Replies

Not only offensive, but wrong on every dimension. For one thing, Israel is a democracy. That means if "land for peace" deals with Arafat were a credible concept, the Israeli people could elect a government to conduct them. Its not a question of Barak dying and a new Pasha taking over. H got voted out of office after Arafat said NO to 98% of the occupied territories, half of Jerusalem, additional land to make up for the 2% he lacked. Plus handover of the settlements, MILITARY ASSISTANCE for God's sake, untold billions of US foreign aid from Clinton. Arafat says NO to this. Why? Because he would have been murdered by Hamas. What the Israeli doves learned last year, was that Arafat cannot deliver the "peace" part of this deal. The offer is still there of course. Sharon says he'll start talks as soon as 7 days go by without a terrorist attack on Israelis. So far there has been no hiatus.

I also think that there is more behind the US commitment to Israel than campaign donations from Jewish Americans. For one thing, we would be much further behind on this war on terror than we are without Israeli intelligence. It is nice to have one reliable stable democracy in the MidEast. The Saudis won't be around much longer. Egypt has returned to a barely managed autocracy with a basket case economy. Turkey lurches from crisis to crisis. Kuwait? Oman? Jordan? OK, Pat go have fun with your friends.

About this whole "Palestinian State" thing:

After many months of pressure from the US government, Prime Minister Sharon finally agrees to meet with Arafat to discuss the creation of a Palestinian State.

They walk in the room at the same time, and, along with their respective staffs, take their seats on opposite sides of the long, negotiating table.

Arafat speaks first, eager to get started.

"Well, let's get going, time is wasting."

Sharon looks across, and speaks: "It is traditional for us, that before meetings of such importance we tell a story from our History, would that be OK?"

Smuggly, Arafat gives him the "go ahead."

Sharon begins:

"After wondering 40 years in the desert, Moses finally leads his people to the Promised land. He watches them put up their tents on a river side, readying themselves for the long process of settling the area."

"Moses looks at the clean, sparkling water in the river, and thinks that it is time to cleanse his body. He disrobes and enters the cool water, spending the next several minutes washing himself. He finishes and walks out of the water, looking for his clothes; to his utter dismay, he realizes that they are gone, taken from the rock where he left them."

"He looks around and sees nothing other than two Jewish children tending to a small flock of sheep nearby."

"He hides his nakedness behind a rock and shouts at them, asking if they had seen his clothes. The children shout back that they had seen some Palestinian kids take them a few moments earlier."

Arafat jumps up from his seat in anger, shouting at Sharon.

"It's always the same with you, always "blame the Palestinians", they are all lies, even your History is built on lies!"

Red and out of breath from the angry outburst, Arafat shouts at Sharon.

"Lies, all lies! There were no Palestinians back then!"

To which Sharon quietly replies: "OK, then...NOW we can begin the talks."

Its not a question of Barak dying and a new Pasha taking over. H got voted out of office after Arafat said NO to 98% of the occupied territories, half of Jerusalem, additional land to make up for the 2% he lacked. Plus handover of the settlements, MILITARY ASSISTANCE for God's sake, untold billions of US foreign aid from Clinton. Arafat says NO to this. Why? Because he would have been murdered by Hamas. What the Israeli doves learned last year, was that Arafat cannot deliver the "peace" part of this deal. The offer is still there of course. Sharon says he'll start talks as soon as 7 days go by without a terrorist attack on Israelis. So far there has been no hiatus.

I just thought that was worth repeating.