I found this to be quite interesting:
RAMALLAH, West Bank - In a bold initiative, the Palestinian president gave Hamas 10 days to accept the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, saying Thursday he'll submit the plan to a referendum by mid-July if the Islamic militants refuse.
Mahmoud Abbas' surprise announcement is a political gamble that could either help resolve the Palestinians' internal deadlock or lead the Hamas-led government and Fatah into a deeper crisis.
Abbas asked Hamas to endorse a document drawn up by senior Palestinian militants imprisoned in Israel. It accepts statehood in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem — territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East War.
Approving the document would imply recognition of Israel — one of the three conditions imposed by Israel and the West for doing business with the Hamas-led government. The document falls short of meeting the other two conditions — renouncing violence and accepting past peace accords — so it was unclear if the international boycott would be called off even if Hamas acquiesced.
This isn't time to break out the celebratory champagne, but this is an encouraging development...and if Abbas carries it out, then I'll put him down as the man with the most guts in the world.
It is my belief that, when given a real choice, the peoples of the Arab/Moslem world will choose peace and prosperity over war and poverty. A lot of people were upset when Hamas won the recent Palestinian elections, but I put that down as more a vote against Fatah corruption than something in favor of Hamas' suicidal talk of war to the knife with Israel. What Abbas is doing is putting the Palestinian people on the hook - choose peace or war. I think they'll choose peace.
This doesn't mean that if a referendum happens and is approved that peace will immediately follow - even with recognition of Israel, there are still positions Palestinians take which are inconsistent with the reasonable security needs of Israel. But it would be a start - it would be a signal to the Israelis - and to the world - that the Palestinian people are plagued by men of violence, but not in support of them.
I pray for the success of Abbas' plan - and for his safety, given the mortality rate of Moslems who talk peace with Israel.
HAT TIP: Dean's World
Posted by Mark Noonan at May 26, 2006 09:14 AM
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Tracked on May 26, 2006 09:47 AM
Comments
Here is a subject we agree on, call me a silly, bleeding heart optimist, but I do believe the Palestinian people really want peace, If Abu Mazen can get a foothold here, I think that things can begin to progress, there are hushed talks about a palestinian state on the southern Sinai, with international support, if we can get our own government to actually stop all this leg pissing, and facilitate communications we can get some good out of this slim chance for normalization, everyone who has half a brain realizes if we ever want to stop this "long war" and get back the rights that these dictators have stolen from us, we need to start to smooth over relations with our allies in the middle-east, put pressure on saudi arabia to put the brakes on radical hatred, start putting a megaphone to the mouths of the hundreds of international muslim leaders who have called this radicalization of islam a farce and get moving on making sure that the helping hand in palestine is coming from somewhere other than Hamas coffers...but I may just be dreaming thinking that despots will ever give back our liberty they are ripping off, Sam's Club style.
/SPIT!
Posted by: Third Eye Open at May 26, 2006 09:31 AM
As has been said, the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
Prediction: Abbas will be assassinated, civil war breaks out between Hamas and Hezbollah.
Posted by: phnxbmed at May 26, 2006 11:13 AM
I'm sorry, but I side with what Golda Meir said: "Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us."
Posted by: Macker at May 26, 2006 12:21 PM
Thats a good way to ignore the misgivings of the oppressor, and lay it at the feet of the oppressed.
peace will come when schools have everything they need, and the military has to hold a bake-sale to buy a new bomber.
Posted by: Third Eye Open at May 26, 2006 12:34 PM
Third,
Geesh, stuck in the mid-80's, aren't you?
Posted by: Mark Noonan at May 26, 2006 02:08 PM
I think that Abbas understands that Hamas's stance on Israel is a huge barrier to peace talks and any resolution to Israeli occupation and human rights violations of the Palestinians.
Despite numerous violations of international law and material breaches of U.N. security council resolutions, Israel's occupation, including assasinations, confiscation of land, building of illegal settlements, illegal detentions, and more has continued unabated.
Bush has abandoned any pretense of even-handedness in the matter and has supported Israel's unilateral attempt to impose their own solution on the Palestinians.
And one correction to Mark's post (implied but not stated): all Palestinians ARE NOT MUSLIMS. In fact, there are many Christians in the mix, along with other religions. Palestinians are not a homogenous ethnic/cultural identity, they are a group of indigenous peoples who have lived in the area previously known as Palestine for centuries.
If we truly want to attack terrorism, we need to work for a just peace in Israel. The injustice that pervades that area today is a huge recruiting tool for anti-U.S. and Israeli haters in the Middle East and beyond.
Posted by: cookiecorp at May 26, 2006 02:16 PM
Noep just stuck on the idea that we should spend more time investing in american capital rather than inventing new and more powerful ways to blow eachother up, do you know what kinda of response the idea that america was actually going foward with the plan to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in our stockpiles, instead we go on spending more money to build new ones, who else do we need to aim at, we can already destroy the world times upon times over, but instead we have a nationwide hard-on for killing, and then we reprimand other people for doing the same thing, I prescribe to the opinon that you should attempt to put your own house in order before you go around trying to do the same to others.
Posted by: Third Eye Open at May 26, 2006 03:04 PM
I have allot of very large complaints against this administration. The biggest one of all is how they have handled the Israeli Palestinian war. First of all post 911 Bush said we need to go after terrorist states and their supporters where ever they may be. With this in mind we went after terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is debatedable whether the straegies were correct or not or how much support some groups we targeted gave to terrorists, however, I understand the logic. Then we push a land for peace deal with the road map to peace. Terrorists have used the lands we had a hand in pressuring Israel to abandon to set up new bases. in otherwords it makes no sense to battle terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere to play midwife to a terrorist state of "Palestine." This has only weakened our most important ally and given the terrorists new sanctuaries. "Macker" puts it best when he points out the quote by Golda Meir. The best solution would be for the Arabs to give up their insane hatred of Israel and absorb the "refugees" into their own lands. At some point the Palestinians will either decide they want peace with the favorable deal already on the table or the Israelis will have to relocate them to Jordan or somewhere else. In summary, Palestinian terror against Israel thrives because it works. Committ terrorism and you get land in exchange for it, in the form of a "unilateral withdrawl" and commit more terrorism and get more land for it with still more "unilateral withdrawls." This seems to be a very bone headed policy being carried out by the Bush administration and the Israelis. The administration's policy has ranged between neutral to pro-Palestinian. If we are going to win, the rights of the greatest most free nation in the middle east cannot be morally equal to a group of terrorist thugs. I fear for the future of this nation, if we contine such morally bankrupt policies. To roughly paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, God is a just God and his justice will not sleep forever.
Posted by: B.Poster at May 26, 2006 03:29 PM
As long as most "Palestinians" are Muslims, there will never be peace with Israel. Peace with Jews is anti-Islamic.
Posted by: Freedom1 at May 26, 2006 05:23 PM
We should immediately reestablish full diplomatic relations with Iran. Peace
Posted by: steve at May 26, 2006 07:27 PM
Cookie,
True, there is a small number of non-Moslems among the Palestinians, and they are treated horribly by the Islamo-fascists, and thus they are leaving Palestine as swiftly as they may...as it turns out, a Catholic Palestinian is one of my co-workers.
Posted by: Mark Noonan at May 26, 2006 10:37 PM
It is difficult to see how there could be peace between Israel and the Palestinians without there being a civil war amongst the Palestinians. The Palestinians will have to change their hearts or at least give a darn about their grandchildrens future. At least this is a step in the right direction. Considering this is coming from a Palestinian, this is of historic proportions.
Posted by: james allegro at May 27, 2006 01:23 AM
Post a comment
Here is a subject we agree on, call me a silly, bleeding heart optimist, but I do believe the Palestinian people really want peace, If Abu Mazen can get a foothold here, I think that things can begin to progress, there are hushed talks about a palestinian state on the southern Sinai, with international support, if we can get our own government to actually stop all this leg pissing, and facilitate communications we can get some good out of this slim chance for normalization, everyone who has half a brain realizes if we ever want to stop this "long war" and get back the rights that these dictators have stolen from us, we need to start to smooth over relations with our allies in the middle-east, put pressure on saudi arabia to put the brakes on radical hatred, start putting a megaphone to the mouths of the hundreds of international muslim leaders who have called this radicalization of islam a farce and get moving on making sure that the helping hand in palestine is coming from somewhere other than Hamas coffers...but I may just be dreaming thinking that despots will ever give back our liberty they are ripping off, Sam's Club style.
/SPIT!
As has been said, the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
Prediction: Abbas will be assassinated, civil war breaks out between Hamas and Hezbollah.
I'm sorry, but I side with what Golda Meir said: "Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us."
Thats a good way to ignore the misgivings of the oppressor, and lay it at the feet of the oppressed.
peace will come when schools have everything they need, and the military has to hold a bake-sale to buy a new bomber.
Third,
Geesh, stuck in the mid-80's, aren't you?
I think that Abbas understands that Hamas's stance on Israel is a huge barrier to peace talks and any resolution to Israeli occupation and human rights violations of the Palestinians.
Despite numerous violations of international law and material breaches of U.N. security council resolutions, Israel's occupation, including assasinations, confiscation of land, building of illegal settlements, illegal detentions, and more has continued unabated.
Bush has abandoned any pretense of even-handedness in the matter and has supported Israel's unilateral attempt to impose their own solution on the Palestinians.
And one correction to Mark's post (implied but not stated): all Palestinians ARE NOT MUSLIMS. In fact, there are many Christians in the mix, along with other religions. Palestinians are not a homogenous ethnic/cultural identity, they are a group of indigenous peoples who have lived in the area previously known as Palestine for centuries.
If we truly want to attack terrorism, we need to work for a just peace in Israel. The injustice that pervades that area today is a huge recruiting tool for anti-U.S. and Israeli haters in the Middle East and beyond.
Noep just stuck on the idea that we should spend more time investing in american capital rather than inventing new and more powerful ways to blow eachother up, do you know what kinda of response the idea that america was actually going foward with the plan to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in our stockpiles, instead we go on spending more money to build new ones, who else do we need to aim at, we can already destroy the world times upon times over, but instead we have a nationwide hard-on for killing, and then we reprimand other people for doing the same thing, I prescribe to the opinon that you should attempt to put your own house in order before you go around trying to do the same to others.
I have allot of very large complaints against this administration. The biggest one of all is how they have handled the Israeli Palestinian war. First of all post 911 Bush said we need to go after terrorist states and their supporters where ever they may be. With this in mind we went after terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is debatedable whether the straegies were correct or not or how much support some groups we targeted gave to terrorists, however, I understand the logic. Then we push a land for peace deal with the road map to peace. Terrorists have used the lands we had a hand in pressuring Israel to abandon to set up new bases. in otherwords it makes no sense to battle terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere to play midwife to a terrorist state of "Palestine." This has only weakened our most important ally and given the terrorists new sanctuaries. "Macker" puts it best when he points out the quote by Golda Meir. The best solution would be for the Arabs to give up their insane hatred of Israel and absorb the "refugees" into their own lands. At some point the Palestinians will either decide they want peace with the favorable deal already on the table or the Israelis will have to relocate them to Jordan or somewhere else. In summary, Palestinian terror against Israel thrives because it works. Committ terrorism and you get land in exchange for it, in the form of a "unilateral withdrawl" and commit more terrorism and get more land for it with still more "unilateral withdrawls." This seems to be a very bone headed policy being carried out by the Bush administration and the Israelis. The administration's policy has ranged between neutral to pro-Palestinian. If we are going to win, the rights of the greatest most free nation in the middle east cannot be morally equal to a group of terrorist thugs. I fear for the future of this nation, if we contine such morally bankrupt policies. To roughly paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, God is a just God and his justice will not sleep forever.
As long as most "Palestinians" are Muslims, there will never be peace with Israel. Peace with Jews is anti-Islamic.
We should immediately reestablish full diplomatic relations with Iran. Peace
Cookie,
True, there is a small number of non-Moslems among the Palestinians, and they are treated horribly by the Islamo-fascists, and thus they are leaving Palestine as swiftly as they may...as it turns out, a Catholic Palestinian is one of my co-workers.
It is difficult to see how there could be peace between Israel and the Palestinians without there being a civil war amongst the Palestinians. The Palestinians will have to change their hearts or at least give a darn about their grandchildrens future. At least this is a step in the right direction. Considering this is coming from a Palestinian, this is of historic proportions.