Return of the Bad Old Middle East

Yidwithlid ^ | 12/31/08 | Steven Plaut

[Shellybenoit]

For most of the past 16 years or so, a seemingly benign specter has been haunting the world - namely, the notion that there exists a New Middle East, one that plays by rules very different from those in the Bad Old Middle East.

Beginning with the first of the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s, Israel was launched by its own political leadership into a "peace process" whose main axiom was that the Old Middle East was dead and gone.

Oslo was based on the assumption that what was needed to resolve the conflict was a sincere willingness on Israel's part to reach an accommodation with the Arab world through unilateral concessions and especially through Israel's acknowledging the legitimacy of Palestinian demands for statehood.

But as we enter the year 2009, the conclusion is unavoidable that there is no such thing as a New Middle East. The Bad Old Middle East keeps reasserting itself - with a vengeance.

It is crucial at this point in history for all to abandon the campaign of peace through make-believe that has governed efforts at resolving the conflict since late 1992. No progress can be made until the world renews its acquaintance with Middle East reality and stares it straight in its unpleasant face. Unhappy truths and principles must again be understood and internalized. The most important ones follow...

[Little Ray]

The “Peace Process” proved to the Palis could get what they want (the elimination of Israel) by terrorism and by manipulating their dupes in the Western Media.

Israel is finally figuring out that they are NOT going to get anything from the “Peace Process” except more terrorism and more demands for concessions.

[SolidWood]

For most of the past 16 years or so, a seemingly benign specter has been haunting the world - namely, the notion that there exists a New Middle East, one that plays by rules very different from those in the Bad Old Middle East.

Please what? Guess the author missed the Second Gulf war, Desert Fox, the USS Cole bombing, the Intifada and the ongoing state war between Israel and the Palestinians, the Afghan Civil war, Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, the insurgency, the Syrian terror campaign in Lebanon and the war against Hezbollah 2006...

[Oldpuppymax]

The middle east consists of a group of nations whose populations are entirely dependent for their survival upon the oceans of oil which happen to be under their feet. Without this gift of nature, the entire region would be one huge sand filled ghetto. Hell, they couldn’t even build their own refineries, pipelines, etc. Add to this near total ignorance a “religion” which demands the death of any and all non-believers and one has found a true planetary sewer. Here’s hoping Israel does a good and complete job in the destruction of Hamas and moves on from there.