a joke.

The WORLD HAS TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT???? Is Melman insane, being funny, or he thinks we're stupid
My God!

It's Israel and it's grinding genocide the world detests. Neither Europeans nor Asians think Hamas is a terrorist organization. It isn't. And it's duely elected.

No one thinks Israel wants peace. Israel wants Palestine...(to begin with).

This column is a major insult. And will be read as such.

Re:; Living In the Real World

To my statement
"The Palestinians who were evicted from their homes in 1948 are the Arabised
descendents of the Canaanites and Philistines."
You ask
“What the heck does "Arabised" mean? Does it mean creating a false link between the Philistines and the Arabs who invaded and conquered the region 3,000 years later?”

It means the Canaanites and Philistines adopted the Arab language and many, not all, also adopted the religion of the conquering Arabs, who set a civil service and moved on to North Africa and Spain. The mere question about the meaning of such a term reveals profound ignorance.

You comment:
“Really? I guess that the archeological evidence showing the existence of communities consistent with Jewish traditions, including remnants of two temples, was only a "wandering in””.

1.5 Millennium in the history of races is a “wandering in”. Besides when the Hebrews where building their temples, the Philistines and Canaanites were there and stayed there 2000 more years after the Hebrews left and up until the Haganah gangs evicted them in 1948

Re Ibrahim Mahfouz (March 6, 2008 9:35 AM):

While attempting to rebut an earlier comment, your reply shows that you have swallowed hook, line, and sinker, your own community's myths and propaganda:

"The Palestinians who were evicted from their homes in 1948 are the Arabised descendents of the Canaanites and Philistines."
What the heck does "Arabised" mean? Does it mean creating a false link between the Philistines and the Arabs who invaded and conquered the region 3,000 years later?

"Those people were living there long before a certain Hebrew tribe wandered in from Egypt, during the time that tribe lived in that area, and after that tribe wandered back out again. The Palestinians were a permanent fixture of that region. It is the Hebrews who were mere transients. Any casual student of Ancient History knows this and that is why such claim is very insulting."

Really? I guess that the archelogical evidence showing the existance of communities consistent with Jewish traditions, including remnants of two temples, was only a "wandering in". And the eviction of the Jewish population by the Romans in year 70 was only a "wandering out". You not only show a profound ignorance of ancient history, it YOUR claims that are insulting to those who died at the hands of the Romans as well as to anyone who has studied ancient history.

on 6(b), I guess it depends on how "permanent" and "stable" the cease-fire be, but I just cannot believe Palenstines will accept their state to be "demilitarlized", without the threat from Israel's nuclear bombs, tanks, and bombers removed or neutralized. Telling Palestines to give up their hand-held rocket launchers while holding on to Israeli's nuclear arsenal seems to me so one-sided, like US with 1000s of nuclear bombs telling other countries that they can't have them, or telling "Indians" defending their lands with their tomahawks to give these up while being chased around by white men with their rifles. Palestine may think that the minute the Palestine put away their weapons, their "state" may be absorbed into Israel no matter what UN says. As long as there exist perceptions for this kind of threat, Palenstine will not agree to be demilitarlized.

What a 9 point fraud.

You forgot to say that USA must be officially declared as Israeli occupied territory!

Of the 9 points proposed by Yossi Melman, the ones that stand out are ".2 If the Arab world, especially Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, really care about the fate of the Palestinians, they must stop their financial, military and political support for Hamas. The moment Hamas loses its constant supply of weapons and money from the above-mentioned states, it will cease to control Gaza.3. Gaza would return to its original rulers: the Palestinian Authority, led by Mohammad Abbas (Abu Mazen).4. The rocket shelling of Israeli towns (which is a war crime) would come to an end. 5. In return, Israel must stop all its military operations in Gaza and the West Bank." But the military operations must follow a political agreement. The problem is political, not military, otherwise there would be full-scale warfare. There is not, however, just a low-grade guerrilla war. Tragic and painful as that kind of unconventional violence is, it will not stop without some kind of political agreement to stop it between Israel and Hamas. Like it or not, Israel has to engage Hamas in political dialogue. But first, the United States has to engage Israel's supporters abroad, the financiers and generals of the Israeli military policy, and also engage the same like supporters abroad of the Palestinians. That is a first must step. Talking only to the Israelis in Israel and the Palestinians in the occupied territories and trying to get them to the negotiating table is a recipe for failure. The international stakeholders in the conflict, the diasporas on both sides, have to be brought to a separate table and when there is binding agreement among them, then the U.S. will have the pressure to bring the Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate an end to the conflict. Start outside the region, negotiate there, in Argentina, Russia, Europe, North Africa, etc., get an agreement among the diasporas of Palestinians and Israelis abroad. Then go to Israel and the occupied territories to dialogue with the leaders there. Presently, the Bush administration is seeking a peaceful resolution of the Middle East Conflict by working backwards to a solution, a policy that has not worked for previous U.S. administrations, and it will never work for this one or the next administration, which we pray is Barack Obama's.

A number of myths were spawned and circulated by the Zionists and their friends to justify the horrendous massive crime of displacing the inhabitants of a whole region; Palestine. The worst being that Palestine is “a land with no people” as the two statements below imply.

”The "Palestinians" were fabricated by Arabs.“

“Mark Twain does not mention seeing a single "Palestinian" during his holy land trip in 1867.”

The Palestinians who were evicted from their homes in 1948 are the Arabised descendents of the Canaanites and Philistines. Those people were living there long before a certain Hebrew tribe wandered in from Egypt, during the time that tribe lived in that area, and after that tribe wandered back out again. The Palestinians were a permanent fixture of that region. It is the Hebrews who were mere transients. Any casual student of Ancient History knows this and that is why such claim is very insulting.

Yossi,
In reading your comments, it seem you want to keep the hate, but some how live in peace. if you think out of the box a bit, you may notice that your vision is not far from the narrow minded leaders mentioned. The concept of "Israel" is out of date. As long as one hangs on to this notion, the wars will continue.

Take the land represented by Israel, and the Palestinian territories, create a new state where everyone is an equal citizen, and safety and life of all humans is valued and protected equally. It is not a radical idea, if you can create the state of Israel, you can create this new state also. If you need examples of such societies, visit your friends in the United States of America.

Embrace peace unconditionally and you will find the salvation you are looking for. Maybe this will be a good research area for you next book. Look forward to reading it.

Compensation for Arab refugees from 1948, absolutely. What about the 900,000 Jews who were ejected from their ancestral homes by the Arab countries? (These Jewish refugees from the Arab countries now make up the largest plraliity in Israel)

I agree with a lot of what Mr. Melman said, but really, he neither was nor is the voice in the wilderness when it comes to predicting Mideast Peace failure. I also agree with a lot of his 9 Point Plan, but again what's new, but some points are disturbing. Point 6A and D Israel withdraw from the West Bank - does that include Jerusalem? Why? What rule of international law or any reason for giving up adjacent lands that were taken "legitimately" as part of the operations of war. Did Germany give back Alsace-Lorraine to the French after the Franco-Prussian War? Did France give it back after WWI or WWII? Is it necessary to establish peace? The 1948 partition favored the Palestinians/Arabs. Israel accepted those borders so that the state could be established, it didn't have much say about it. The Palestinians/Arabs did not accept the UN Resolution and went to war over it. Why should Israel accept those lines on a map as Israel's boundaries? Point 7 -get serious! Come out of the dream world. Only the US and Israel have put money into aiding, not compensating, the Palestinians. The other Arab states in the region only give "lip service" to their Moslem brethern. They only give money and aid to the terrorists. They don't want the Palestinians, they are of a different tribe or sect of Islam, so why start trouble in your country when you can rile them up against Israel. The rest of the world basically wants to stay neutral because they are very dependent on the oil and the trade that the oil dollars bring. After all, that is the main reason no UN resolution in the Mideast works and why we basically went in to Iraq alone to enforce UN resolutions that most of the rest of the world wanted to ignore. Finally, Point 9 - under no circumstances can you ever expect the US to cut off relations with the Saudi's, Egyptians, Palestinians, and especially not Israel. How can the US cut off relations with Hamas and Hezbollah? We don't have relations with them to begin with! And if you believe that UN sanctions will be enforced by anyone other than the US or Israel, then you truly are living in a fantasy, a dream. Mr. Melman started his writing on the right track of reality, but quickly derailed himself into his own realm of the extremely improbable.

..Per capita Arabs alltogether have 7 times more land and 22 times more"states" than Israelis and they do not need more, nor do they deserve more, since they use the lands they are on to attack their neighbours, and they will never lack reasons to "justify" their deeds...

There's no going back, there's no arguing either. there is only one solution it is a demilitarized single state no more reasons to 'justify' their deeds to attack their neighbours.

The fraud begins with semantics: The "Palestinians" were fabricated by Arabs in order to divert attention from vast lands arabs occupy (by force of arms or as gifts from Britain after WW1). It looks a lot more appealing to have a small "palestinian" people against mighty(!) Israel, rather than a small Israel against 300 million arabs. Mark Twain does not mention seeing a single "Palestinian" during his holyland trip in 1867.The "Palestinians" were created to be a thorn on Israel's side by other Arabs,and uninformed Westerners and some gullible Israelis fall into the trap,thinking it is all about land,borders,independence.Per capita Arabs alltogether have 7 times more land and 22 times more"states" than Israelis and they do not need more, nor do they deserve more, since they use the lands they are on to attack their neighbours, and they will never lack reasons to "justify" their deeds.

Yossi
Try to put your joke, sorry..."plan", on a flag pole at the UN General Assembly and see who will salute it.....if the UNGA accepts it with a single round of voting by a 2/3 majority, then it is worth thinking about and if not, Israel ought to be dissolved and we go back to 1946 or before.....how is that for a plan? You all call yourselves "democratic", no? Prepare to live by the vote of the majority in the world.

I also like the comments of DOUBLE-D DUMB. Very true!

Why should everybody give Israel anything and every thing they want? Why should not Israel pay for the land they stole from Palestine. The claim that it is Israel's Biblical home land is a fraud, because the Bible showed other nations lived there before they did. If they believe Yahweh gave it them, they should also know Yahweh said he would remove them because of their unfaithfulness, their love of money and they requested that Pilate have Jesus Christ put to death. Prophecy says that their will be no peace in the Middle East or any where else on earth until after the the great Day of God the Almighty destroys the current Fraud called Israel.

This notion conveyed often by the Israelis and their "friends" that the world owes them a living always baffles me. It seems that they truly believe they are "Gods chosen people". It is a case of someone lying and then believing his lie. Why they ask the Arabs along with others to compensate the Palestinian refugees, and no mention of the Israelis? After all isn’t they who sold their properties in Europe and America and settled on the lands of those who are rotting in refugee camps? Shouldn’t they be the ones to pay for the property that they are using?

How about a sincere appology from the Israeli nation to the Palestinian nation for the suffering they have caused them since 1948 Nakba and up to now ?
Such an acknowledgement of guilt together with a major Israeli payment in the form of compensation to the Palestinian sufferers would also be fair and correct.No point passing the compensation to other nations ,its your doing utlimately.
Also you left out Jerusalem , East Jerusalem will be the capital of the Palestinian state.We can share the religious aspects of Jerusalem.
Your network of Jews only highways criss crossing the west bank,the checkpoints ,the control of water ,power, curfews , Imports ,exports ,freedom to travel in and out ,would all have to be reviewed and to a large extent reversed in favour of the Palestinians.

Otherwise I have a one step solution for you:

1- Keep all the land with all its people and treat them all as equal human beings under a single democratic nation.

Absurd.........This is a typically Israeli thing....especially point 7 in this plan.

The Israelis took the property of Palestinians but the world has to compensate the Palestinians! Since when a thief can get away with the loot?

He forgets that the compensation that the Palestinians want is their land, not money for it. Hence the dispute!

Another racist piece of one-sided story by yet another Israeli that has not realised that the whole idea of Israel as an independent country with its policies of militarist, occupation and .... has not worked! For all 60 years of Israel's existance.

IS it not time for Plan B? Is it not time to realise that the Israelis (and the Palestinians) are not mature enough to sit around a table and cut an EQUITABLE deal?

For how long is the world going to sit and watch this farce? Israel and its treatment of the Palestinians is the root of all Al Qaeda and Taliban violence.

YM"The world has to acknowledge and declare unequivocally that Hamas is a group of Muslim fundamentalists and terrorists, sponsored by Iran. They hate Israel and don't recognize our right to exist, not to mention the right for self-determination. They hate the U.S. and the West and see them as the source of all evil on earth. They are an anti-democratic movement seeking to establish a theocracy. They toppled the legitimate government of the Palestinian Authority in a military coup."

I disagree. Norway, Russia, Italy and even France have had direct and back channel relationships with them. IF the British had occupied Palestine for 40 fricking years the late PM Begin and his Irgun would have been behaving just like Hamas... so Isarel should get off its high horse about Hamas...there were realists and moderates in Hamas ...although some would say there are not as many Hamas realist/moderates as previously because Israel has tried to kill the moderates off!...as it is in Israel's interest to have extremists in power ... then Israel can throw up its hands to the world and say "we want peace but we have no partners!!!" ...when they won the election Isarel and US should have worked with them..instead Israel, US with help from Dahlan and others did everything it could to push their buttons ...yes they are crazed with anger...you would be fricking crazed too if you were kicked around by Egyptians and then subjected to living and raising kids for 40 year under occupation that has led to an entire corruption of their society !...

Your point 5, you forgot to mention to give the Palestinians control over THEIR natural gas field off of Gaza coast...

Your point 4... yes Hamas is committing war crimes but SO is this latest report for how Barak wants to proceed:

"Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he wants to evacuate Palestinian neighborhoods in the northern Gaza Strip where militants are launching rockets at southern Israel, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported March 5, citing Israel Channel 2 television. Barak has contacted advisers to determine the legality of such a move, saying the plan would involve forcing “thousands” of Palestinians to move further south. Israel Channel 2 said Barak might carry out the plan by distributing leaflets warning residents to move and warning that neighborhoods where rockets are launched will be shelled."

This latest crisis is due to Abbas who is weak and ineffective not even trying to end inta-Palestinian conflict....and I blame him more than anyone else for Marwan sitting in prison....that is exactly where he wants him...

Barak's blockade and now ANOTHER expulsion!!!!...this this the FACE of the Israel Labour Party!!! THIS IS TOTAL CORRUPTION THAT IS WHAT THIS OCCUPATION HAS DONE TO ISRAEL

Given the disparity between deaths in the two areas- Israel and Palestine- caused by the other, I see little reason to equate the two as causes of problems.

In any case, the 'solution' here is no solution at all, anymore than saying the way to get a boulder up a hill is to roll it up. Technically, okay, may be true, but how the hell do you do it?

Further, demiliterized Palestine? That's both arrogant and ignorant. You DO remember what happened after 'demiliterizing' Germany 1918... right?

It is the mentality of Mr. Melhman and his fellow Jewish journalist that cannot see the true picture of the real situation. Mr. Melhman, I could have told you the same, no matter how many summits, conferences etc., nothing will come out of them because Israel has managed to become one of the most powerful military forces on earth. I am sure you are laughing, however, ask all the countries in the ME and those bordering the Mediterranean to tell you how many air space violations are committed by Israel every day, and none, can do anything about it. If a plane crosses Israeli air space, it is shot down. If an Israeli plane crosses another nation's air space, it is a mistake and God forbid if such nation replies in kind. Mr. Melhman, I am convinced that as long as America, which is ruled by its Jewish American citizens, continues to provide all funds necessary to carry this 60 years war, it will continue. Forget about your nine points. One point is necessary. Israel honors its 1948 map as drawn by the UN and adequade compensation is paid to those who lost their land. Israel can afford to pay for this compensation.

Chasemonster's ONE Step To Peace:

1: Disarm Israel

Zionism = Nazism = perception that you are better than an other a weaker race "God's chosen people". History says racist ideologies will die.
Apartheid israel is portrayed in the "US free media" in a rosie picture by a zionist propaganda machine that controls the media, therefore americans have no idea about the ethnic cleansing commited a gainst the palestinians for over 50 years.

To have peace in Middle East only one of theses 2 steps will do

1- Move Isreal to South or North Dekota.-very few people live their and theses states are in need of more people.

2- Have Palestine-isreal as one state for all with equal rights.

Thank you for your thoughtful article that is a good, concise assessment of the Israeli left's position. It is good that you participate in the Post's blogs. An American's response:

1. Hamas won the election. Abu Mazen is the usurper. Like Quisling.

2. Arab leaders know that their people insist on support for the Palestinians. You can't ask them to do what would eventually get them overthrown.

3. See point 1.

4. Israel blockades Gaza and assasinates Hamas' leaders and the Gazans fight back. What do you expect?

5. Talk it over with the elected government of the Palestians (see point 1.) My take on Israeli politics is that bombing and strafing Palestinians is quite popular.

6. The very point you decried earlier. Sounds like Annapolis all over again. The Arabs have no reason to accept your B) C) and D). If they do, what are you going to give in return? Jerusalem? Point A)is the demand of the whole world. Not MOST of the settlements. ALL of them have to go. By settling Russian immigrants on occupied lands. Israel has forfeited its right to exist.

7) (int'l fund) It's cheaper to let the Israelis and Arabs fight it out. ISRAEL should make Hamas an offer. It's not our battle. Maybe Germany could give up, say, Bavaria for a Jewish homeland. That would be a solution we might be willing to help finance.

8) (Int'l force) Not enough countries are willing to send their sons to die for Israel. Why do you think Hezbollah continues to operate with impunity in Lebanon in spite of an "International Force".

9 (U.S. 'ultimate power'). I am an American taxpayer who sees his retirement funds going up in smoke over Baghdad and Kandahar in wars his children will have to pay for. Frankly, I'm disgusted by Kosovars and Israelis waving American flags and refusing to talk to their neighbors. When George Bush invaded Iraq, he destroyed the possibility for a two state solution in Palestine. If George is for it, it is probably an idea whose time has come and gone.

Is the number "nine" a code that Melman uses to send messages to his sponsors in the US? It could have been "1", "2" or any number. Anyone can come up with a better (or more absurd) plan using any number of steps. Just fill in the first couple of steps followed by "develop trust between parties" and the rest can just be "to be provided". The only requirement is that the word Israel does not appear under the term "responsible party".
"Some settlements"? - "some" of the legal ones? or "some" of the illegal ones? or "some" of the new expansions to the legal ones? to the illegal ones?
Until BOTH parties REALLY want to HAVE peace (I'm sure they both WANT peace), a plan with any number of steps would be a waste of time. But a puppet like Abbas will do anything to please his two masters: Israel and US.

"Simple, isn't it?"

No... at first sight laughable... yet sad.

Upon reflexion, pitiful, really: simplistically one-sided, arrogant and therefore insulting.

Your typical used car salesman's pitch.

Nothing to do: the guy believes, wrongly, "there's a sucker born every minute"!

Problem is, as with all such: it does not sell... except to the unfortunate people who know nothing about cars.

Lack of accountability; hence, no credibility.

You broke it, man, you fix it at your own expense!

That is the least you can do.

It does not even require a heart, let alone a soul, to do it.

Sounds like a good plan. It's about time we stopped listening to extremists on both sides trying to prevent us from doing what's right.

How completely wrong you are!

1. Very obviousely Israel alone is responsible. Israel started building illegal settlements 40 years ago in blattant violation of the Geneva Convention, the Human Rights Convention, the Balfour Declaration and since the of countless UN resolutions. How come you blame the Palestinian people who see theyr land stolen every day and even during(!!) the Annapolis conference.

2. Obviousely the Palestinians act in self defence and the rocket attacks are in consequence perfectly legal. Each of these criminal, facist, racist settlers merits a rocket on his head.

3. Therefore, the first step to peace is the UNCONDITIONAL return of all settlers behind the israeli border.

4. Only then, when this decade long israeli state terrorism has ended, can meaningfull peace talks begin. For all the remaining problems a solution can be found.

Israel and the US will have to admitt that they sinned grotesquely over a period of over 40 years. It will be hard, but inevitable. The world will judge them!

5. Israel draws its legitimacy from the UN alone and NOT from the bible. Amen.

Question: Did Hamas, Hizboullah, al Quaida or even Islamism - all these so called 'terrorists'exist in 67 when israel started unilaterally to build criminal,racist, facist settlements in the occupied territories?? Answer: NO!! They are simply perfectly legal (and logical) self defence organizations in response to Israels erery-day state terrorism.

(And of course the US has to understand one dy that 9/11 was very obviousely SELF INFLICTED and that in consequence the war in Irak is the most perverse war the world has seen .... etc, etc.).

I agree with the author of this logical and thoughtful article with one exception. Israel must abandon ALL settlements in the occupied territory. To do anything else would ensure continuing violence into the next century.

Yossi Melman's plan sounds all too reasonable however I would suggest an emendation, that in addition to the fund to compenstate Palestinian Arab and Christian refugees, that similar consideration be given to the 600,000 Jewish refugees expelled from Arab lands between 1948 and 1967 as well.

Y. Melman's nine point plan like the peace strategems running into the thousands is a good try . The most critical part is a long shot . Does he really think that Saudi Arabia which funds terrorist breeding madrassas ( religious schools ) in Pakistan and the Muslim Brotherhood ( parent of Hamas ) which incites anti western hatred and Jihad violence - will act against Hamas ? It is impossible to sweep under the rug the
Saudi Wahaabi Islamist ideology which forbids peace with the Infidel especially the Infidel occupying Islamic lands.

Peace in Palestine...

The old fashion way!

It's very possible that Israel will cease to exist in the future. The Jews have already been ejected from their homeland 3 times previously in history- by the Assyrians, Babylonians and the Romans. Unfortunately if it happens again it will also mean the destruction of Teheran, Damascus, Beruit and Mecca.

If Palestine must become a "fully demilitarized" state, then so must Israel. And the US. And England, Russia, China, and every other nation in the world. That point is laughable.

Also, why must Palestine acknowledge Israel's right to exist? Israel has been systematically trying to wipe Palestine from the maps for decades; perhaps they should first acknowledge PALESTINE'S right to exist.

Interestingly, Israel is not listed as one of the countries responsible for compensating Palestinian refugees, although it is directly responsible for creating those refugees. Mr. Melman's bias is shining bright and clear. I do agree, though, that the US should be counted in that number; let's take the millions of dollars in aid given to Israel every year and instead give it to Palestinian refugees.

Why on earth would the Arab Countries agree to settle some of the palistenian refugees? In Lebanon we have had enough trouble from them. So keep the ones you already have and make sure you take the ones still in Lebanon back into where ever they came from. Otherwise, you are just pushing the problem from one side of the border to the other.

Like Martin Luther King i want to say "I have a drean". What if all the nations in the U.N decide to create the Big Temple in Jerusalem so it can contain a place for most of the Major religions in the World. Jerusalem can become a place where everybody can find a place of worship to his God and can become the centre of studies on religions , humanity, ecology, and of voluntary organisations who contribute to spreading the respect to each other, the respect to all living creatures and to Earth, The Big Temple will be constructed by donnations given by all governments and pall private organisations who wish to do it. It will conttribute to oblige the Israelis and palestinians ro make peace. Such Big temple will be controlles by Israel and palestine and controlles by the "Big 8' or whatever the Un will decide and I'm sure in the long run will teach all parties to live together in better harmony and respect for each other and will transform all the region as an example to yhe possibility to make peace and bring hope to all places where wars are still raging that peace is possible as well as cohabitation and living together even if still each party is still not loving the other but yet respect the right of all to live in peace and to share the way to know and learn to know each one's beliefs and respect and honour the differences.

Yossi,

Very good plan however here are some of the pot holes:

Point 6a - all the land while guaranteeing the security needs? Dismantling "most" of the settlements? What do these points mean?

Point 6d - would Palestinians be allowed to settle in the Golan Heights?

And the biggest (and for me the least important) point - what about Jerusalem?

This is a brilliant solution. All states should sign on to this solution and provide the financial
wherewithal to make it possible.

What about helping Palestine become a sustainable economy? Diverting all the water to the Golan Heights doesn't and won't help them grow much food. Palestinians need more than the creation of a state and territory they can call their own. They need land that can actually be lived on. Palestinians will continue to feel hard done by if they end up with a useless wasteland for a country.
I think it will be centuries before either state can let go of the hatred that has built up since the allies kindly deposited the world's traumatised jewish population in what they thought would be a nice home for them.

Here's a thought:
Discontinue all US aid (financial and otherwise) to Israel until their genocide of the Palestinians stops and there is peace for one year. Israel made a mess of things, let them clean it up.

I have had it up-to-here with the Israelis whining about a situation *they have created*.

Americans needs to evaluate this relationship to determine if it's worth making enemies of half the planet for. Frankly, I don't see America's end of the bargain, all we get to do is pay Israeli bills for genocide and repression.

Israel is a friend America can do without.

My community infrastructure is crumbling, my kids' schools are lousy and I can't see sending another dime to Israel until those problems are solved.

Israel, take your tin cup elsewhere, I've given more than enough.

I think the only solution is one democratic country Palestine-Israel with all people having the same rights irrespective of religion or race. Otherwise the violence and counterviolence will never stop. The US has to learn to be humane and just in dealing with this problem. I hope .

You ever wonder why palestinians are forced to recognise israel,but israel is not forced to recognise them.And if you think for one moment that israel wouldnt take all the land if their wasnt an armed resistance you are a blind zionist.There is nothing equal in what you propose,you think it starts with israel getting what they want,then palestinians fight for the scraps,their are enough unprooven statements from the torah to cast serious dought on it being used as a road map.It was a book written by a jew for the jews,the egyptions never recorded any of those so called events,why is that.Yet we allow it to be used as the premice for treating palestinians like dogs,like it is hagar all over again.

Peace is only possible if the people involved truly want peace. At this point Hamas and the Palestinians in Gaza do not want peace. Hamas can only exist with support from the people of Gaza as well as money from the outside. Like alcoholics, Gazanites cannot reject violence and Hamas until they become so saturated with it that they cannot live with it any longer -analogous to what is happening in the "awakening" in Iraq. Until the situation deteriorates to the point where the people's acceptance of violence, like alcoholics, hits bottom there will be no desire for peace from Gaza and hence NO PEACE.
Jim

Look at the comments above. There will NEVER be a solution to this issue and the Middle East will continue to burn until something big enough and bad enough crushes their abilty to fight with one another (not just Israel and the Palestinians, but the populations of the entire region). I've stopped caring....

anticlimacus: "here is my nine step plan"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I agree with your comments. The Zionists wanted to infiltrate Palestine and to displace the locals, which they did. They also infiltrated the US government and made it one of their main goons.

However, the Israelis will never voluntarily engage in any of your proposals. It they did it would mean that they will have to live with people they have been at war with since Abraham kicked Ishmael out into the desert in favor of the kid he had with his half-sister. Plus, the muslims would eventually be in position to take control of Israel's nukes.

Maybe after some future war the world will simply pave over the entire region with concrete.

I think the only solution to peace is one state ,one vote in a multicultural Palestine-Israel with no ethnic or religious group claiming superiority and with equal rights for all irrespective of religion or ethnicity.Otherwise the vicious circle of violence and counter violence will go on till the super powers especially the US discover there is humane behaviour and justice .

Why do the ""rich" nations have to foot the bill when it is the Israelis who forced all these Palestinian people out in the first place and Palestinians who refuse to accept that Israel is here to stay and they are not getting "the old homestead" back. I am not in any way a sypathizer of the terroists who blow up busses and launch rockets into towns and villages, but neither do I believe that my hard earned tax dollars should be used to "compensate" people who could have assimilated as Israeli Arabs or into areas outside "Palestine" long ago. Israelis and Palestinians must see that they have much more to gain by becoming a single nation rather than allowing themselves to continue to be pawns in international games being played by contestants who really couldn't care less about either one.

Jerusalem?

Without Israel perpetually cast as villian, who would Muslims blame for Islamic-inspired terrorist attacks on civilians in over 60 countries worldwide during the past decade?

In order for there to be peace in the Mideast or in any other region dominated by Muslims, there must be a worlwdwide Islamic Reformation, similar to the Reformation experienced in Christianity.

What are the odds of that happening?

The solution to the problem is easy. Israel declares that the west bank and gaza as part of Israel, and everyone in those areas must leave, by force if required. Done. It's simple. No, problem. Why all the talk and discussion? Why take some Palestinian land, when you can take it all!

What should American taxpayers have to pay for thievery committed by the Israelis? Make them pay for their own criminal activities.

Why is there always a double standard attached to this peace process. When you condemn iran of financing and arming hamas , while billions and billions are channeled from america to aid israel of occupying palestine. Yes hamas targets innocent civillians, but to my knowledge the IRA stopped their terrorist aggression once the british government was keen on having a real peace process. Hamas has claimed its ready to recognize israel. They have been asking for a truce for some time. Stop treating hamas as if they werent interested in peace. I suggest you guys to forget about trying to isolate hamas its not gonna happen , because it was voted into office by democracy, and if the palestinians decide to live in a theocracy so be it. its not yours or my right to impose what kind of government palestine should have.

Eliminate Religion from the equation (region) and the problem is solved.

In general a good analysis by Mr. Melman. However, there are four points I would like to share.

1. I do not believe Israel really wants to give up its occupation of West Bank lands, as the Israeli's say in its truly religious extremist ways: "God promised this land to the Jews 3000 years ago!

2. Why is it that each time we come close to some sort of a peace discussion, that the Israeli helicopters and missiles kill Palestinans, and light up the rage of the Palestinians and the Muslim world once again? The excuse of firecracker missiles from Gaza into Israel is hardly a justification for a kill ratio of 400 Palestinians to 1 Israeli in the last few years. The the Israelis say we do not do body counts as a measure of killing. However, when it is convenient for the Israelis to muster sympathy they have no hesitation to count the 6 million dead in the holocaust. There is something wrong with this picture!

3. Why is it that Palestine has to recognize Israel as a pre-condition. Why does not Israel recognize Palestine in terms of Internationally recognized 1948 borders? Ever wonder?

4. Without the Intifada and legitimate resistance by the Palestinian people, we would not be even talking about a Palestinian state today. Therefore, I believe the resistance (within the West Bank and Gaza) against occupation troops and collaborators is necessary till complete withdrawal from Palestinian land is achieved. That is precisely the way liberation is achieved, even by our founding fathers here in America. The French helped us financially and our freedom fighters valiantly fought the British and sent them back to their country. That is called liberation! One may say, well that was 200+ years ago! Oh well, how about Kosovo or the other Baltic states, they would have hardly achieved independence without a liberation fight, and with support from outside -- and that was in the last 10 years.

The Palestinains have been fighting for their liberation for 50 years against a poweful Israel, collaborated by the most powerful nation in the world -- the United States, mainly because Israeli religious extremists and sympathizers influence US foreign policy towards the Muslim World till today. Not until the United States plays a truly fair and balanced game will there ever be peace in the Middle East or in the World!

i agree with most of this except for the part where it says, "Israel within its 1948 recognized borders will not accept Palestinian refugees." Israel is a state that was established by refugees from post-WWII Europe. How can they not understand the feelings of refugees. Just because the founders of Israel were refugees, that does not give them the right to create refugees.

Let's say that (1) and (2), and even (3) occur. Why would shelling stop? It was going on before Hamas existed. And why would Israel stop its military operations? They were ongoing before Hamas, why wouldn't they be ongoing afterwards? As for (6), you must be joking: what sort of a state (other than a bantustan) is "fully demilitarized"? But the most ludicrous point is (9), which assumes that the US administration is an honest broker in this whole sad affair. When has the US ever failed to support the Israeli point of view, even if it means accepting that "self-defense" means 1 dead Israeli for 100 (or more) non-Israelis? When has the US ever failed to block security council resolutions that are critical of Israel?

If you're going to propose a simple step-by-step plan, at least make it vaguely realistic as well as simple.

This is still massively unbalanced and slanted toward israel.

It would seem as an authority, you would see how this one sided plan would still create ill will in the Arab world. This plan is still non-inventive and re-hashes the old issues that will never be settled.

As an American that's been watching this for years, trying to maintain not too "pro west" positions, I think the only this can happen is if Israel produces some massive and long lasting, creative concessions and doesn't get caught up with the Hard core non-recognition issue. That's a border-line religious debate that will never ever be settled.

my personal oppinion is these religious-based conflicts will never be solved without education. there will always be hard liners edging for power (and playing to the impoverished and non-educated)

If israel sets up a system that accepts Palestinian refugees that are forced to enroll in an educational system, then hold diplomatic relations having the Israel-educated palestinians as diplomats...now that would be something HAH

Something beyond the current discussion needs to happen and this article represents the same ancient argument slanted toward the west and Israel which will go nowhere.

Best,
J

In general a good analysis by Mr. Melman. However, there are four points I would like to share.

1. I do not believe Israel really wants to give up its occupation of West Bank lands, as the Israeli's say in its truly religious extremist ways: "God promised this land to the Jews 3000 years ago!

2. Why is it that each time we come close to some sort of a peace discussion, that the Israeli helicopter and missiles kill Palestinans, and light up the rage of the Palestinians Muslim world once again? The excuse of firecracker missiles from Gaza into Israel is hardly a justification for a kill ratio of 400 Palestinians to 1 Israeli in the last few years. The the Israelis say we do not do body counts as a measure of killing or extremism. However, when it is convenient for the Israelis to muster sympathy they have no hesitation to count the 6 million dead in the holocaust. There is something wrong with this picture!

3. Why is it that Paletine has to recognize Israel as a pre-condition. Why does not Israel recognize Palestine in terms of Internationally recognized 1948 borders? Ever wonder?

4. Without the Intifada and legitimate resistance by the Palestinian people, we would not be even talking about a Palestinian state today. Therefore, I believe the resistance (within the West Bank and Gaza) against occupation troops and collaborators is necessary till complete withdrawal from Palestinian lands is achieved. That is precisely the way liberation is achieved, even by our founding fathers here in America. The French helped us financially and our freedom fighters valiantly fought the British and sent them back to their country. That is called liberation! One may say, well that was 200+ years ago! Oh well, how about Kosovo or the other Baltic states, they would have hardly achieved independence without a liberation fight -- and that was in the last 10 years.

The Palestinains have been fighting for their liberation for 50 years agains a poweful Israel collaborated by the most powerful nation in the world -- the United States. Not until the United States plays a truly fair and balanced game will there ever be peace in the Middle East or in the World!

This sounds really good! However; the reality is it is one sided. Nice Recipe only it does not work. I like the fact that all the Israelis blame HAMAS for everything that is wrong. I believe that first and foremost look to yourself from an objective point of view and stop blaming others. 1st remember that Israel continues to kill maim and destroy Palestinians daily innocent civillians. But to it's defense everyone rushes and says it is self defense and they are collateral casualties.

Don't get me wrong HAMAS is not a pure entity in this it has also to shoulder some of the blame. But for the Israelis look for peace and be truly commited with all parties and not the ones who carry favor for you and not their people.

REMEMBER THE PALESTINIANS chose HAMAS in the ONLY DEMOCRATIC ELECTION IN THE ARAB WORLD. SO they represent the Palestinians and Fatah does not.

You don't get to pick and choose your neighbor so try to live with them and stop trying to kill them and force them to accept your terms. NEGOTIATIONS require compromise and not demands.

As Israel is the original aggressor -- who occupies whom? -- not the Gazans etc have to start and Israel has to return something, but it has to go the other way round. Hamas is the elected gouvernement and as such cannot be a terrorist organisation. The Pals are the enemy of Israel and vice versa, this story is true, but who cares? There are so many countries with enemies in the world. We have to stop to see the world with Israels eyes, thats all, and some just solution will emerge immediately. What about equal rights for all? Equal peace, for example equal security for schools and kindergardens, what would be wrong with this? Dont say that Hamas has to start with peace, above... Israel is a princess on a pea!

Mr. melman, I appreciate your analysis but find it curious that element one of your plan eliminates large portions of the reasons for things being the way they are with regard to hamas in gaza. It is true that they are violently opposed to Israel, and for that they should be marginalized. But from our (american perspective) we told them to have elections. In fact, we forced the elections on them when Abbas and the moderate palestinians said they were not ready yet. It was our (and by our I mean our retarded president bush) impatience and lack of foresight that led to their taking political power in the first place. Also, I think you would find the article in the current Vanity Fair interesting - it tells of how Hamas never intended to usurp power through the coup, but did so after plans of an American-backed incursion into gaza to do just that were leaked in the arab press.

Also, shelling Israeli towns is a war crime. But isn't razing the homes of militant's families one too? Wasn't purposefully targeting lebanese civilian infrastructure one too?

My point only is that this is a double edged sword, watching as an unbiased observer. I unconditionally, unquestionably, and enthusiastically support Israel's right to exist. If that question ever existed in the realm of intelligent discussion about the region then it certainly no longer belongs.

I just think that this issue will never be resolved because those who are emotionally and tangibly invested in it (Israelis and Arabs)see two entirely different pictures. Having spoken to people on either side of this issue, its not even a matter of looking at the same thing with a different perspective. Its seeing two entirely mutually exclusive pictures each supported by their "absolute" facts that directly contradict each other. That's called a stalemate. And that makes me nervous. The chances of either an Israeli or an Arab stepping entirely outside the lens of their own worldview with regard to this issue and then being able to convince his or her own people of the importance of doing so are slim to none.

Well, building a State against the UN charter and based in Biblical BS fantasy would certainly lead to no good. Why not build a State for Christians around the Vatican, for one? Because it would be utterly ridiculous. Yet, you people want me to believe that creating a State around Theodore Herlz Zionist rantings and British predatory foreign policy is something that that would work. Even Biblical prophets asmit that Jerusalem is *not* a place on earth. But, what better than bad fiction to feed the weapon corporations who thrive in human death and suffering?

A good newspaper article idea: the history of Islamic genocide, and how Hamas intends to continue the genocide against Israel.

What has changed? I was reading the Bible and the same people were fighting 2500 years ago. Now we want them to stop? They are just doing what they do best.

Well, of course. Points 1 and 2 are a given. Nothing moves until terror tactics stop.
And apparently - it won't stop.
I remember Mr Sharon demanding a full week of "quiet" (2001) - that is, no stone throwing. Now we have rockets. Would Israel stop incursions into Gaza if Hamas rockets stopped for a week? No, Israel needs Hamas to be flattened, because Hamas demands Israel's destruction. Not much to negotiate there.
Islam has a history of genocide. From Wikipeadia: During the Battle of the Trench, Mohammad desimated the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza, a Jewish tribe in Medina. The Banu Qurayza surrendered and all the men, apart from a few who converted to Islam, were beheaded, while all the women and children were enslaved.
There are many many other examples of Islamic genocide.
This is what Hamas intends.

This says it all-the rest of the Arab world has never cared about the Palestinaians much less Isreal. They never will. They will use it as an excuse. When we discover an alternitiveto oil no western country or major Asian nation will care about any part of the mid-east.

The above sounds good on its face, but ignores 5 issues.
1) Muslim countries will not accept sovereignty of non-Muslims over Muslims. The history of the Jews in Babylon for 1700 years illustrates this issue.
2) You ignore the issue of Jerusalem.
3) If reparations for lost property is to be paid, what about the property taken from the Jews in Muslim countries that were expelled. The numbers of expelled Muslims and Jews was almost the same.
4) The population of Gaza is already too large for the area involved. Unless there is a resettlement of some of that population elsewhere, the borders will have to be violated.
5) The Palestinian Muslim population in other countries cannot be absorbed in the West Bank or Gaza. Without a resettlement plan elsewhere, the plan is doomed to fail.

Good try, but not enough.

Kinda like two fleas arguing over who own the dog.

Israel will never have my support as long as they want to create a pure jewish state. What's the difference between that and creating a pure "aryan" state? I don't see any.

I propose another solution. Evacuate and nuke Jerusalem. When two children can't share something then neither should have it.

The Palestinian "right of return" has always been a sticking point, often called non-negotiable. Why not allow displaced Palestinians to return? I mean ONLY those who were displaced 60 years ago, not their families. How many would come? How long would they be around?

Apparently the author didn't see the Vanity Fair article showing that the coup was by Fatah against the democratically elected majority Hamas, and it was the US that instigated the coup/civil war and gave weapons and funding to Fatah and encouraged the declaration of an emergency government, to insure the democratically elected government, with its majority of Hamas, would be done away with, in spite of the will of the Palestinian people in voting Hamas into power in 2006.

After reading on the situation with Israel/Palestine/the Islamic world -- and the comments here -- I have become convinced that at the end of the day, the Palestinians/Muslim world do not want peace in the Middle East.

They want victory -- and no peace talks that do not end with Israel's destruction will satisfy.

Now I'd like somebody to prove me wrong. Please.

@ John

The UN Mandate in 1948 established the State of Israel and Palestine, living side by side. The Palestinians were encouraged to become Arab Israeli citizens. The ones that stayed retained their property and homes, opened businesses, flourished as Arab Israelis, sent their children to excellent schools and had government healthcare . The ones that chose to leave, of their own accord ,were not taken care of by the Arab countries they fled to. Go back in history and you will see that they were advised to leave so Israel can be crushed where they would then be able to return to their homes and land. They were never kicked out.

Their standard of living eventually declined in the countries they fled to, they became refugees and were ultimately neglected and forgotten. When they complained, they were told to go back to Israel and reclaim “their land”. Shame on you for even considering to compare the atrocities and theft in Nazi Germany to what has happened in Israel.

It all sounds so simple. In my humble opinion the reason all these people (leaders and ordinary folk) are so narrow minded is because they think that they can achieve peace by victory.

Mr. Melman,

While I agree there is a solution to the problem, and I agree the US, other Arab nations have not done enough to really find a solution, I have to think your solution is a bit one sided. I would ask you, to spend a few minutes and pretend you were a Palestinian and then read your proposal. I am neither Arab or Israeli, but you claim the Arabs as committing war crimes....but what about the Israeli crimes? Then you say the Israelis should leave "most" of the settlements.....why not "all". A bit one sided. A solution can only be accomplished with people acknowledging all the wrongs and all the solutions.

But is this solution a recipe for civil war in Israel? Will the "settlers" refuse to leave, take up arms against Israel, and revolt? That's exactly what they have promised.

On the Arab side, they are already in revolt and civil war over the prospect of implementing this.

Hi Mr.yossi.
after i have read your opinion , with all due respect, there are lotsa holes in it.

First israel's policy is the assasination is well known regardless the rival , fatah or hamas.

Hamas is not the problem , hamas for long times and for many times proposed the turce .. but BANG! israel surprised - not for me - the world with braking news with assasination of figure head which foiled any serious effort of fragile truce.

second while expanding hands to - socalled - moderate side of the palestinians , ongoing expansions of settlements and bulldozing houses , uprooting olive trees , building segregation wall that curbs about more stolen lands -18%- of the westbank. throwing the palestinian farmers to unknown furure of despair that may cause great possiblity of new hater to israel - and no wonder !

third , look , we know when israelis says "most" of the settlements, we for sure know they lie cuz they talk mysteriously and ambigiously. cuz we cant define ",most.. cuz most is very subjective , your most isnt equal to my most.. for instance the israelis said before "arab lands" not "all arab lands", really the zionists know how to twist and play with words
plus why most? why not ALL stolen lands to be returned to expelled palestinians.

fourth , why should the indegnious plaestinians who were expelled by hagana and stern terrorist gangs should not return to their lands , cuz of demographic threat? - if i were in your place , i would fear that when my state adopt REAL democracy!

fifth , i cant imagine the any socalled jew has the right to live in israel cuz of jewish myths and moses and solimon and things returned to thousands of years , while forbidding palestinians families to RETURN after matter of decades. i think the double standards reveal.

sixth , let's skip the palestinian case , the syrian one is much more simpler than the complicated issue of palestine, plus syria has government and ready to extend hands to israel to have THEIR golan for recognising israel, but israel either refuse or ignore by saying later later. the problem aint hamas , the problem is ISRAEL.

Salam for who want the salam

You Blew it! You had an audience to lay out a plan and you offer little more than a financial transaction. Please Google Pat Condell, What about the Jews. The problem is Jerusalem; it always has been and it alway will be until Israel lets it go. The problem is religion and until that is front and center and on the table for discussion the problem will never be solved.

I think this solution is too pro-Israel - it doesnt take into account the need for a reconciliatory and communal state of relations between the two peoples. It proposes a fundamental separation between the two states and that will never work - think of the time, lives and opportunities lost because of Apartheid. FURTHER: why doesn't Germany lead this quest for peace, especially since you can justifiably state that their 'forefathers' were/are directly accountable for what is going on today... there are liars leading us... Coincidentally, the people of Palestine, that is, Jew, Arab and Christian lived in peace and prosperity under Ottoman rule, Palestine was one of the most prosperous provinces of the former empire - why was this? Well, because there was peace and prosperity! neighbourly co-existence, side by side is possible when people are fed, educated and free

Yossi,
First I must say that I'm an Israeli expat living in the USA. I left Israel for three reasons: The first was personal: I fell in love with an American girl. Second, I have reached the conclusion that Israeli society, as much as I love parts of it, has no future; I wanted to raise my family elsewhere. Third, I did not want to implicitly cooperate and pay taxes to a state that was committing atrocities, in plain view and unashamedly. I was tired of belligerent discourse, I was tired of being called a traitor and a non-Jew because of my opinions, which, elsewhere, do not seem all that radical.
About your points, I would like to draw your attention to one omission and one outright disagreement that I have with them.
First, where is Jerusalem? It is clear to anyone who has been following events in the last decade, that any peace process is doomed to fail unless in contains some sort of agreement on the subject of that city. Imagine what would have happened if the Annapolis summit declared even a tentative agreement on the subject; it might still have failed, but perhaps not. Jerusalem MUST somehow be shared between the two states - and if Israelis don't like it, they must be reminded that a compromise is required of them, too.
Second, there is the issue of Hamas. I'm not a fan of Hamas. As a matter of fact, I think that Hamas has quite a horrible platform and not what you'd call a NICE way of doing things. However, demanding that Hamas must somehow capitulate before Israel is to be required to cease its attacks in the Gaza Strip is just as ludicrous as demanding the opposite - perhaps just a bit more, due to the balance of power, and (oh, horrible language) what one might call the balance of casualties. Seen from the outside, Hamas has been doing a pretty good job of governing the Gaza Strip, all things (siege) considered; they are not democratic, but then Democracy is not exactly in vogue in the region. Democracy needs some sort of stability in order to get itself started. Note that on the one hand, Fatah isn't very democratic either, and on the other Hamas are the ones who have been elected by the Palestinians. We MUST deal with Hamas because, so far, they seem to be the only faction capable of achieving cease-fire, not to speak of peace.
(as a side note, while the democratic apparatus does exist in Israel more than in any other state in the region, except for perhaps Lebanon in its better days, democratic discourse in Israel is not doing very well.)
Their refusal to recognize Israel is a problem. I do not think, however, that it's as big a problem as it is made out to be. Imagine the following: a cease-fire is agreed and lasts for a few years (in large part due to restraint on the part of Israel), the fund for refugees is working, and people people are working and shopping across borders... In short, something like what was before the Intifadas, but minus Martial Law and plus some agreement on refugees and Jerusalem. Now, five or ten years later, Hamas decides its time for Phase Two - the complete annihilation of the State of Israel. Who exactly is going to go back to sieges and bombings and hunger and misery, when there's work, and food on the table, the kids are going to college, and Cousin Nidal, with shaking hands, got to use his old key on the crumbling lock of the old house. Peace will have got in by the back door while nobody was paying attention. Of course problems need to be addressed - autonomy vs. independence, the status of Jewish Settlers (I believe that they should be made Jewish Palestinians, just like there are Arab Israelis)... But none of those problems are quite as big as the phase-shifted, intractable, bloody tit-for-tat that has characterized this conflict for at least a decade.
When there are no more checkpoints, when I can go back and smoke a nargillah with the boys in Ramallah and wipe humus in Nablus, when my US friend Mustafa (he's from Lebanon, actually) can come with me to visit the coffee shops in Haifa, it seems very unlikely that anyone will resume violence in the name of some silly, hardly attainable goal, like driving all the Jews into the sea.
The problem is that the Israelis (and yes, I put the responsibility squarely on their shoulders as being the more powerful side, as well as because everyone should be placing responsibility not on the other, but on their own) lack the maturity - and the political will, same thing maybe - to make the "painful concessions" they always talk about: something as simple as rejecting the (absolutely ineffective) right to retaliate.

I suggest Mr. Melman ask some hard questions to himself regarding the "real" cause of this conflict rather than trying to deal with the symptoms. To his 9 point plan:
1)Why was Hamas created, don't avoid the question even if it makes it uncomfortable. How could have this been avoided?
2)I think this is valid for any organization that uses violence, shouldn't the Israeli army also be considered here?
3)Agree
4)Maybe, but not if you don't first execute item 5.
6)d) how do you think you would react if you were one of those refugees (another hard question you need to ask yourself)?
7)Why should the World have to pay for an injustice that has been created by one nation, Israel (and Britain)?
9)How do you propose dealing with the US Jewish Lobby?

You suggest it's simple. It would have been much simpler if people were not forcibly displaced from their homes and terrorized mentally/physically for decades after. Consider this Mr. Melman, I hope you won't be as narrow minded as you say the leaders are.

I have a simpler solution. Let all the "refugees" leave Gaza and the West Bank and settle in Arab countries. What's that, you say? Leave their "homeland"? What about reparations? Well, if they hadn't abandoned Palestine in the weeks prior to the arab invasions in 1948 and 1956, they would not have lost their homes. Are they willing to pay reparations to the families they will be displacing if allowed to return to their homes? Families who've lived there for 60 years (longer than the original occupants)?

We'll see if this response gets posted. Seems like the only ones that do are pro-arab.

the items make sense except you need to relist them in a different order. once the resistance of HAMAS stops the colonial west, and its tool (the Jewish state), will give east its middle finger ( another list of theatrical twenty+ peace conferences lasting another sixty years). the reason HAMAS was elected by the majority was that people were convinced that all along all these peace discussions were and would be nothing but TV-shows ( including your plan).

You are nuts to think Israel will give up all E. Jerusalem (including the Wall)

@Gush

I appreciate your response, however, there is a beginning and an end to everything, perhaps not an ending this case, at least not yet.

The uprising really had begun in the early 1970’s with airline hijackings, Munich, embassy bombings, etc. When Arafat supposedly approved UN Resolution 242, what has happened since that time?

Every time Israel gives “land back for peace” or ceases with their targeting reprisals it is seen as “weakness” to these terrorist fundamentalists. These individuals need this hostility to continue because this is how they make their living. Millions and millions of dollars have been given to the Palestinian Government after recognition of Resolution 242, only to have it fall into the hands of corrupt government officials like Arafat and his collegues (i.e. his wife is now in France living off 24 million dollars since his death). This is unfortunate because this money was supposed to go roads, hospitals, education, etc. for the Palestinian people. Why doesn’t anyone have the courage to question the corruption and devastation being fostered on these people not by Israel, but by the Palestinian authority?

Please do not perceive this as propaganda, but hard questions that need to be addressed. Take care

here is my nine step plan

1. 9. The U.S. administration will admit it has no right to rule the world, and in particular, the Middle East.

2. 8. 8. An international force will be deployed to supervise and implement the Israeli army as it ends its occupations unconditionally, in accordance with the recognition that occupying a country militarily is the supreme international crime.

3 . 7. Israel pays reparations to those it has made refugees and accepts sole responsibility for their plight. It also requests Germany stop making payments to it on behalf of Holocaust survivors, requesting that it be made to Holocaust survivors' groups directly, in recognition of the fact that its crimes over the last 60 years disqualify it from the necessary moral standing to be the intermediary of such an important agreement.

4. 6. After securing a stable and permanent pledge by Israel never to use aggression as a form of policy, an simple, pro forma round of negotiation will pompously endorse what anyone who has spent 5 seconds contemplating this problem will have already known, namely

D. Israel must accept Palestinian refugees on any land where their families were living before its inception, if they so choose to live in lieu of reparations. Israel declares itself once and for all a democratic state, and therefore in no way a Jewish state (or a Muslim state or a Christian state, &c.)

C. Arab States and the Arab League will assist in the the de-apartheid-isation of Israeli society, including but not limited to a Truth and Reconciliation Committee as well as a Constitutional Convention that will draft Israel's first constitution (as opposed to Basic Law), which will reflect its population's diversity and yearning for democracy.

B. If it is recommended by the Convention, and affirmed by a referendum of all Palestinians (including the descendants of those made to flee by Israel), then a Palestinian state will be created along whatever borders the Convention will have negotiated. If the Convention or the Palestinians reject partition, then a unified, binational democratic state over all of Mandate Palestine, with rights of religious and other freedoms enshrined in a Bill of Rights, will succeed apartheid Israel as well as that strange pitiful beast, the Palestinian Authority.

A. The Israeli army, having ended its occupation, must be fundamentally transformed, and, in the short run, while under the aegis of the international monitoring force, will have its capacity seriously reduced, so that far-right, rejectionist circles in the current apartheid army will not have the chance to launch a putsch against the new, democratic state. Israeli citizens living anywhere in Mandate Palestine will be free to continue living where they are, or emigrate. Their rights, whether minority or majority in an area, will be guaranteed by the international force, the Constitution, and the new democratic government. If partition occurs, then they may choose which state's nationality to hold, regardless of which state in which they choose to live.

5. (4&5) The peace loving majorities of both populations will rejoice at the end of injustice, bring forth the first lights of possibility of peace seen in that benighted land in 60 (or 90) years.

6. 3. As a matter of course, the crimes against the people of Gaza would be recognised, and the military criminals responsible for them would be punished. The world's shame at starving a million people for the crime of preferring one party at a democratic ballot to another, will be forgiven by the desperate Gazans, superhumanly forgiving after breathing air as free men and women for the first time. The Palestinian Authority, like Napoleon's brother ruling Spain or the fascist government of Croatia 1943, would be forgotten by all but the specialists. Historians would bring to light Israel's support of Hamas in the 1980's as a counterweight to the PLO.

7. 2. Hamas will become a political party, to win power or close shop as countless others have done. Its humanitarian work, legitimate resistance, and participation in cruelty and terror, will be teased out by historians and a free, non-militaristic press. The obvious hints Hamas gave out upon being elected - that it would
"consider" recognising Israel if it "changed its behaviour" - would be proven sincere.

8. 1. The world has to acknowledge and declare unequivocally that the Palestinian people have the right to express their democratic will as they wish without fear of siege and occupation, ESPECIALLY by those voices so loudly and shamelessly pretending to support democracy.

Historians will record the origin of Israeli rockets (Atlanta, Omaha) in tandem with that of Palestinian ones (Gaza, Bekaa, and Iran).

The United States' role in perpetuating the violence and apartheid of the last 40 years will be exposed.

Even the least interested person will at least read the Wikipedia article on the Palestinian Authority. He will read that there are no timetables for elections, meaning that Abbas can rule for as long Mubarak, Hussein, Ghadafi, or one of our other "moderate," "democratic," "modern" Arab friends. He will read on that a large portion of its legislators will killed or taken hostage by the apartheid Israeli state. And he will learn that when elections were held, the president disregarded them, preferring headlines in Western newspapers to even the pretension of leading his people.

There you have it, Mr Melman, a very simple plan. It is actually not very different from yours. As you can see, it is nearly identical, or turned around 180 degrees. Now that we have exchanged views, I only have one question. For whose benefit did you write this piece?

Did you write it for the religious Zionists that believe God forbids them to compromise over any of Israel?

Did you write it for the atheistic Zionists who believe their national aspirations take precedence over any one else's?

Did you write it for the Israeli left who is less concerned with playing armchair Kissinger than in finding ways of ameliorating Palestinians' suffering?

Or did you write it for the peace-seeking Palestinian, who can't cross over to his fields because of an armored highway installed for the benefit of you and your compatriots?

I wager that none of these people would be persuaded, or even much interested, in what you have to say. Indeed, for the vast majority of the world, what you have written is no more significant than what I have written. Don't worry- I do not imagine myself more consequential than a fly. I understand that what you write will have some small impacts on the world. Your real target, I know, is the tiny group of people who are invested in the current power structures, who are willing to use force to uphold those power structures, and consider deliberations such as these as only a way to make their prosperous, comfortable lives even more so.

On behalf of the billions of men and women who are not in a position to make your mediocre and hypocritical dreams come true, I hereby wish you the capacity to endure (or even enjoy- if you are stupid) irrelevance.

THIS IS THE PROBLEM AS israellis CAN NOT SEE:

ISRAEL WAS not created IN 1948. IT WAS forced upon other people in 1948.( tanks missles and money)

Sounds good to me, wonder if any of the countries referenced have representatives that have read this article? If not, send it to them!!!

It is really sad. All children in Israel walk on blood everywhere until they grow into adults walking on blood.

One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. This article shows the one-sidedness from the Israeli side, the attitude of all mine and every one else can just get lost. Wont last - one day God Willing, Palestenians will get what is owed to them - whether it is in this worldly life or the next. Who are you going to call a terrorist then ?

Mr. Melman,

You are a fool. Let me illustrate what you are saying here. Ok we admit that murderers are criminals. SO let's stop supporting them(take away their subsidies) and then what? Suddenly they become peace activists? Do you actually think that desert Islam will die without money??? Desert Islam and their followers thrive in poverty and ignorance. So please just because you were right when you said the peace accords wont work doesn't mean you actually know what you are talking about. You want to make peace? First learn your enemy.

Good luck.

How can you lay this at the feet of the Bush Administration when the only two entities truly involved have been at each others throats from day one?

1. Why is incumbent upon the US to provide additional money into a fund for relocation? Let's allow the wealthy nations of the Middle East with all their oil income to do so if they really desire peace.

2. This conflict has gone on almost since the inception of Isreal in 1948 and conflict among these Mid East nations have gone on for literally centuries. They do wish to have "peace" in any form until there remains only one controlling entity for the entire Arab world.

3. Each and every "summit" which has been held to resolve this conflict has resulted in nothing except additional rhetoric.

4. I say give them all all the arms they wish and allow them to slaughter each other - that way they can not place blame on their ultimate fate on any other group of nations who have attempted to assist them in a resolution. Thus far any nation which has attempted positive assistance have been branded "interlopers."

you're an idiot. the first four steps of your brilliant little plan involve absolutely no sacrifice or suspension of hostilities on behalf of the state of israel. how on earth can you expect half the arab world to take such drastic actions, purely on faith that the israelis will stop their aggression as soon as their enemies are unarmed? bang-up job, melman.

And what about Jerusalem?

Many of you don't seem to appreciate that Yossi Melman is well-know in Israel as a Lunatic-Left kook.

The late Abba Eban made Melman's initial point much more eloquently decades ago. From memory, Eban said that "efforts to bring peace to the Middle East have produced far more Nobel prizes than durable peace accords". This is even more true, today. (Even Arch-Terrorist Yasser Arafat got a Nobel Peace Prize. Imagine! And Arafat killed many more Palestineans than Israel ever did! He lived and breathed Jihad to the very end.) So now Melman tells us that peace isn't going to happen, yet he still offers another sure-fire-failure proposal.

So long as Melman and his ilk fail to recognize that the conflict in the Middle East has everything to do with Islam and nothing to do with Israel and that territorial concessions by Israel have never been repaid with movement towards peace, then all of these ludicrous proposals will fail.

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it!

If the Palestineans want their own land, the Jordanian-Occupied East Bank of Palestine is more than three times as large as the Israeli-Occupied West Bank of Palestine. But they want it all... (Actually, Arafat started an Intifada against King Hussein in Black September, 1970, but 10,000 people were killed in that one month and so Arafat decided then that Palestine was actually on the West Bank, not on the East Bank. Either that or he realized that the Jews would never kill so many Pals so brutally as his Arab 'brothers' would...)

Changing Israel's borders won't bring "peace to the Middle East". If Israel wouldn't exists at all, the Arab states would still be at each other's throats. They are so heavily militarized because they hate each other more than they hate us infidels. Witness the 3,000,000 Muslims slaughtered in the Middle East in the past 25 years... by other Muslims.

As for comments on war crimes, deliberately targetting civilian populations, as the Qassam and Grad rockets do, is most definitely a war crime. Israel NEVER deliberately targets civilian populations. Hamas and the PLO almost EXCLUSIVELY target civilians.

Too many of you commentators out there are woefully ignorant of history. And those of you who actually know the facts and still bash Israel are plainly antisemites, not antizionsts at all.

"Gaza would return to its original rulers" Is assume you mean Jordon.

All of the west bank and gaza ? "... while guaranteeing its security needs .." NOT possible.

First I am Jewish so please don't dismiss my comments as anti-semetic. I like Yossi Melman's 9 point plan, he's spot on with political cowardice BUT!...
Hamas... terrorists yes, but unfortunately elected democratically, thanks in part to the US.
He didn't mention the contentious East Jerusalem issue, maybe because he knows Israel will never give up any control of the Holy City.
Israel loses the moral highground when Gaza pays a collective price for the Hamas attacks, 1 Israeli death is usually countered with 100 or so Palestinian deaths; but how are the civilians supposed to stop them, i can't get my government to stop anything. Imagine the fury exploding if we in the US responded to the Oklahoma bombing by shelling the home town of Timothy McVeigh.
Also 6C stop grouping all the Arab states they are autonomous entities with differing interests, often opposing each other. I believe with an honestly brokered "fair" peace agreement the Gulf states would have little reason to continue their unproductive rejection of Israel and a hefty financial interest in the success of the two states.
Although I agree the refugees can not expect repatriation after so long, but why did he not include Israel in the financial partnership of aid from the "wealthy " countries?

Many of you don't seem to appreciate that Yossi Melman is well-know in Israel as a Lunatic-Left kook.

The late Abba Eban made Melman's initial point much more eloquently decades ago. From memory, Eban said that "efforts to bring peace to the Middle East have produced far more Nobel prizes than durable peace accords". This is even more true, today. (Even Arch-Terrorist Yasser Arafat got a Nobel Peace Prize. Imagine! And Arafat killed many more Palestineans than Israel ever did! He lived and breathed Jihad to the very end.) So now Melman tells us that peace isn't going to happen, yet he still offers another sure-fire-failure proposal.

So long as Melman and his ilk fail to recognize that the conflict in the Middle East has everything to do with Islam and nothing to do with Israel and that territorial concessions by Israel have never been repaid with movement towards peace, then all of these ludicrous proposals will fail.

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it!

If the Palestineans want their own land, the Jordanian-Occupied East Bank of Palestine is more than three times as large as the Israeli-Occupied West Bank of Palestine. But they want it all... (Actually, Arafat started an Intifada against King Hussein in Black September, 1970, but 10,000 people were killed in that one month and so Arafat decided then that Palestine was actually on the West Bank, not on the East Bank. Either that or he realized that the Jews would never kill so many Pals so brutally as his Arab 'brothers' would...)

Changing Israel's borders won't bring "peace to the Middle East". If Israel wouldn't exists at all, the Arab states would still be at each other's throats. They are so heavily militarized because they hate each other more than they hate us infidels. Witness the 3,000,000 Muslims slaughtered in the Middle East in the past 25 years... by other Muslims.

As for comments on war crimes, deliberately targetting civilian populations, as the Qassam and Grad rockets do, is most definitely a war crime. Israel NEVER deliberately targets civilian populations. Hamas and the PLO almost EXCLUSIVELY target civilians.

Too many of you commentators out there are woefully ignorant of history. And those of you who actually know the facts and still bash Israel are plainly antisemites, not antizionsts at all.

What keeps coming to mind for me is the central contradiction embodied in the state of Israel today. On the one hand there is the assumption that Israel is a fully Western democracy, like the U.S. or any of the Western European countries. On the other hand, Israel is unique in defining its people not principally as the people living in a certain territory but rather by genetic descent from ancestors (at least a few of generations back) who practiced a certain religion. At least that's the closest I can gather of what defines a Jew.

I know that some European countries that have not had much immigration until recently are also wrestling with the question of, say, what makes you German. But I am certain that they will not end up going back to criteria like the "master race" logic of the Nazis. People of other ethnic backgrounds and religions are part of what makes a modern democratic country. So also are civil rights for all peoples, regardless of race, gender, religion, etc.

As another commenter has already observed, "Last time I checked a demilitarized state is not an autonomous state." Israel will never tolerate a second fully autonomous state anywhere within Palestine. And controlling the borders of another state means that it isn't really a state.

So, as should be evident from the constant refrain "two-state solution", there is obviously also the possibility of a "one-state solution". Yes, it would mean, eventually, that Jews would no longer be in the majority. So what. WASPS are no longer in the majority in several states in the U.S. This isn't a problem -- unless you define your country by some combination of religion and ethnicity.

The immediate argument against a one-state solution is "that will mean the end of Israel, which is by definition a Jewish state." Well, technically, yes. But it doesn't need to be seen as somehow destroying a nation and its people. They can all live there -- anywhere in Palestine. And so can all the non-Jewish people who were living there before 1948, as well as their descendants.

The 60-year-old modern state of Israel has done some impressive things with much of Palestine. But the principles of its founding (I don't think there even is a constitution) need to be updated. For example look how ridiculuous is the system for getting a marriage license (see the March 2nd New York Times Magazine article "How Do You Prove You're a Jew?" by GERSHOM GORENBERG:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02jewishness-t.htm

I like most of the Israelis I've met. I like most of the Palestinians I've met. The area they are both trying to inhabit is really too small to partition, and the history of dislocations is too recent, to somehow create two autonomous states. They all need to start seriously considering a single unified state with constitutionally protected rights for all. And the U.S. should be promoting this idea.

Before Hamas was in power Israel refused to negotiate with Arafat, calling him No 1 enemy and terrorist. This clearly shows that Israel has no intention to have peace with Palestine. Constant war is in Israel's favor, they can retain control of natural resources and get billions of $ every year from the US tax payer’s money.

We turn, slowly, and in pain, away from this play, from this drama. two halves, locked in each others embrace. some one, but not you, some one, i wonder who, must embrace gandhi.

words haven't worked, and force hasn't worked, and all of the lies and all of the truth have only brought home more of the story

and i write, that for me,

it's enough

Melman, it's not just Hamas. The PA has the same goal of wiping out Israel as do all their Arab brethren. Your plan just makes it a lot easier for them by giving them much more territory and making your remaining Israel indefensible. Get it through your blind liberal head: they hate you and want you dead and will attack as soon as their is an opportunity. You and all your peace now friends have your heads stuck up your arses. You don't know the definition of the word "enemy". Your guilt over so called "palestinian refugees" makes you prefer national suicide to fighting. They will never de-militarize - the Arab loves his gun more than anything else. You might as well try to castrate him. You and your liberal ilk are totally out of touch with reality, and frankly I don't think you deserve the Holy Land.

There is one flaw to your plan (Although I do like it very much). It presumes that many in the Arab world actually want peace.

I would argue that their goal is not peace, but eradication of the Israeli 'infestation' of 'their' lands.

Until that goal changes, your only option is war.

This whole plan is nonsense. The palestinians will not reach a peace agreement with Israel because none of them wants Israel to exist in the middle east.

The real solution is a resounding military victory which will allow no choice but surrender. Israel does not owe the so called palestinians an apology, land, or money.

It is the palestinians who need to stop being babies and go to arab lands.

Sounds great up until that last sticking point. I love how the US is always required to be the great police state, yet they are constantly being bashed for acting as so. Why not ask China to do this?

7. An International Fund has to be established, with monies contributed mainly by the rich Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia (which is also a very wealthy nation), U.S., EU, China and Japan to compensate the 1948 Palestinian refugees for the loss of their of their property. The refugees can resettle in the newly established Palestinian State and or Arab states.

or

7. An International Fund has to be established, with monies contributed mainly by the rich Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia (which is also a very wealthy nation), U.S., EU, China and Japan to compensate the jews that will be displaced and allow them to resettle in Poland or U.S.S.R or New York. The 1948 Palestinian refugees will be returned their property.

The time has come for the Palestinians to abandon the two-state solution, and demand to be incoroporated into the state of Israel. This is the only chance they will ever receive a just settlement.

Wow, pretty strong emotions in favor of the annihilation of Israel. If these comments are reflective of world opinion no solution is possible, ever. According to the prior comments, the only solution is the end of Israel, not ever, in my life time or that of any self-respecting Jew. Jewish nationalism and a Jewish state has just as much right to exist as that of any people.

Good article. I agree that there will be no solution to the confilt in the Middle East until the world starts separating the Palestinian people from the terrorist organizations that pretend to represent them.

For peace, both parties, Israel and Palestinians will need to make some serious consessions. And the Security Council countries as well as the Arab countries will have to all be willing to commit to doing their part to make a real peace plan work.

I tried to read your 9 points peace plan, after the first point I skipped the other eight, once again you propose to set conditions before sitting down to the negotiating table, Hamas was democratically elected, we not always like what gets elected by we live with it until the next elections, you expect the Palestinians to give and give while the Palestinians have nothing to give everything has been taken away from them.

Hating Israel is not an international crime when considering the way Israel treats these unfortunate people, you’d like to mandate recognition and respect toward Israel but is not going to happen, recognition and respect have to be earned by general world’s consensus.

Moreover as an American I resent the lumping of Israel and the US together when listing Hamas enemies, Hamas is first and foremost Israel’s enemy and US second by way of an Israeli lobby successful so far in high jacking US ME foreign policy.

The fact of the matter is that Israel hold all the cards, military power, money, political clout, powerful lobby and territories expropriate from the Palestinians, any peace agreement is going to require Israel giving up some of these assets mainly Palestinian land, short of doing this, rhetoric coming from you or Israel amounts to nothing more than lame platitude disguised in false moral or legitimacy claims.

I tried to read your 9 points peace plan, after the first point I skipped the other eight, once again you propose to set conditions before sitting down to the negotiating table, Hamas was democratically elected, we not always like what gets elected by we live with it until the next elections, you expect the Palestinians to give and give while the Palestinians have nothing to give everything has been taken away from them.

Hating Israel is not an international crime when considering the way Israel treats these unfortunate people, you’d like to mandate recognition and respect toward Israel but is not going to happen, recognition and respect have to be earned by general world’s consensus.

Moreover as an American I resent the lumping of Israel and the US together when listing Hamas enemies, Hamas is first and foremost Israel’s enemy and US second by way of an Israeli lobby successful so far in high jacking US ME foreign policy.

The fact of the matter is that Israel hold all the cards, military power, money, political clout, powerful lobby and territories expropriate from the Palestinians, any peace agreement is going to require Israel giving up some of these assets mainly Palestinian land, short of doing this, rhetoric coming from you or Israel amounts to nothing more than lame platitude disguised in false moral or legitimacy claims.

...Jerusalem?
...Sovereinty over water, borders?
...access from Gaza to the west bank?

Just declaring a Palestinian state doesn't cut it...it has to be VIABLE. Israel is not interested in a viable Palestinian state.

Not bad, that is the general means to achieve peace, but as usual people don't specify the details. What is,
"withdraw from all the occupied West Bank lands and dismantle MOST of the Jewish settlements there"

How about leaving completely, those settlements are illegal under UN declarations, and will likely not leave a contiguous Palestinian state.
As much as I agree that Hamas is a terrorist organization, lets be honest, we (the US) demanded elections, and they had them and won, they did not overthrow the government, they were cut off by the same people that demanded they be a "democracy", lets move on and deal with them as the elected government of Palestine. The IRA avowed terrorism in England until the very end, that doesn't mean you don't talk with them... Grow up.

Mr. Melman: Your points 4 through 9 are right on target. However, points 1-3 are unnecessary and inacurate. Hamas won an election to come to power. They then conceeded to outside pressure to from a unity government with Fatah. When Fatah military forces would not submit to the authority Hamas had won in the election, tensions rose. Hamas's coup was pre-emptive of Fatah's imminent coup. After all this, Hamas remains more popular in Gaza than Fatah. The rocket fire would cease if Israel would stop attacking Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. However, Israel want land more than it want peace.

It is far too late for a two-state solution. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict should have been settled after the Six Day War, when defeated Arab states would have been more willing to negotiate peace in order to regain the land taken by the Israelis. In exchange for Israel withdrawing to the pre-war borders, all neighboring countries should have been forced to sign an accord, recognizing Israel's right to exist and disavowing further violence. Peace keeping forces could have been put on the ground until the area became stable. Anyone violating the peace agreement would be subject to severe punishment.

Instead, we have had decades to foster hatred and distrust among all involved. The number of refugees has grown exponentially as has the number of Jewish settlers. Despite the desires of the many Israelis and Paelstinians to find a peaceful, two-state solution, the actions of those unwilling to compromise, both Israeli and Palestinian, prevail.

Forget the two-state solution. The US should support and encourage a single, secular state where Jews and non-Jews have the same democratic rights, and everyone can stop arguing over borders.

The point about unwillingnesss to compromise is at the heart of the issue and must be addressed. Diplomacy has become the excuse for appearing to compromise while in truth there is no desire to comprimise. The nine points are on the surface very logical but don't address the power of oil over the west and the fact that the likes of Hamas won't be satisfied until the non-muslim world ceases to exist.

And the wall? Will that be torn down? What about reparations to palestinian who lost their homes and land during the illegal occupation of palestine?
And how about recognizing zionism as a racist philosophy? Which the UN did a ways back but was ignored by the US?

i have been following the situation between israel and its neighbors for years now, and this is one of the best articles I have ever read on the matter. though i disagree with your assesment that Israel is required to return to the 48 borders, every other one of your points made perfect sense, and if world leaders could pull their heads out of their asses, this might work

I'd like to reply to 'r.b'

They should not reject 50% of the Koran....
They should reject 100% of it

It is really unfortunate that you consider the owners of the land terrorists, and you dont condider the children murderers as such. For you information, what you are proposing is not and will not happen, for one reason, because it is not just and not fair. the global rule is: No just, no long term existance.

These 9 steps are a pragmatic approach to Peace but In my mind there are two strategic objectives not provided for. I would provide for at least two years of education free for all those considered as beneficiaries of this fund. The method of government for the Palestinian State is not set forth. It should not be assumed that the same organization now existing is qualified or appropriate once someone in authority has access to the billions of dollars going into this fund.
Is this new state to have a right to military defense? If so, what prevents funds from this "pool" from being diverted from individuals to defense spending?

its the illegal Israeli occupation that is the root cause of all the problems. Hamas is an excuse to keep from real negotiations. They do not pose an an existential threat. No one does except the Israeli government and its US supporters.

Mr. Melman, you are a breath of fresh air. It seems like the "narrow-minded" individuals are the only ones who seem to get things published/televised anymore. I think your 9 Point Plan covers the solution to the turmoil over there perfectly. May your leaders and ours all hear these words with open minds and hearts my friend.

With the strongest wishes for peace and happiness...

Paul

Although Hamas did militarily and violently force Abbas out of the West Bank and commit crimes in the process, Hamas was duly elected in the first place and therefore is the rightful political authority in the palestinian territories. In my view that was a wasted opportunity to turn Hamas from a terrorist organization to a political organization. It worked in Ireland.

Israel's collective punishment of the Palestinians for Hamas's terrorist acts also is a war crime.

And Israel's "settlements" beyond the

Otherwise, I generally agree with your points.

Another solution, or perhaps just a proposal to advance negotiations, would be to amend the original UN documents that created Israel to create a new state that encompasses both Israel and the Palestinian territories in a kind of confederation or federal system. I don't think anyone wants that.

I applaud Mr. Melman's straightforward simplicity and honesty on the subject. I would go one step further though: That Hamas is anti-Semitic (and yes, I fully understand that Arabs are Semitic too, but I am referring to the hatred of the Jewish people here), with their explicit intent of destroying the Jewish peoples historical, biblical and national state, in addition to killing as many Jewish people as possible.
The international condemners of Israel know this, as it is obvious to anyone who analyzes the situation in the Middle-East, of what the true intentions of Hamas and Hizbollah are. It's about time they own up to this reality, not just go on condemning Israel, by way of their pseudo anti-Semitic campaign, cloaked in a so-called "humanitarian concern" for innocent people.
Let's call a spade a spade and recognize the root of the conflict in the region: Outright hatred of the Jews, with the support of international anti-Semites in the media and governments in the west!

I notice 3 or 4 comments that point out that Jews also became refugees in similar numbers back in '48. Yet I see not one pro palestinian address that real grievance. I see people claiming stolen territory and this nation of palestine that has no historical basis, yet they don't' mention Jordan as being the palestinian cultural lands carved form the British Mandate back in the '20s. Hell they don't even address that the West Bank And Gaza are just territories that have not been recognized as part of a nation since the Ottoman Empire. Thus no GC violations.

As for the nine points, just because the pro Arab crowd and the pro Israel crowd both hate it, does not mean it is a valid plan. It just means that it is a non starter.

Wow! What a let down that was. You had me until point #1 and then it fell apart. This is just more of the same. No real compromise, just do what you want to do and expect everyone to fall in line.

Hamas is not the problem, whether you ascribe the current situation to them or not. It is and has always been the state of Israel. It as well as the US and the world should be ashamed at what has happened there.

The Palestinians have, from the beginning, been the victim in this Zionist movement, and the support of the world has been criminal in the least.

It is time for most of the worlds leaders need go and make room for the next generation of leaders. They have failed Human kind miserably and deserve nothing but the ash bin of history. Hopefully the new world leaders learns from these horrible, horrible mistakes.

You have all brought the world to the brink of extinction, and the "un-people" will not stand for it much longer.

actually, hamas is nt antidemocracy at all. They are the legitimate government, elected in 2006 in open and free elections. If they are allowed to govern, with ties to the international comunity, they will have no need for such militancy, for rocket fire, etc. Like any politicl group, thy have to, and do, pander to their base while pragmatically being much more moderate: they will not, as yet, officially recognise Israel, this is true. However, they certainly have, many times, offered to tacitly acknowledge Israel as a legitimate state, as when elected they stated they would be willing to uphold "al;l previously negotiated treties, including those by the PLO which (recognised Israel.) They have many times offered long-term truce's with Israel, which the Israeli administration rejectes due to hamas being 'terrorists.' That is in no ones interests. They are a legitimate party, and if treated as such would govern in the genuine best interests of palestyine, instead of acting like a dog with its back against the wall.

Seems to me that this "compromise" is too favorable to Israel.

It is true that Hamas is Israel's enemy. But aren't people supposed to speak with their enemy in order to reach a compromise? Whether or not Hamas's cause is just, to refuse to even speak with them speaks plenty about the goals of Likud and other Israeli parties.

Why is there no mention of the billions in aid from the United States to Israel? Will that cease as part of the deal? To make no mention of this is inherently disingenuous. Even with all the high tech weapons of mass destruction delivered by the United States, the Palestinian people (both Christian and Muslim), still continue to fight against the illegal occupation.

But let's say we go with your plan. Then what? What will this independent Palestine do? What will Israel do?

There is no solution to this conflict other than the dismantling of the state of Israel. States which favor one racial/religious group over another are inherently self-destructive. Claims based upon an ancient book are not meaningful in the 21st century.

Israel will collapse within the next 50 years. In its place will be a free and democratic Palestine that does not favor one race or religion over another.

I hope a child wrote this "plan".

Mr. Melman,

Overall, a well-written piece. I do have some questions though:

--How can their be a lasting peace if Hamas isn't a part of it? Israel has so destroyed the institutions of the PA, that they have no ability to control them. You can't have peace until all parties (including Syria) are at the table, however distasteful you find them to be.

--I agree with point #2. They should instead support the PA.

--On point #7, why not Israel contribute to the fund? After all, Israel is the prime beneficiary of all the lost property.

--Your point #8 is the strongest one. I think the biggest protest for this will come from the Israeli government. All other parties have supported this all along including the many Generals that Bush has appointed as envoys to enforce the road map.

--I just feel no politicians in the US have the guts to do this. If you can tell your friends in Aipac to lay off the politicians who exert pressure on Israel, then you will have politicians willing to coerce the parties. In the US, exerting political pressure on Israel is political suicide, which is why even lame duck Presidents, like Clinton and now Bush, can't do it.

I had to respond to Liz's racist comments

What about the responsibility of the Arab countries in confiscating Jewish property and organizing pogroms to expel thew Jews from their lands in 1948(i.e. Egypt, Iraq, Iran, etc.)? Equally, compensation should also be paid for those cases...

Why are Palestinians responsible for what happens in
Iran or Iraq? Did the Palestinians confiscate property in Iran? Only the Israelis should have to pay compensation. It would be racist to say all Jews are responsible for the system of Ghettos and Concentration camps set up for Palestinians.
Fundamentalist Jews (like you) and Fundamentalist Muslims are the problem. They both think God gave them the land and they can kill, maim, steal and lie to keep it. It is a shame that the rightwing Jews killed Rabin. I believe Rabin would have brought peace.

The above scenario is a fantasy!
The Arab/Israeli conflict cannot be resolved that way. The problem is obviously not with the "Israeli occupation of the West Bank". It existed long before that "occupation". There were constant terrorist attacks on the Jewish states before 1967. And just like today, those attacks were sponsored by the surrounding Arab states: Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq.
Also, both Abbas and his Fatah, are clearly stating that their involvement in the "Peace Process" is only a strategy who's ultimate aim is the destruction of the Jewish state. At no point has Abas agreed to existence of Israel as a Jewish state.

===================
It takes courage to face the truth:
This is a war between the world of Islam and the West. Israel simply represents the West and the Infidels: According to Islam, land once won for Allah, can not be given back to the infidels. Islam cannot accept a Jewish state in their midst.
According to Islam, There cannot be any peace with the unbelievers, there can only be strategic truce. YES THIS IS INDEED WHAT KORAN SAYS, AND WE IN THE WEST LACK THE COURAGE TO FACE THE TRUTH!!!
Koran is the highest law, and Islam has to be victorious in the end.

There can only be peace when Arab people reject all parts of Koran that preach world conquest, hatred of Jews and Christians, and violent conquest as the sure way of reaching paradise. This would require rejecting over 50% of Koran.

Meanwhile our wishful thinking only allows our enemies to grow stronger.
We committed the same mistake in 1930, we did not believe the openly declared intentions of the leader of the German government. We thought that it was "just rhetorics". We ignored when they demilitarized, we gave them land for peace: Austria, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia and Poland. We believed in appeasement, and our cowardliness resulted in 60 million dead!
This time, due to the nuclear weapons it can easily be 600 million dead!

Goodbye Israel, Europe, America.
Long live Islam!

THE ARAB WORLD IS NEVER HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT"S ACTIONS...THE ARABS ARE BRUTALLY DOMINATED BY THEIR OWN GOVERNMENTS WHICH PURPOSEFULLY FOMENT HATE AGAINST THE JEWS IN ORDER TO CHANNEL THE ARAB ANGER AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DOMINATED AND HAVE NO REAL VOICE OR RIGHTS IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES.

Haven't you people learned by now that the Jews are here to stay? Powerful rich nations and people had tried to destroy these people for millennia. And they all failed. What make you, Palestinian supporters, think a few million poor not unified Palestinians (busy fighting each other) can remove the Jews from Israel… Allan Willing… is NOT enough. And do you really think the rich Arabs want to remove the only scapegoat they have, the only commonality Arabs have, the only reason that sort of keep the Arabs together. And do not tell me Islam is keeping the Arabs together, because it is NOT.
Palestinians are in a hopeless situation; they can keep on fighting and be miserable till the end of time, or take a step back and have some hope of resolving the situation.

P.S. I am Chinese, not Jews.

Yossi,
Why don't you raise the issue of compensation for the Sephardic Jews that were driven out of Arab Lands ?

Even Germany paid for lost property after WW II. Somehow it is everyone elses dudy to clean up Israeli mess.

How can any logic prevail in the land of Islam?

When logic doesn't prevail, war does. This time let it go until someone surrenders.

What about the responsibility of the Arab countries in confiscating Jewish property and organizing pogroms to expel thew Jews from their lands in 1948(i.e. Egypt, Iraq, Iran, etc.)? Equally, compensation should also be paid for those cases...

Hello,

I would say you’re not being consistent on what was your opening paragraph. Where is the Israeli responsibility in this?...They have killed thousand of innocent people, demolished thousands of houses they should compensate for all this...what was Palestine before 1948? what was Israel before 1948? yes we can point the finger at the Arabs and other states but while pointing one finger the other 3 comes back at Israel...Who fuels hate?...do you think Hammas would have any followers in a vacuum. Who creates the environment for violence. So I would say your so called point are also very narrow minded and one-way...The only way to Peace is to be fair and just even if it means admitting that your wrong (on both side) but we all know Israel will never do that cus they know what they have done...As far as Palestinian authority they are nothing but bunch of tugs...weren't they the same group who were named terrorist group but now they are legitimate by the same governments who declared them terrorist. So the Justice and Fairness has no room in these negotiations including your article...People like me and others in the world are not stupid at least those who have some reason for fairness and justice (that is true fairness and justice) No one groups or governments has the right to kill, destroy, commit violence against any human being until we and those leaders recognize that…I don't think any of the lips service would work including article such as this.
Thank you for you time
Concert human who live in this corrupt world

What about the responsibility of the Arab countries in confioscating Jewish property and organizing pogroms to expel thew Jews from their lands (i.e. Egypt, Iraq, Iran, etc.)? Equally, compensation should also be paid for those cases. An eye for an eye...

"4. The rocket shelling of Israeli towns (which is a war crime) would come to an end."

How, exactly, does this constitute a "war crime"? Either a) there's a war on, in which case Hamas cannot be terrorists, but must be enemy combatants, or b) there is no war and therefore no "war crime" is possible.

You minimize the atrocities of the Shoah, and of Somalia and Darfur, when you make such a claim.

I am an American student, neither Jewish nor Muslim, but even I recognize that the mere existence of Israel is the source of destabilization in the Middle East. It would be for the greater good if Israel were dissolved and the peoples who were originally forced from their lands were allowed to return. But that's not going to happen, is it?

I think there is not much thought behind this article and it was composed for the sake of an article not a solution

If the democracy is the currency of the time then Hamas is a democratic government. they won the Palestinian election with an over whelming majority not so long a ago. I think the rules for a democratic goverment should be same all over the world. "Chosen By the people government" and every one should respect the will of the palestinian people

If at all the nine point Agenda is implemented why should the palestinians be not allowed to settle in Israel (6D.) After all it was their land which was occupied. there should a free will those who wants to stay with in Israel borders should stay there and those who wants to migrate should move to palestinian state, and those refugees should be given equal rights (like normal citizens)

in reference to point 6B the whole region should be demiltarized (arms and nuclear free). There is no logic in unilateral demilitarization infact it will add to the unstability of the region.

What about Jerusalem?

NONSENSE AND UNBALANCED,

Let us not ignore justice. Israel needs to return to it's UN recognized borders, and also needs to Allow the return of the refugees to their rightful property inside Israel proper. we can't have results of forceful expansions, and ethnic cleansing be rewarded with cleansed territory.

As Melman himself acknowledges this is more a distant hope than a realistic possibility.
Israel has already done in a relatively minor way what Melman requires of it in a major way, evacuate Jews from their homes. Just as the disengagement did not bring 'peace' so removal of Jews from their homes did not bring a satisfactory humanitarian response to their situation. To evacuate two- hundred thousand Jews from Judea and Samaria will create tremendous suffering and not bring peace.
As for the Palestinians they have been encouraged by the rise of Islamism to turn even more in the direction of fanaticism. The election of Hamas is one evidence of that. They do not make peace when they are given land, and they do not make peace when they are given financing to build their economy. 'Peace' is not a value for them.
The asymmetry between the Israeli and historical Jewish longing for peace and the Arab Islammist desire for conquest and military victory are the major factors all along.
Melman is an Israeli who wants peace however faulty his plan for it might be. Where is even one Palestiniian Arab who formulates a peace- plan in which there is recognition of and living in peace with Israel?

Condition 6D is simply unjust and unacceptable, and your 'condition 7' is preposterous. Israel has the land, and if anyone is compensated, then the compensation needs to come from Israel. What utter arrogance to think that nations which had NOTHING to do with this should pay! Now you could argue that some of the nations on your list might reasonably feel responsible enough to be willing to help out with compensation, and I don't see why the nations of the world can't guarantee reparations, but lets be realistic here.

As I said before, 6D is not going to fly either, and why should it? Any people forced to flee from their native land most certainly has a right to return to it. Just because that will create problems for those occupying it now is irrelevant.

If the Jewish people of Israel are wise they will negotiate a fair peace, because if they don't, someday, however far in the future it may be, they will find themselves at the mercy of the Arab world. If that day comes to pass it will be a sad day for all. Instead you're going to HAVE to satisfy the legitimate demands of the Palestinians fully. It is as simple as that. Make peace or die.

Jonathan needs to learn about human rights and private property. Only in communist countries does the government own the land. Palestine was a part of the Ottoman Empire, but the land was owned by individuals. According to your thought process the private property of the Jews in Nazi Germany was owned by the Nazi government. According to people who believe in human rights the property was owned by the Jews. Shame on you. Is it O.K. for Jews to steal Palestinian land. Was it O.K. for the Nazis to steal Jewish land?

Just like the Annapolis accord, this will come to a doom also - your comments are very pro-Israel and anti-Palestine. Just some comments inline

1. If Mossad and JDL are included - I agree.

2. You contradict by saying that Hamas is supported by Iran but then tie in S.Arabia, UAE and Egypt - no facts just blubber.

3. All of Palestine land should go back to its original rulers. Palestinians.

4. Sure - but incursions into camps by murderous armies and settlers must stop as well. This is not self defence - this is cold blooded murder.

5. This should start first.

6. Back to square 1. Should dismantle all settlements, I leave it to the neighbors to recognize Israel or not - why is this tied to Palestinian freedom. BTW - I vote for all the middle east to be demilitarized - why just Palestine - should they not have the right to protect themselves - afterall - you have said that they are given sovergnty via UN (whatever that is).

7. How come Israel does not pay into it - they have stolen it - kind of double standard - Israel demands money in return from germany for Holocaust - but is not willing to recognize its Shoah !

8. This should happen now - I believe Israel is against this - what is there to hide - one can only wonder.

9. Does this include Israel - if so - where and who would they go and cry to ? who would give them money to survive ?

Call it what you want - but this is how it should be.

Melman's Point #1 is to delegitimize Hamas, who won a democratic election. It's easy to denounce Hamas as terrorists, while forgetting that Israel was founded in 1948 with acts of terror.

And the cheek of saying that the world's rich countries have to compensate the Palestinians for the stolen land within the 1948 borders! Why? Hasn't the U.S. paid more than our share already? But with Israel, ever-demanding little Israel, too much ain't enough. How much would it cost to make Israel go away, stop spying, stop interfering in our domestic politics, and leave the U.S. alone forever? Then it might be worth it -- freedom, at long last, from these relentless, voracious pests!

A. Israel has to agree to withdraw from all the occupied West Bank lands and dismantle most of the Jewish settlements there, while guaranteeing its security needs.
Comment:
Why not "all of the Jewish settlements"? Israel qualifies as a rich country, and the dismantling of the settlements should be done by the State, and settlers should be compensated by the State als well. Are these people ready to sacrifice their dwellings? If not - there cannot be peace.

When Israel says publically to the world it will gaurantee that, on a specific date, it will completely withdraw to the 1948 border from all the occupied West Bank lands and dismantle all of the Jewish settlements there, while guaranteeing its security needs, when Israel gaurantees the safe return of Palestinian refugees to that new Palestinian state, and when the US publically to the world agrees to enforce the boundaries of both nation states, then there will be peace.

I know, to show support of this peace plan, let's split Washington D.C. down the middle and give it to Britan. Then we can return 7 or 8 major cities on the east coast as well...

Then we can return most of the SouthWest to Mexico. Tear down cities like Tuscon, San Diego, El Paso etc.

Sounds good doesn't it?

With all due respect, Mr. Melman, your plan does not and will not fly for one simple reason: you ignore the right of the Palestinian people to exist as a sovereign nation on it's historical land. No matter what the super powers want and no matter what they think of Hamas, the facts will remain facts. Palestine was usurped from its rightful owners by invaders who built a homeland on the ruins of another nation. History will have no mercy on the superpowers especially the US for it’s role in this dirty war against a stripped-to-the-bone people. I recommend you read this article before accusing Hamas of being terrorists and anti-democracy. http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/04/gaza200804. Democracy, my ass!!

@ Jonathan Shaatal

In response to your "denounce violence" rhetoric I must say that you need to familiarize yourself with the conflict.

The Palestinian Intifada (the uprising) did not start until 1988. That's more than 20 years after the occupation started. I'd say the Palestinians were extremely patient and peaceful to have put up with the Israeli occupation for that long. Suicide bombings, by the way, did not start until the late 90s. The pattern here is that the harsher the conditions the Palestinians live in, the more desperate they are, the less hope they have, the more likely they are to use violence as a means to an end.

PS: Enough with the propaganda.

I find it interesting that you expect every nation other than Israel to compensate Palestinians for their stolen land. If Israel is to exist in peace, it must, among other things, respect property rights.

Your plan sounds almost EXACTLY THE SAME AS BUSH'S!!! It seems you expect the Arab's to make all the concessions while the Israeli’s get to keep everything they want (NOT FAIR TO ME). HAMAS was elected by the Palestinian's so I think they do have the right to speak for the people in Gaza more than those in the West Bank who are just puppets of the US.

Why in your list of people to pay the Palestinian refugees IS NOT ISREAL listed? Shouldn't they at least have to pay for the land other people stole from the Palestinian refugees or do they get it free for being a friend of GWB's.

Imagine if another country came to the USA and gave part of it (say the East Coast) away to say USSR would we accept it the way we expect Palestinian refugees to accept Israel? I seem to remember that our country was founded by what we would now call Terrorists after all we did commit acts of violence against England's interests and supporters.

Why weren't the Israeli's given land in Germany after WWII instead of and Arab country? Please answer these questions if you can. Maybe if the Israeli’s treated the Palestinian refugees better from the beginning there wouldn't be the issue there is today.

I think it's good, but you left out one of the most important issues....JERUSALEM!! Do you agree that it should be a shared/co- capital?

Steps 8 and 9.

Who cares? Why should we? Why would any nation want to commit resources to these people, either side?

If 10,000 people per year die in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, why should the rest of the world care? The violence is nicely contained in a corner of the world. It's not like it's spreading. Okay, so Lebanon gets involved once in a blue moon. It's still way less than 1/2,000 of the earth's land mass and there are no natural resources of consequence in the region.

Let it rage.

To those who beleive that the Palestinians were "ousted" in 1948, one needs to review history. This land belonged historically to the Turks for over 400 years. We then had the British Mandate in 1920's that divided up the land with a tiny portion for the Jewish population. In 1948, there was the UN Mandate that further defined the borders with a "two state solution", one for the Arabs and one for Jews. However, the entire region turned against the newly formed State of Israel and Palestinians were advised to leave and get out of the way of the Arab nations preparing to war against Israel. In the end they were replelled by Israel. After that, the Palestinians wanted to come back to their homes and land they abandoned. Sorry, but they backed the wrong horse and have paid the consequences since that time.

Yeah, that is a real peace algorithm. Wow! Who the dump-ass called this bastard a senoir political analyst? What is he thinking of himslef? That he is a kinda impartial pig from Mars or what?

I like the way people assume that the United States of America is responsible for the peaceful relations between sovereign nations. I submit that we will be responsible for your poor, your peace and your democracy when you start paying taxes. Until such time, you should accept responsibility for your actions, your relationships with other sovereign nations and your future.

Not a bad list, but you forgot one important step: Israel must formally apologize to the Palestinians for taking their land and admit all the mistakes and injustices perpetrated in building their new country. It must show that it understands the sad irony that a persecuted people, the Jews, after suffering such hardships over many centuries and especially in the last wold war, turn around and persecute another people, the Palestinians, in their bid to finally secure a "homeland" that will protect them from the oppression of others. It must show that it undertands that the Palestinians had nothing to do with the holocaust and were, essentially, innocent bystanders whose sole possession, their land, presented a convenient "solution" to the West's problem of what to do with Jews after the war. In addition to the compensation, an entire series of conferences should be planned to discuss this issue as the Palestinians are a traumatized people that need the world to recognize that they have been wronged. No healing can occur before this happens. The conferences should be followed by formal anouncements of recognition, pleas for forgiveness and efforts to build understanding that it is now too late to undo what has been done (being practical here). This is where the compensation and resettlement comes in.

This is an excellent plan. Every Israeli can get behind this plan. I fully endorse all plans that completely disenfranchise one side while giving the other side everything they want. No other, better plans could possibly be thought of.

Or maybe we should just give them what they want: give both sides enough guns and tell them to have at it. They just want to kill each other. Let them. It would be as effective as this man's plan.

Umm. I generally support Israel. I am curious though. Why should I, the US taxpayer, pay reparations to Palestinians under step 7?

Excellent plan, excellent points. The biggest issue is; There is no incentive for Hamas and Iran to follow thorugh on these recommendations.Truth betold, the Arab states in general do not want this problem on their doorsteps and have consistently deflected responsibility to Israel. The only way that peace will occur is when the Palestinian people rise up in mass, denouce the violence and terrorism and earnestly desire a different life for themselves and their children. Can Israel be trusted? One simply needs to look to Egypt & Jordan and their lasting peace process with Israel.

Sorry, it's not "lack of vision, willingness and readiness", it's worse than that: Virtually all parties in a leadership position have vested interests in continued conflict.

Waste of time.

The tone of writing is shrill. As for expecting the rockets to stop, that's just naive, unrealistic. The same goes for ending the funding of Hamas, and weren't they elected?

Seems that Israelis are unable to grasp the reality of the situation. The are driven by emotions.

Certainly the first step would be to halt Army incursions into Gaza and the West Bank. They appear as the root cause of the conflict at this time.

It's difficult to believe in this time, that there are those who believe the military can save the day. That is foolish and just prolongs the agony.

Nine steps to peace from a Palestinian perspective:
#1 Israel needs to alleviate the Gaza strip from the iron fist stramglehold .
#2 Israel receives the equivilant of $7B in grants
and loans from the US. Quit talking about help the Palestinians get from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
#3 Leave the West Bank and tear down the stupid wall.
#4 The Palestinian People chose Hamas by popular vote.Hamas is here to stay.
#5 Dismantle the settlements from all the West Bank
#6 The whole world needs to lend a helping hand to the Palestinian people.
#7 Israel needs to make the first move to show good will.They are the ones holding the trump card w/the US.
#8 The US need to quit talking about terror when we see terror performed by the occupation on a daily basis.
#9 When this is accomplished,then the Palestinian people will go for peace Otherwise,do not count on it

Let's consider the right of return.

I am Jewish, but I do not suffer the discrimination and persecution of my ancestors, mainly because I have been fortunate enough to live in a relatively free and accepting country. Why should any of my fellow Jewish citizens be granted automatic Israeli citizenship, when by taking advantage of that option, they reduce the resources available for other more worthy aliyot?

Other countries have policies granting refugee status to foreign nationals who might otherwise have no other option to escape persecution. Why shouldn't Israel adopt a similar policy? This does not abandon the right of return altogether.

My point is, if you stop giving special status to every Jew, no matter what their personal situation, you also take away the biggest demand of the Palestinians.

Adopt a just and merciful immigration policy along well-recognized international standards.

It might actually have an effect opposite to the worst fears -- by making Israeli citizenship a highly valued commodity (as EU and USA citizenship have been), it would encourage immigration by the most highly valued applicants.

"The 22 Arab countries surrounding Israel do not want peace. They need a state of simmering hostility to take minds off of the poverty and economic inequity and lack of democracy."

It's always someone else's fault. Or in Israel's case *everyone* else's fault.

Alas, a small speck of misery on a planet so covered with it that it is unworthy of reporting. Compared to the genocides in Africa, the Israeli-Palestinian problem is a nit. That it has gone on for 50 years (some say 1000) is proof that no 9-step, 12-step, 1000-step program will work.

However, one can take comfort in the fact that once Iran acquires nuclear weapons, and with the US, European, and Asian businesses all anxious to sell technology, that should be within 5 years, peace will come to the Trans-Jordan in one fashion or another.

Asymmetry is unbalance; water seeks a level.