Biden leads latest U.S. push to revive Mideast peace talks

[TomCADem]

Source: Yahoo News

JERUSALEM — Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to arrive in Jerusalem Monday, topping off a string of high-profile visitors who appear to have succeeded in pushing reluctant Israeli and Palestinian leaders back to the negotiating table — or at least to separate tables.

Palestinian leaders announced over the weekend that they'd approved a proposal for indirect negotiations with Israel through U.S. mediators. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu voiced his support last week in a statement to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, saying the "time was ripe for peace."

The two parties are expected to issue a declaration within days announcing their participation in four months of peace talks, a deadline the Arab League set last week.

"We've been working hard in the region for several months to create the kind of political support that the parties will need if they make the decision to enter into discussions," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said after the Arab League voted to back negotiations.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3445289

[yava]

1. The biggest obstacle is the "right of return"..

for the Palestinians families who were driven out of what is now Israel.
This is thought necessary to preserve the Jewish character of the state.
I often do this little calculation, its approximate but at least it motivates discussion:
Supposing the individuals and decendents driven out number say 2 million. Many of the rich ones now residents in Arab oil states wouldn't really want to go back. They would however, take the money compensation for their land/home left behind. The poorer ones in refugee camps for example in Lebanon and those in Jordan, Syria would be happy to take the money and live in a decent home.
Their host countries would love the influx of cash and support the measure.
Ok, lets say each gets 100,000 US$ compensation. for 2 million, thats 200 billion US$.
The Army said each US soldier at war, together with the required support infrastructure costs 1 million US$/year. For 200,000 soldiers in Iraq and Afghan wars (not counting the missles and other weapons), the total for the two wars is 200 billion US$ for 1 year only, equal to the estimate for the definite compensation of 2 million Palestinan refugees. Also, from the compensation money, 20% can likely be raised from rich Arab states and 10% from Europe, leaving Israel and the US to come up with about 140 billion or less than 8 months of the costs of the two wars and this, over say 3 years.

So, WHY, Why, why is this not on the table?