'New reality' for Palestinians

The Boston Globe ^ | April 16, 2004 | Charles A. Radin (news analysis)

[Cincinatus' Wife]

.........."We are accustomed to the lies of the Palestinian Authority," Qassem said. "There are things going on behind the curtains." He added that the so-called Geneva Agreement, which many of the leaders of the Palestinian Authority have endorsed, already has shown their willingness to deeply compromise the right of Palestinian refugees to return to Israel. Qassem also said that Palestinian officials are party to negotiated agreements with the United States, Israel, and the Egyptians about how Gaza will be run after the withdrawal.

Yuval Steinitz, chairman of the foreign affairs and defense committee of the Israeli parliament and a member of Sharon's Likud Party, said yesterday's statements were "nothing special," just a reiteration and marginal clarification of previous US policies. But Eliezer Sandberg, who is minister of science and a leader of the centrist Shinui Party, said Bush injected an important new element into the discussion by stating firmly that Palestinian refugees should return to a Palestinian state, not to Israel.

But more significant than their differences over yesterday's statements was that the two hawkish Israeli parliamentarians said they are leaning toward endorsing Sharon's withdrawal plans, despite their reluctance to evacuate settlements in the West Bank and despite the continuing barrage of opposition to Sharon from the far right and from the Jewish settlers in the occupied territories.

Israeli analysts have been saying for weeks that Sharon's prime goals of the summit were to counter the tide of conservative opposition to his withdrawal plans and put Palestinian leaders on the spot to respond with a positive gesture. Preliminary indications are that he had made progress toward both objectives.

[Jim Noble]

Just for the record, and despite repeated usage, there is no such thing as "new reality".

Reality just is.

[American_Centurion]

The term should be "new paradigm".

I despise the word simply because it has been misused/overused because of an office depot commercial.

However in this instance it fits precisely.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

[sheik yerbouty]

Sort of like shi'ite happening..