but until the Israelis can withdraw from the palestinian areas without suffering rocket harrassment inside their area they won't withdraw and as long as they are willing to withdraw in principle and as long as they have the "excuse" that the palestinians are still harrassing them militarily the US will support Israel and things can continue as they are indefinitely. Israel and the US together can go it alone even if the rest of the world objects. The only thing that could screw Israel is if the US cuts them off, which will only happen if the majority of Americans become convinced that Israel has no intention of implementing a two state solution EVEN IF THE PALESTINIANS MAKE PEACE.

How the world works is "boots on the ground".

The majority population will win out. Israel has a people problem, they don't have enough of them and that problem is VERY unlikely to change.

A one state solution will never work for a "Jewish State" because Jews will be the minority. The only hope for Israel is a two state solution where Israel has a much less land than they occupy today.

The sooner the Jews in the US come to this understanding the better because the US keeps the Israelis in arms and funding to keep screwing up. Can you say BLOWBACK?

From reading the press in Israel the Israelis are waking up to this simple law of nature. The majority are much more willing to move forward with major concessions to create a viable Palestinian state.

It is their only hope three generations out.

The smart solution is to have one state. Why divide anything? Usually both parties end up thinking they have gotten the smaller piece of the pie. The Israelies & Palestinians are brothers anyway. If South Africa and Rwanda can do it-why not Israel/Palestine? There are already arab citizens of Israel. A unified country would be much larger, properous, & peaceful than two states. The Israelis & the Palestinians would both be far better off together than apart. A two state solution keeps the conflict alive.

until then either the Arabs will agree to stop fighting or the current situation will continue in some form. It is certainly true that there are right wing Israelis who have also wanted to keep the fight going because THEY want the whole enchilada, but no one is going to live under a rain of rockets and bombs if they have a choice and the Israelis do. Remember a few years ago before the wall was built when lots of people were saying that physical separation was impossible and and economic cost of trying and the effects of the intifada and suicide bombers would force consolidation/palestinian victory? It's even less likely now.

really they will. There is no way any Jew could have a life worth living by the standards of a modern person under Arab rule.

"What we have is one group whose desire, since childhood, is to exile or, preferably, kill everyone in a second group. The second group has been successful in preventing both."

That statement describes elements on BOTH sides. Don't think that those soldiers that cleared the land for Israel had anything on their minds other than "exile or, preferably, kill everyone" in their way.

"What possible compromise exists?"

At this point the Palestinians are moving into having the upper hand. Demography and worldwide revulsion at the brutal oppression they have suffered favor them.

The only solution for the continued existence of Israel is moving QUICKLY to a final 2 state solution. Time is running out. In another 5-10 years maximum any thinking Palestinian will favor letting the clock run out and they take the whole enchilada.

tick...tick...tick...

Olmert, Israel PM said that the peace would be achieved during Bush's presidency. Funny declaration - no? So Bush will get the credit for peace in the middle east. One thing should be remembered: Russia and France had oil contract with Iraq. USA was out. Bush didn't like this exclusion and looked for a "respectable" reason for a war. I don't believe he is a real believer - he might have convinced himself;f by now that indeed he is, he talks about enough to be convincing. He wishes to get into history as a great president who democratized the middle east and achieved peace. Even funnier for a man who has no idea what the middle east is all about.

The main reason that peace (peace PLAN is not the problem - plans are easy to make - achieving them is all together a different issue) will not be achieved because of fanaticizm is strong and growing stronger among the Israelis and the Palestinians alike. Jerusalen should run by international institution because it is important to all religions (more or less). But the Jews claim that God gave Israel and Jerusalem to the Jews - and what ever God (who ever and how ever he is) the Jews must get, even though they have never made a strong attempt to return to their Holly country until it became more comfortable. The Palestinins lived there for hundreds of years...

Let us all face reality!

Kamiya's article is as pointless as the negotiations will be. "Peace" negotiations, however, seem to be a "check-the-box" requirement for every president.

What we have is one group whose desire, since childhood, is to exile or, preferably, kill everyone in a second group. The second group has been successful in preventing both.

What possible compromise exists?

And it's clear that the PNA's responsibility is zero. There is nothing they should be required to do or expect or conform. I'd call that a sure fired recipe for failure. Maybe it's all the Palestinians who need to be relocated to a nice reservation on the outskirts of San Fran or something where all you folks can chip in and take care of them like children.

Whatever hope there ever was for a two-state solution in Palestine is dead. The only solution that has any hope is the establishment of a unitary, democratic, secular state in historic Palestine.