I should have know. Israel has created the perfect storm for the Palestinians, yet again (remember the start of the first Intifada –Sharon at the Temple Mound). I said in my first diary….the Israelis provoke….the Palestinians respond. Palestinians should take more advise from Iran…they should learn to play chess.
What is the perfect storm I think the Palestinians are falling into: Ramadan.
Obviously, now that Bush wants some kind of legacy….”the creation of a Palestinian State” before he leaves office; he is now pushing and pressuring the Israelis like never before(he has not signed the 30 billion foreign aid bill yet and aipac is not happy)…..and Israelis don’t like it. They want war with Iran and Bush wants a Palestinian state….will they trade?
Israelis have not even gotten their missile defense $$$$, and of course now some some politicians (Netenyahu) are claiming: no pullout from West Bank, before they have their missile defense ready, (against Gaza militants rockets) right…ooooh, the tangle.
reference:
http://en.wikipedia….
About two weeks ago the IDF killed 5 children in Gaza, not wounded…killed. (Yes, they always have a good excuse) but you don’t even hear about in the MSM….where do you find it, in the Israeli press….but then when the militants in Gaza respond, it’s all over the news 24/7: 60 IDF soldiers hurt! But elsewhere you learn most of the soldiers had shellshock as if only Israelis suffer shellshock, not acknowledging the Palestinians have lived with shellshock for over 40 years/multiple generations…..and what’s the biggest part of the storm that could really create a Palestinian meltdown:
IDF blocks West Bank Palestinians trying to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque
By The Associated Press
Hundreds of Palestinians thronged two major West Bank checkpoints, trying to reach Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, despite tight Israeli restrictions.
Israel Defense Forces troops turned back many of the West Bank faithful. Only men above the age of 45 and women above the age of 35, who had also obtained special permits, were allowed to enter Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque – the third holiest shrine of Islam – said police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby.
This year, the start of Ramadan, a month of fasting and religious observance, coincided with the Jewish New Year. As customary, Israel imposed a blanket closure on the West Bank during the Jewish holiday, barring virtually all Palestinians from entering Israel.
http://www.haaretz.c…
I HOPE I’M WRONG. I HOPE the Palestinians keep their cool.
…meanwhile….Israel invades Lebanon, AND Syria airspace flying through Turkey while Bushco and the Arab states are trying disparately to re-engage the Palestine/Israeli peace process. So why doesn’t Israeli just back off??
Well, there is some good news:
‘Rice trip must set conference’s agenda’
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed hope Thursday that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s upcoming visit to the region will result in an agenda and location for a planned US-sponsored peace conference.
US President George W. Bush in July called for a new conference to break the deadlock in the Mideast peace process, but the lack of an official agenda, location and timing for the meeting has been a cause for concern in the region.
“We hope that we will have a clear idea over the American assessment of the situation and when and where the meeting will be held and what its agenda will be,” said Aboul Gheit about Rice’s visit, during a joint press conference with his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner.
Rice’s trip to the Israel and the Palestinian territories set for Sept. 19, will focus on urging Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to build on recent positive steps and lay the groundwork for the Mideast conference, tentatively scheduled for November, a spokesman for the State Department said Wednesday.
The meeting, however, has run into skepticism from Washington’s Arab allies who have noted that the lack of firm agenda risks turning the event into just an empty photo opportunity.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said Wednesday his country would probably not attend the conference if it did not tackle substantive issues, while Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak expressed his fears that the conference would amount to nothing if there was not proper preparation.
Aboul Gheit, for his part, warned of “adverse consequences” if the gathering failed to revive the peace process.
“If the meeting was held without achieving its goals of pushing forward the peace process to set up a Palestinian state, there will be adverse consequences,” he said.
Hamas urges quiet from armed groups
Hamas government urged Gaza terrorists Thursday not to attack border crossings with Israel in order to ensure the flow of basic goods into Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
“The government calls on the Palestinian factions to avoid shelling the crossing points, in the interest of our people, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, and to keep commercial traffic going and protect security and stability in Gaza,” the statement said.
The call by Hamas came shortly after a terrorist group in Gaza threatened to intensify rocket and mortar attacks on Israel during Ramadan, which began Thursday.
Al-Qaida commander slams Hamas for abandoning Jihad
An al-Qaida commander who escaped from a US prison in Afghanistan criticized Hamas in a new videotape Sunday and other Islamic groups that he said prioritized nationalism and electoral politics over Jihad, or holy war.
Hamas is focused on the creation of an independent Palestinian state rather than al-Qaida’s vision of a worldwide Muslim community ruled by Islamic law. Like al-Qaida, the Palestinian movement advocates violence to achieve its goal, but has also participated in elections alongside the moderate Fatah group.
http://www.jpost.com…
Hamas leader asks to meet with Abbas
The head of the Hamas government in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, proposed Monday that he meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Saudi Arabia, Haniyeh’s office said.
Since Hamas’ forcible takeover of Gaza in June, Abbas has rebuffed repeated offers by the Islamic militants to resume contacts. Abbas has said Hamas must first apologize and withdraw its forces from Palestinian security posts in Gaza.
snip
Haniyeh, who was deposed as prime minister by Abbas in June, proposed the meeting with Abbas in a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdel Aziz, Haniyeh’s office said in a statement.
Abbas is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Haniyeh’s office said in the statement that Hamas is ready to “return to dialogue without conditions.” The statement described the factional fighting that preceded the Hamas takeover as a “disagreement among brothers.”
http://news.yahoo.co…
And finally:
Senate letter presses Rice on Mideast
Two U.S. senators will urge Condoleezza Rice to press Arab nations to work for Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are soliciting colleagues’ signatures for a letter to the U.S. secretary of state. The letter has the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
“Your ongoing efforts to work with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud are critical, but so is the support these efforts receive from those Arab countries,” the letter says.
It urges Rice to demand that Arab states take part in a November peace summit, recognize Israel, help fund Abbas, stop support for anti-Israel terrorism and incitement, end the Arab League boycott of Israel and pressure Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group, to recognize Israel and end its terrorism.
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betwen Brittany and Petraeus. This is the most important story of our generation
…not the Temple Mound.
And Israel would have to fly through Syrian airspace before they could possibly reach Turkey – it is between the two nations.
Meanwhile, why is it that every American President decides right as they leave office to try to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians? Not only does that never work, but it also means that every American President waits until their political power is at its lowest to try.
Is everything cool?
Especially after all the stuff at pff, I want to make sure you are not having any probs posting here.