[yonif]

It does not matter if its Hamas or the Palestinian Authority in power. They both want the destruction of Israel. The fact the US objects to this is because such a move from Gaza will lead to the end of the roadmap to "peace" which the US does not want, as it supports a "2 state vision" where there is an Israel and a Palestine.

The US government naively thinks its can achieve this aim with the Palestinian Authority, even though its a terrorist regime.

I do not understand why the US keeps fumbling over the roadmap to terrorist statehood for the PLO Arabs....The US objection to leaving Gaza is vaild - but their reasoning behind why Israel should not leave Gaza is not.

Leaving Gaza, and following this "roadmap" to peace rewards terrorism.

Also, I don't think Israel will leave Gaza in the end, with or without US pressure. Internal matters will not allow it.

[Cinnamon Girl]

One of the reasons the Hebrews were not led on the shortest route from Egypt to Israel was because of the Philistia people were on the coast and in Gaza, and they were known as a vicious and warring people. Gaza has always been a troublesome area.

It is crazy that any Israeli or U.S. official would actually still believe, after all that they have uncovered, that Arafat and the PA/PLO were not terrorists.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

U.S. officials said Tuesday that they are worried that unilateral Israeli moves to relocate settlers from the Gaza Strip will boost the standing of Palestinian extremists amid concerns about a growing "anarchy" on Palestinian streets.

"That would be a real big negative for President (George W.) Bush's vision of two states living in peace and security because the Hamas vision is one state with no Jews in it," one senior U.S. official told Reuters on Tuesday.

"Somebody is going to have to help the Palestinian Authority. They don't have the resources" to compete with Hamas," another official said.

How funny, Hello State Dept, anybody home?

[monkeyshine]

What more can you tell us about the Israeli media, talk in Israel, about foreign reaction to Sharon's annoucement. Any response from Europe yet?