OT
It's still a bad plan, whether Bush backs it or not. And he didn't endorse it wholesale, either.
My opinion is that the Saudi version is the best, but it lacks credibility ONLY because the Saudis treat the Palestinians so poorly...
The most interesting thing, after actually visiting the Mid East, is that Arabs (very general statement, certainly not 100% true) don't think highly of Palestinians. They use them as a proxy to voice their contempt for the West. Israel is the only country that allows Arabs (including Palestinians) the right to vote for a democratic voice (Western - style, of course).
Israelis actually don't have an issue with Palestinians at all. In fact, the overriding issue was best put into words by an Israeli friend of mine who spent years in the US. He said it's like "blacks in America". There is a small minority that want to overthrow and destroy the standard. There is a larger majority that are actually OK with the Israelis IF they could have more autonomy, and get their land back. But in the end, as he put it, it all comes down to living conditions and jobs. Palestinians have the worst of both, if they have anything.
As a result of a vocal minority (on both sides), the issue can never be satisfactorily resolved. |
