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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (31753)	6/6/2002 9:40:42 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Respond to of 281500

Good comments Nadine... Hawk

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (31753)	6/6/2002 9:54:00 PM
From: paul_philp	Respond to of 281500

The practical purpose for most of these inquiries is to answer the question, what are the Palestinians really fighting for? A version of this question that distracts me is: Who is calling the shots? and Why?. Arafat's performance at Camp David left me with the strong feeling that he was not free to make an agreement. Who is Arafat beholden to and what is their agenda? I believe that it is some collection of the Kings and their agenda is to keep the Palesinians fighting the Israelis. This keeps people at home focused on the plight of Palestine and they all have a common enemy (Israel/US). This keeps them distracted from the plight of their own country. since the Israelis live in an open society and a democracy and one that places some value on truth-telling It would be impossible, under their current circumstances, for Palestine to establish the foundations of democracy. It is not in their culture. Even the idea of country, as opposed to nation, is a new concept enforced on most Arabs by the British. Paul

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (31753)	6/7/2002 3:17:15 AM
From: jcky	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

<< Since Israel is a democracy, the wishes of most Israelis do call the shots. >> This is not true concerning the occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It is precisely this small radical, extremist minority which is politically well-organized and connected that is dictating to the Israeli government about the expansion of the settlements. Time and time again, the majority of Israeli citizens have voiced their opinion via polls to withdraw from the occupied territories for a variety of reasons (both practical and moral). So just as special interest groups in the United States dictate governmental policy to the detriment of the country (farming subsidies, trading tariffs, etc.), the same can be said of these Israeli extremists and their vision of Eretz Israel. Ariel Sharon is playing right into their hands.