Now that Hamas has taken over the Gaza Strip, what can the U.S. do to get the Israel-Palestinian peace process back on track?
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How should the United States proceed in the Middle East?
Bush's visit to help Israel celebrate its independence and brutal occupation and oppression of Palestinians is definitely NOT the way to go to promote peace. We should be boycotting Israel for its war crimes, illegal settlements, extra-judicial assassinations (as opposed to fair trials), and other collective punishment, NOT praising them as a Western-style democracy (when it more resembles aparthied), reassuring them that we will invade any country that looks at them funny, and stressing our special frienship at avery opportunity.
Our support (and other countries') for a Jewish state is a bit racist. As though we are saying we don't want them, so let them all go to their own country. It is also racist toward Arabs, especially those living in this Jewish state. What part have they in a Jewish state, one that doesn't really acknowledge their existence? One where Jewish rights are protected, one where other countries pledge to protect the Jewish nature of Israel, one where the national flag represents a religion they are not a part of.
A one state solution for Arabs and Israelis, Jews, Muslims, and Christian and anyone else makes the most sense. That is the only way to ensure equal rights. Israel seems to be laying the groundwork for one state by annexing more and more land with settlements and walls. Hopefully a binational state will come of it rather than the Israeli right's idea of one Jewish state in all of Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank where Palestinians are "transferred"/ethnically cleansed from the area.
I think we should turn the
Submitted by Double D Betty (not verified) on May 14, 2008 - 3:49pm.
I think we should turn the desert to glass with a low level nuke. Perhaps that would finally get everyone's attention.
the way to get it done
also at 360,yahoo.com/tcdrtw
The so called final status issues should be the starting place.
Settlements. They are ALL illegal under the Geneva Convention and ALL need to be dismantled to have a meaningful discussion about borders. Otherwise, we are talking about theoretical states and borders which will never truly exist, or a bantusan situation, which will never be accepted (nor should it).
The US needs to take a more balanced approach. Condemn and sanction Israel when it does something illegal, instead of telling them how much we enjoy our "special relationship". Praise Palestinians for progress, instead of saying how dare you elect a leader we don't like-we're kicking you to the curb. The US and Israel's treatment of the Palestinian elections caused or mostly caused the Gaza takeover.
If we're going to also collectively punish all Palestinians for extremists' crimes, then we must also punish Israelis for the views of the few rabbis who speak (and settlers who act on it) of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, Avigdor Lieberman who called for hundreds to be drowned. http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/892/re72.htm