7 Comments

Memo to Israel:
Until they show signs of civilizing, keep those savages as far from the capital as possible.

Did Olmert want to get his first no-confidence vote out of the way this week?

Roger:
This plan will get flack from some on the more conservative end of the spectrum, a political spectrum I usually side with, but this is where any final plan was going to land anyway so why not just jump to the finish and dig in. The amount of distance is only going to be a matter of a few miles anyway and with the fence installed the difference will be negligable. “Oh, the Israeli’s are acting unilaterally, the horror!” Let’s cut the crap. Our partners in peace managed to scuttle any negotiated settlement so why bother. We never had peace, we had temporary cease fires that always ended up with renewed warfare. Set the boundries, build the fence, and if the Palestinians want the war to continue they will continue with the rocket attacks and the suicide bombers. That was going to happen anyway. Dump the settlements, give them their state, and respond to every attack until they get worn out. Any final deal that includes a state of Israel is going to be called an occupation anyway so we might as get used to it. This way the Palestinians can’t use the frustration of the peace talks that never end to push what they really want, a one state solution.

I don’t believe what I read in either the WashedUpPost or the NYSlimes: I found nothing about this at Ha’aretz or the JPost.
Even if Olmert were so crazy as to propose this (Ariel Sharon may wake up if he hears about it!), the Paleostinians/Hamas won’t agree to it, because they want all of Jerusalem, too and won’t give up the chance to go for it. Damn them.

Jenlart:
Of course the Pal’s won’t accept the plan. They eventually reject all plans, those that are negotiated and those that are unilaterally proposed. The sad brilliance of Sharon’s plan is that since Istael doesn’t have a peace partner they are going with what they would have eventually given up anyway, building the fence, and getting rid of the terrible PR problem of trying to manage the government of the Pals. They gave them Gaza. They will give them back the portions of the West Bank that were impossible to handle anyway. They will let the Pals self destruct into a tribal civil war and when the attacks come, attacks that would have happened during the “peace negotiations” anyway and they will respond to them behind the fence.

As long as the Pal’s had the occupation argument to hide behind the israeli’s were left in a situation that they could not control and that the Pal’s used to isolate the Israeli’s from the rest of the world. The propaganda will continue but the truth that the Palestinians were only going to stop fighting when they had eliminated the state of Israel will become self evident. Olmert’s plan is close enough to what would have been negotiated anyway so why quibble over two to three miles of territory. Israel would be no more secure with 2 more miles of the West bank. The attacks will come with or without it. The pal’s will get the West bank and Gaza. They will start to go after each other in a tribal bloodfest. Israel will be behind the fence and they will be able to ignore the Pals until they get tired of their situation. Will the attacks stop? No. they were going to happen no matter what Israel did.

EHUD OLMERT IS LYING ABOUT SHARON’S INTENTIONS AS HE CO-OPTS HIS NAME AND MEMORY

There are two main options for Jerusalem: partition and full “UN internationalization”, whatever that would mean in practice.

A third “Jewish Mecca” option of equal control as Muslims have of Mecca was never in the cards with a Christian supporting USA.

The Jews, on peace — just do it. Had they followed the “green line” more closely, rather than being greedy (stereotypical of Jews, no?) and usually taking a bit more, it would be easier to support the wall. But a mile or two either way, not a big deal. Jerusalem is a big deal.

After the fence is done and Israel offers a peace agreement, which Hamas won’t accept, Israel should consider a “Land for Terror” response — add 100 sq. meters for every rocket; add 1 sq kilometer for every Israel killed in a terrorist attack; 1/2 sq. kilometer for hospital wounded people.

I’d guess after a few “adjustments”, with Israel blaming the Palestinians, there would be more pressure on Hamas to stop. And the adjustments could occur in the most convenient for Israel places.