Comments on: Olmert and the peace process again (sigh) https://www.yourish.com/2008/08/01/5175 Cutting straight to the point Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:04:14 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Michael Lonie https://www.yourish.com/2008/08/01/5175/comment-page-1#comment-32834 Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:04:14 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/?p=5175#comment-32834 It should be plain as a pikestaff by now, even to a diplomat or a reporter, that nothing Israel does can lead to peace. The whole initiative lies, and always has lain, with the Arabs. If they want peace there will be peace, if they want war there will be war. Leaning on Israel does nothing, except perhaps to embolden the Arabs to anticipate that more violence will bring greater concessions.

Israel, with American support, must make it plain that more violence will bring adverse effects on the Arabs.

Israel could start by rooting Hamas out of Gaza and turn control over to the local tribal leaders, with the explicit understanding that any violence against Israel from Gaza under their control will result in their own deaths, the exile of their families and their replacement os leaders by their rivals. Repeat as necessary until the lesson sinks in. Then Israel can turn on Hezbollah.

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