[patent]

My opinion (FWIW) is that this is not the time for the US to get into a p*ssing match with Israel.

My opinion (OTOH) is that this is not the time for Israel to get into a p*ssing match with the US. Just a matter of perspective, I guess.

My opinion (OBH) is that it’s not a good time for either party to get in a pissing match with the other. At the same time, a Bush seems to be once again asking Israel to take a lot of lumps to help the US build a coalition that serves US interests, not Israeli interests. The Palestinians are run by far too many terrorists, and if Bush meant what he said about ridding the world of terrorists (or however he said it) he would not be sacrificing Israel’s interests to appease Palestinians and those who support their terrorism. I’m not always a huge fan of Israel, but there is far too much appeasement going on for my tastes.

patent  +AMDG

[Romulus]

I have to admit I'm less than thrilled about the way the Palestinian statehood thing is going down. Not because I don't think they should have one (conditioned by the standard qualifiers about accepting Israel's right to exist, etc.), but the timing could not be worse, inviting the Palestinian-in-the-street (as well as the Muslim world at large) to conclude that terrorism pays. I'm not saying that I blame Bush for this timing; a lot of things are just not in is control. But it's infuriatingly inconvenient. Would it be too much to ask that the price of Palestinian statehood is the immediate exile of Arafat and his lieutenants? Surely they have banked enough by now to be able to retire in comfort. There should certainly be a price to pay.