Israel accuses Palestinians of harbouring five anti-aircraft missiles

[highsea]

Highsea's comment about Israel alwayz accepting Palestinians and their right to exist as a nation is totally fabricated!

You saying so does not make it so. If you have some proof, trot it out.

Did the Jewish Palestinians refuse the British partition? Do you have any evidence?

Did They refuse the UN solution in Resolution 181? Show us what you have.

Did Israel refuse the Clinton sponsored Camp David agreement? Prove it.

Have they rejected the Bush Road map? I don't think so. The first term is a cease fire on the Palestinians side. So far there has been no cease fire.

Adress with the discussion with facts, not emotion. Israel has been surrounded by hostile enemies for the entire time of her existence. The Arab side needs to show that they can operate in a non-violent manner if they want peace.

No doubt that Israel has been too heavy-handed. I have never said that the Palestinians do not have the right to strike at military targets. But when they attack civilians, they are not helping their cause. Only the most jaded observer would deny this.

And it would help if the Arab States did something they have NEVER done, to my knowledge, and that is to push for a mutually agreeable solution.

Watcher said this:

The bulk of the Jewish settlements – around 200,000 people – are in the West Bank. The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, has made it plain that he has no intention of: (1) removing these settlements; (2) returning East Jerusalem to Palestinian control; or (3) acknowledging the right of return or compensation of the Palestinian refugees. These are the three things that killed the last peace plan. It doesn't matter who the Palestinian leader is – no Palestinian can surrender on those three points.

Yet this is exactly what the Camp David agreement would have accomplished. Israel would not have allowed return of refugees in Israeli territory, but they agreed to compensation and resettlement in Palestinian lands. Clinton made it clear that it was a take it or leave it deal, and Arafat originally agreed, only to back out later. He even tried to revive the agreement at a later date, but it was too late.

Watcher is right when he says both sides are taking pleasure in revenge killings. Until pressure can be brought to bear on ALL sides, the cycle will continue. Expecting the US to try to force Israel to a unilateral cease fire, with no assurances from the Palestinians, is unrealistic. Israel wouldn't do it anyway.

Lest people forget, the US aid to Israel is a result of the peace deal with Egypt, Jordan, and KSA. If the US cuts off Israel, we would also have to cut off Egypt, and stop the mutual arms agreements with the other Arab States, and the 3 Billion dollars we give Egypt every year.

Now, personally, this is just fine with me, but I don't think it's going to be conducive to peace in the ME.