Bring In the Diplomats

and.....? a good "diplomatic" analysis, but one which begs the core question: how can Hamas or the Palestinians ever trusts an Israel which since 1967 has weakened Palestinian national aspirations by violence, annexation, and the imposition of political chaos and economic servitude? And how can Israel trust that a strong and independent Palestine will simply swallow four decades of hate and violence toward Israel and turn its energies to state building? The short answer, and the challenge to diplomats, is that neither side has any reason to trust the other, and every reason not to. It's a little like two gamblers, in this case with human lives, needing a third party to hold the stakes each is asked to risk on an uncertain future. And the work is the work of a decade or a generation. Unless the U.S. is willing to step in this role and enforce the deal by holding the most important cards itself, instead of weakly turning to Turkey or Egypt for help, nothing will happen. Arabs and Jews aren't Protestant and Catholic Irishmen scattered along a fault line between two Christian countries of commo0n heritage. Diplomats with more steel than those we have now are needed, and a President politically able to stand up for peace as objective compromise by both sides, instead of just temporary and reversible concessions on unimportant issues.

As Robert Fisk correctly pointed out, the present situation in Palestine can't be properly compared to the Irish conflict: "I suggested that local peace agreements didn't travel well and that the idea advanced by John Hume ??? that it was all about compromise ??? didn't work since the Israeli seizure of Arab land in the West Bank had more in common with the 17th-century Irish Catholic dispossession than sectarianism in Belfast."

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fiskrsquos-world-wherever-i-go-i-hear-the-same-tired-middle-east-comparisons-1297595.html

Israel pitting Palestinians against each other with the excuse of trying to strengthen the "moderate" ones is just their way of weakening both while keeping expanding their illegal settlements in the West Bank unopposed.

The best way to solve this mess is not by supporting Abbas, who is totally discredited among his people anyway, is by encouraging all Palestinian factions to unite, and supporting them actively in the peace process, instead of just siding with Israel.

What is happening in Gaza can not be rationally defended nor can it be left unresolved. Once Israel pushed so far at great human and PR cost, this must not ceded to afterthoughts before a premature ending. It will take few more weeks and may be few thousand lives including some Israelis but must not be prematurely stopped for another fighting to begin in few months. Israel must clean the enemies out from Gaza to her own satisfaction. Whatever damage there will be is already done. It will difficult to get even HRC in her new office to endorse if Israeil resumes fighting in few months. So clean it up, if need be clear the strip of able body arabs force them out to Egypt , to Jordan and even to West Bank but it a final act what ever it takes. After this no excuses will be acceptable otherwise Israel will be on a slope downhill. Election or no election Israel has no choice now.

sdfgse

jfjskjfksjdfksjdfkjdf

Catch-22 I hate to admitted, but you might be correct. Only one of them at the end will exist. Its like a jungle, one has to lose its life for the other one to survive. Diplomats in general are worthless, they making a living, they are on a salary, they don't care of the outcome. What they realy need to do to solve this conflict, is to take a common person from Israel, another one from Palestine, put both of them in a room and let them come with a solution to the problem, without the interference of all these high paid officials. where most of them are after glory, or a higher position. How about a Hamas fighter, and an Israeli soldier. Not Livni, Olmert, Abbas and the rest of the gang. They all after glory, not peace. I hate to see all these women, children and men dying every day, and I hate to see your analysis Catch 22 to become a reality. But its a jungle over there, the stronger will always survive.

Mr. Haas your subliminal message is loud and clear. It was not the IRA which underwent enlightenment. It was the British government that gave up on an arrogant sense of entitlement accompanied by brutality which in turn allowed IRA to lay down their arms. Hence It is not Hamas & Hezbulah who need to follow IRA. It is Israel who needs to use U.K. as an example and begin to treat their fellow semite as human.