In the first instance, we should refrain from telling everyone that there has been a resumption of peace talks when in fact there has never been any credible effort, by either side, to achieve peace. This latest episode offers no harbinger of good news, especially since one cannot have a diplomatic assembly when none of the rudimentary structures for negotiation even exist. All we have ever done is to guarantee both sides of the table there is more US money in the offing if they just hold out a little longer.
Personally, I hope Kerry is successful in bringing these two groups together, but I’m not holding my breath. One Middle Eastern diplomat observed that the opportunity for peace in Israel in waning, and I would agree with such an assessment were it not for the fact that both sides seem to gain more from conflict, than from accord. Meanwhile, following disaster after disaster in its Middle East policy, the Obama administration is damn near giddy about the prospects for peace. It is a breathtaking level of incompetence.
Meanwhile, Kerry’s one-act play is farcical in the sense that he is pretending, along with Israelis and the Palestinians, to foster a negotiated settlement. In point of fact, the Palestine Authority has no influence over the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip. Hamas will never agree to a settlement with Israel. Everyone knows this, but the pretense continues. In spite of this, I heard one Middle Eastern pundit say that there has never been a greater opportunity for an accord. This is because both Hamas and Hezbollah have their hands full in Egypt. I had to laugh. Does this person think that either of the terrorist organizations is incapable of doing two things at once? My gosh, he spoke as if educated in an American public school…
I do, however, believe there is a method to Arab madness, beginning with the bottom line: Arabs are not interested in peace. They and their foremost enablers are interested in only one thing: the destruction of Israel. Complicating this issue over the past five years is this one anomaly: no one expected the US to line up with the terrorists. It remains instructive, however: the Israelis should learn never to take stock in anything that comes out of the mouth of an American diplomat.
One wonders if John Kerry is smart enough to know he’s being played as a fiddle. Historically, the Middle East peace process goes something like this: one-step forward, three steps back. It is somewhat reminiscent of the Potomac two-step, only with additional steps.
But I am interested in what readers think. Will there be a negotiated peace between Israel and Palestine —ever?
Will there be a negotiated peace between Israel and Palestine —ever?
ReplyDeleteNo.
I won't hold my breath. Israel will be asked to give, give, give, give ... Never fair.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com
So the Israeli welfare queens are putting on a little kabuki.
ReplyDeleteThey need to go through the motions till the demographics finally swamp them.
We simply gave Billions of our hard earned cash to both sides in order for Kerry to have a photo-op. It was simply good math to take the bucks and humor him. No more, no less.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is a great scam. What irritates me most is that I didn't think of it first. Peace in the Middle East? Never ...
ReplyDeletePlace a pox on all their houses, we should.
ReplyDeleteThe only smart thing Kerry has done in his life is to marry someone rich enough to buy him a political office.
ReplyDeleteIn a word: NO. Trying to deal with Semites is like trying to reason with scorpions. These people are no damned good. I say let them kill each other off asap. They are a cancer in the world's body. To hell with them.
ReplyDeleteGrant Sherman
No one with brains can have much confidence in this government —or the previous government, either. It has been a never-ending parade of clowns running amok while real people suffer. I suspect that none of our diplomats back to Eisenhower has had any substantial understanding of or appreciation for Middle Eastern culture. How is Israel under American tutelage any better off than Algeria was under French domination? Without western interference, I think we would have one of these two things in Palestine: (1) a negotiated peace, or (2) a victor.
ReplyDeleteAttempting to exert "Western Influence" is what got us into all this trouble, Mr. Sinclair. Interfering in the affairs of Muslim countries is like thrusting a stick into a hornet's nest. The West has not only been very very stupid and short-sighted it has been dead wrong.
DeleteUsurping the prerogatives of others -- even when are absolutely certain they are "wrong" -- is a very great evil.
Apparently, the West for all its humanitarian advances, cleverness and brilliant achievement never learned the Eleventh Commandment:
"Thou shalt not mind otherpeople's business."
"Without western interference, I think we would have one of these two things in Palestine: (1) a negotiated peace, or (2) a victor."
DeleteRobert, I don't think (1) is acceptible if it means Hamas/etc remain in power. And if (2) means the bad gus win, that is bad too.
The best solution is complete elimination of those elements of Palestinian polity that seek to exterminate Jews. This sort of solution worked in Germany at the end of WW2. And the Palestinian government position happens to be so much like that of the Nazis.
Duck,
ReplyDeleteDo the Israeli's have their own welfare agency totally dedicated to their sole support at the UN like the Pseudostinians do? UNWRA.
The policy of Obama and Kerry of this "land for peace' idea ifs both foolishness and folly. At best it's an example of extreme futility. For the Muslim/Arabs of that area, who are the ones who like to call themselves the "Palestinians" as if by calling themselves that title it might gave them some kind of "claim" of that land, will take any land they might be able to obtain from the State of Israel and then use it as a base to launch murderous rocket attacks into Israel. As in the case of Gaza. History has shown that this "land for peace" idea has not worked and there is no rational reason to believe that it will work in the future. Therefore, the "Palestinians" leaders in any so called "negotiations" will be very disingenous with both their intentions and words. They will dissimulate. To put this in another way, this type of thing is described in the Bible. For in Psalm 55:2o,21. it reads "Such men do violence to those at peace with them and break their promised word; their speech is smoother then butter but their thoughts are of war." [NEB]
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing is just a sick joke, a farce. A couple of people up the line got it right. The Mideast crowd aren't worth one drop of American sweat let alone our blood. The Israelites made their bed, and now they have to lie in it. Those people may be real bright, but they've got no common sense. You don't make camp in the middle of a forest fire. CRIPES
ReplyDeleteHarold Beckburger