Captain's Quarters -

This gives me a new idea to solve the Palestinian problem. Annex the Gaza Strip and West Bank to Israel, but administer them as autonomous regions. Restore safety and security, divide the areas into cantons, hold elections for local cantons.

Cross your fingers, there is a glimmer of hope for the Palestinians.

I don't think it is that the Palestinians are incapable of self-government, I think it is that they are, by way of ignorance and conditioning, followers. The same is true of the average member of the American Left. Remember that the Palestinians voted to be governed by Hamas. There has been (and still is) a lot of support among Palestinian civilians for terrorism against Israel and the West.

This brings up another pont: is the objective of Israel and America to create a republic for the Palestinians or to provide immediate defense against Islamic terrorism? Our priorities need to be clear and actions need to follow therefrom.

Well this is what a handful of journalists say, but at exactly which historical point in time have the type of people who become journalists ever either reflected or more importantly altered reality in any part of the ME ?

Sure the mass of the 'people' might want the current gangs off the streets and out of a position of power(and I do not even really believe this to be 100% true), but the moment these particular gangs were gone, the only thing uniting the dysfunctional society the Palestinians have built would once again come to the fore.

DEATH TO ISRAEL !!! Never mind about the garbage collection ---- DEATH TO ISRAEL !!!

Then it would only be a matter of time before new gangs arose to carry out the popular wish.

Before " history sweeps us all into the void of oblivion and death."

This is the fate they have chosen (more or less freely at this point), and this is the fate that they will eventually face. Those that see clearly what they have wrought try to leave if they can.

There will be no 'intifada' against the 'gangs' and any civil war will go on and on and on. For all the angst of these postings from a 'select' group in Palestinian society, the only thing these people now believe in is death and more death. All those stories about mothers being proud of their 'martyred' children are not just jihadi propaganda.

They are the 'real' Palestine. The one portrayed by these journalists---- not so much.

It is depressing to see such abandoned service to the crude cartoon arranged by the Israelis. They have robbed and cheated the Palestinians blind to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, they have reduced their "rights" to even go and come from Gaza, they have turned the place into an open air concentration camp and then imported 500 or so trained soldiery to make sure the Fatah attacks the Hamas, all the while lying through their teeth as to the causes, events, and nature of what is happening. Such is the the helpless fury to which the Israelis have been reduced as they flail away to prevent these people ever having their own state. The outcome will be soon but one fears the hatred for the State of Isreal will last a very long time and poison relations in the region.

so far so good. a blast from the past.....

January 28th, 2006 at 8:15 pm

Hamas wins!

Despite all the chin pulling and hand wringing I think this is the best thing that could happen in regards to the peace process in the Middle East. This election brings complete clarity to the events on the ground. The final steps will be the completion of the wall and the granting of statehood–whether they want it or not–to Palestine. Once that happens the constraints of statehood will kick in. All manner of conditions will then limit the behavior of Hamas. First and foremost almost all of their funding will basically stop. Whereas now the common excuse for supporting the PLO bloodlust was, its for “the oppressed”. With statehood their behavior will have to meet certain standards not unlike Israel being limited in its treatment toward the terrorists, Arafat etc. Israel will now be dealing with a recognized country. This will be a whole lot easier than with a “movement” and brings with it a lot more options.
The UN, dragging it’s knuckles, will come to see Hamas, Iran, Syria et al as the thugocracies they have always been. the new palestine will be exposed as the criminal organization it has always been. There will be no gray areas to hide in. The world is finally hitting bottom! We should celebrate……

The current problem in the Palestinian areas is a direct result of bringing Arafat back after OSLO. Before Arafat and is thugs came back there were a number of political parties of differing viewpoints.

When Arafat returned he sucked the air out of politics. Politicians either allied with Fatah or they died.

It got worse from then on.

I should also say that before Arafat returned, and despite the deprivations of the Israelis, there was a functioning goverment and the Palestinians had the highest wages of the Arab world.

Garhane - does the phrase "yadda yadda yadda" mean anything to you?

Well, NahnCee, that phrase is certainly the only thing you've ever contributed.

nandrews - you want to point out *your* pithy words of erudition in the comments above???

Hamas and Fatah have declined into "The Two Families of Palistan." I can't help but think about Hyman Roth's speech in "The Godfather Part II." Just change some of the names and places and it seems perfectly appropropriate to Gaza and the West Bank.

*******
There was this kid I grew up with. He was younger than me, sort of looked up to me, you know. We did our first work together, worked our way out of the street. Things were good, we made the most of it. In Prohibition we ran molasses into Canada, made a fortune -- your father too.

As much as anyone I loved him and trusted him.

Later on he had an idea: to build a city out of a desert stopover for GIs on the way to the coast.

That kid's name was Moe Green. And the city he invented was Las Vegas.

This was a great man, a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a plaque or a signpost or a statue of him in that town.

Someone put a bullet through his eye. No one knows who gave the order. When I heard it, I wasn't angry. I knew Moe, I knew he was headstrong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up dead, I let it go.

And I said to myself, This is the business we've chosen. I didn't ask who gave the order. Because it had nothing to do with business.

You have two million in a bag in your room. I'm going in to take a nap. When I wake, if the money's on the table I'll know I have a partner. If it isn't I'll know I don't.

********

So, Palis, "this is the business you have chosen." Therefore, don't bother asking who gives the orders. And if you must ask, well, be prepared for an unpleasant answer.

Heh. If the world ever needed a demonstration proof that elections help you get the government you deserve, the Palestinian "unity" government is their answer. So, Palestinians; you asked for it (specifically and with foreknowledge). Now, how do you like it?

I can see my grandmother shrugging, and saying "zul gurnicht helfin." (Nothing helps. These are just the facts.)

It should have been obvious. Because among other things, when the arabs could "mix in" within Israeli society, that were also making money from the tourists. All this stuff has dried up.

Same is true in Lebanon. Once a port city, open. With liquor and drugs, available, too. Bikini clad gals frolicking at all the water holes. Including the clubs that the military accessed.

Today? The Big Pharoah is in an Eygptian jail.

Bush, and his business partner, James Baker, are selling the "saudi plan," the "take it or leave it" ideas of the saud's. So Israel can "do business with arabs." HELLO! Israel doesn't need them as "business partners, either."

As to gazoo; the current system of targetting those who are responsible for terror, is working out fine. It's dampened some of the enthusiasm for throwing missiles at Israeli civilians. And, it does tell ya what the Israelis face.

Or as Fred Thompson said, yesterday. Imagine IF Canadians had started to throw missiles into Buffalo, New York. Where, yes. The Israelis show restraint. (Because the arabs were hoping the Israelis would take the pressure off the giraffe in syria. And, Abner Dinnerjacket in Iran.)

Up ahead? The only thing that could happen; should it be necessary for Israel to put a military presence into gaza? Is to see their shelved plans ... of cutting in two deep channels ... creating waterways, between three pockets of terrorist camps, and their UN sponsored "refugees." Billions of dollars are thrown at these monsters. None of the reasons for doing this are good. But if you hate Jews, common sense is usually driven out first. Just go and ask the germans.

Again. IF you want to see function. You have to develop the region so that it accommodates tourists.

Well, what about our ganglands, here? NO TOURISTS, either. But they do sell drugs.

One of the mainstays for Lebanon, is the best marijuana that grows in the Bakakta' Valley. And, those "farmers" also have imbedded missile silos, and bunkers. No. I don't wonder why.

I just know that if you have to take out scourges like that, the best way to do it is with ONE PLANE. ONE BOMB. And, let God sort out the rest.

As long as Bush is in the White House, though, I don't expect Israel will get much done. With Olmert coming here on June 19th, to meet with Bush. In the White House; I'm sure the pressure is ON.

However, Olmert has the popularity of a maggot. So all the pressure in the world doesn't give him anything to "give away." And, Arik Sharon is still in a coma.

Like Fred said. Israel's asked to suffer.

But at the end of the day, if we're lucky, Bush leaves office, like Jimmy Carter left office. And, then? The work that needs to be done CAN BEGIN.

There can NEVER be a "two-state solution" to the question of Israel and Palestine so long as one side insists the other has no right to exist and must be destroyed, and encourages the flower of its youth to kill themselves in order to hurt and kill the other.

Until the Palestinians can reconcile themselves to the continuing fact of Israel's existence, which they have yet to accomplish, there can be no meaningful negotiations on the subject.

The Book of Obadiah in the Old Testament (21 short verses, total) has not yet been fulfilled, but can its time be far distant?

The permanent palestinian solution seems to be quickly on its way.

I agree wirh Adjoran and add that until the Palestinians stop teaching their children to hate not only Israel, but the West, nothing will change.

This means at least two generations. Until then Israel will have to accept the barbs of the rest of the world while they fight to keep secure.

Life in the Gaz! No help, no hope, no future. The same scenario is now being played out in Venezuela as Che Guevarra is reincarnated as Hugo (I smell sulphur) Chavez.

The romantic left of every country never learns. Elect self-professed tyrants and then act surprised when the dictator walks on their bodies to cement power.

I anxiously await the demented left's heartfelt appeal to sanity when they demand that the hated U.S. Military come to the rescue of yet another gaggle of socialists under the iron fist of a freely elected murderer.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a group of terrorists have been arrested after planning on blowing up a high-pressure gas line to JFK and taking the Bronx with it.

Elect Edwards in 2008 and he can defend our country with a designer comb. Somehow I have the uneasy feeling that a "Fonzie"" type of president would not scare the monsters of the world.