Points of No Return

[Classical_Liberal]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4854960/

......

Never mind. The Bush administration suddenly declared a major shift in its policy toward Israel and the Palestinians this month—and made yet another irreversible mistake.

The Palestinians used to have three important cards in an otherwise very weak hand. The first was broad international support for a return to the 1967 borders of Israel, or something fairly close. Second was the question of whether Palestinians might someday go back to their ancestors’ lands in Israel. The third card was the threat of violence, particularly terrorist violence.

President Bush’s new position effectively eliminates the diplomatic cards: Israel gets to keep its biggest and most important settlements in the West Bank and in effect redraw the borders unilaterally; the United States won’t ask it to negotiate the question of Palestinians coming back. And all this in exchange for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s tentative promise that he might pull out of Gaza and a handful of tiny, remote West Bank settlements. Of course, if his Likud Party refuses to back him, or he simply changes his mind for other reasons, that promise will disappear. But the Bush administration’s surrender of the Palestinians’ cards won’t ever be reversed. Sharon’s got them in his pocket.

[Muddleoftheroad]

1. Two out of three

Considering two out of three were partially or entirely bogus, that's just too bad. The right of return is entirely bogus. It ain't gonna happen. And, honestly, the 1967 borders might work for the world, but they will not be the final borders and both sides seem not just to recognize it, but desire it as well.

[Classical_Liberal]

2. IF it is not the final border there is no border period

. There can be no Palestinian state. The 52 diplomats, protesting Blair know this. The only people who don't know this are Americans and the Israelis. I am not going to bother distinguishing Likud from Labor or Repukes from Democrats anymore. All of these groups have the exact same policies in Israel Palestine. Ofcoarse they are just lying like the lies they told about WMD. They are the fucking liars that are responsible for the deaths of our soldiers in Iraq.

[Muddleoftheroad]

4. What is magical about that border?

Especially when even Palestinians hold that the border is not the final border? (Remember their demands for MORE land in the Geneva accords.)

So what you are saying is that the Palestinian state will collapse if the border is one foot over the line? Ten? What?

[Classical_Liberal]

5. Geneva is based on the Roadmap

which Sharon admits is dead. Furthermore Bush has assure the Israelis that he will not allow any other plan to be implemented. This includes Geneva.

[Muddleoftheroad]

6. Does that mean the Palestinians don't want that land?

Of course it doesn't.

[number6]

3. the US is a dishonest broker for peace ...

:(