Comments on: Predictable prescription from poobahs past

By: Michael Lonie

Michael Lonie — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:49:27 +0000

These two senile clowns have watched the Palestinians violate every agreement they have made with Israel and they are still flogging the same tired, useless claptrap. Their proposals have been tried and failed (Barack offered East Jerusalem as the Pali capital in 2000, when Arafat turned him down flat without even a fake counteroffer).

When you do the same thing time after time and it always fails the sensible thing is to stop doing the failing actions. Trying to make peace with the Palis in their present condition of insanity is constantly failing: stop trying to do that. Whack them hard if they attack but otherwise ignore them.
When they have recovered their senses (if they ever do) there will be time to make peace, but nothing will be accomplished until then, except the deterioration of Israel’s security. That, of course, is what many people want, the Saudis for example.

By: Angelo Eftimeo

Angelo Eftimeo — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:32:54 +0000

While I am a believer that the election results may have some positive carryover in our (US) world relations, this is one area that I don’t feel any positives about. The stated goal of Hamas, Fatah, and Iran at different times (along with many other groups) is for the complete destruction of the Israeli State. This retoric has been how they recruit and why they exist. The fact that Israel has given concessions in the past with little or no positives in return hardly seems like a plan worth continuing with.
The anger and hatred between these groups (sadly) may never go away, and with each death of a Palestinian or suicide bombing of an Israeli the pain, anger, and resolve of each group hardens. Some situations cannot be solved but can only be held in check. I continue to support dialogue between these groups and hope that our new leadership can make progress but I am afraid that I disagree with these two veterans of the State Department on a higher chance for success coming anytime soon.

By: MarkJ

MarkJ — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:45:06 +0000

Ah yes, more of that youthful, oh-so-Obamian “change” and “fresh thinking” we’ll come to know and love from those brash whippersnappers “Ziggie” (born 1928) and “Scowie” (born 1925).

“Ziggie” had a comfortable life in Poland before the war and his family managed to escape the Germans because his diplomat father was posted to Canada in 1938. Too bad Ziggie didn’t undergo the horrors of Nazi occupation: if he had, he’d have developed a better understanding of why the Israelis think and act as they do.