Olmert vows to 'forge historic path' toward peace with Palestinians

Good Post Ron..."Time to eliminate this heretic {Olmert]... The true Palestine is,in fact, Jordan".... and right you are.

Israel,how in heavens name will we ever be at peace with the Palestinians.The Palestinians that live in Israel hate us and try to undermine us at every step.The ones that are on the other side just want to kill us.And these are the type of people who we are expected to live in peace with. They hate each other,Hamas kill Fatah,and both kill Israeli's.....Great,peace in our time.....And the lions shall live with the Hyenas,and we shall all live happily ever after.

But, what you don't seem to understand, East Jerusalim is the real Yerushalayim and contains the Temple Mount with its ruins hidden under the abomination the savages call Mosques. The "west bank" is also the heartland of Eretz Yisrael going back to the time of Abraham,Moshe,Isaac, Solomon, David (not Daud). And, our Patriachs are buried in Chevron. How can anyone want to give away our Holy Land. Well, Olmert and his cronies are, basically atheist, left wing communists without any feeling for our ancient history. Furtermore, they have proven themselves to be craven cowards that fear not only Iran, but the U.S. and Russia...not God, because they believe not in the Lord. I think there may come a point where Olmert may very well stimulate a civil war similar to the splitting of Judah from Israel. It is time to eliminate this heretic, and, to move arabs out of israel if they donot conform to Israel law and society. The true Palestine is, in fact, Jordan

To Uzi of Haifa You are right on some issues.The best way to bring the Palestinians to your high and lofty standards is to have one country one man/woman vote.Just think how great Ispal a country would be.

A "new diplomatic reality" is of no use to anyone. What needs changing is how people live, what rights they enjoy, how they coexist. The starvation blockade of Gaza has to end. The Palestinian political prisoners (and the captive Israeli soldiers) must be released. The people are entitled to live without soldiers pushing them around, and to enjoy equal rights without regard to ethnicity. Olmert talks about "diplomatic reality" as if "diplomatic reality" is important. No -- the people need to reorganize the social reality for peace, coexistence, and reconciliation.

:-)

Hi Henry---in 1998 the citizens of the republic of Ireland voted away their right to regain the north of Ireland by force of arms.(Good Friday Agreement).That means we have to hope some day the Majority of Northern Ireland will vote to unite with the South.That was a difficult decision to make, but in the interest of peace a majority in the republic did vote yes.That was the base on which the present peace was built.It is holding well and on thursday last two former enemies, Ian Paisley a Unionist (first minister) and Martin Mc Guiness 2nd Minister (sinn fein /Ira) were received at the NYSE and later at the White House where they were photographed laughing and joking together. It is possible.Just takes will from both sides.Israel holds all the cards so make a fair deal.

".. has resigned itself to the entire Middle East becoming a Iranian `fiefdom`. " This iraq war was a huge american blunder that Iran has reaped from generously, whether in Afghanistan or Iraq and Lebanon, Iran is the new shark in the region. One way to blunt it though, to blunt ANY extremist in the region, is to bring peace to Palestine and Israel, a just peace. Jerusalem must be shared, I cannot imagine a peace without it. And there is absolutely no reason why Jerusalem cannot either A. Become an international city or B. Become the Capital of both Israel and Palestine. Lets not be greedy now.

Indeed, sir, you are quite correct. The "blessings of peace" aren't limited just to a lack of strife (sine qua non though it is). There is money to be made, which would clothe, house and feed a Palestinian population that for the last 40 years has known little more than want and deprivation. And Israel, too, would benefit enormously. War not only kills - it's really bad for business. Kind regards.

the biggest disaster yet looms with these buffoons who learn nothing from the past !1

Does Israel really want responsibility for 240,000 Arabs living in East Jerusalem? I didn't think so. Give them up. Give them to the forthcoming PA govt. Build a wall if you have to block them out of Israel, but for G--s sake just get them out of Israel hands. Imagine their pension and health requirements in 25 years. As far as the right of return - let a significant number of PalArabs return, just make sure they are at least 65 yrs old. That way they won't produce another generation of PalArabs in Israel proper. Most won't come anyway.

Olmert is just being positive in his statements. It's the "cool" thing to do. It's like telling everyone how busy you are even when you are not. I don't believe Olmert has great expectations but you never know, things could work out.

I don't know how many Jews would agree with your position but they would engage in give and take until an agreement or no agreement. What they surely won't accept is being told 1967 borders and unlimited right of return and that's it. Jews will keep Israel a Jewish-majority state. Olmert was speaking for himself. Most of the rest of us are not so alarmed.

Just exactly are ANY of the concessions by the paletinians

For #1 "They want the Temple Mount" And what about us; what do we want? Thats the only thing that is of any importance, what we want. We want the west bank; we want the Jolan; we want the Gaza back again; we want the water aquifers, we want the apartheid wall; we want access to the world markets, no boycotts; we want academic freedom (for Israelis); we want to sell arms to all the world (but they shouldn't give the Palestinians peashooters); we want money for the shoah victims great, great gandchildren, we want, we want, we want... ad infinitum

It is really tragic really that we all know basically what peace will look like, billions of dollars are just waiting to be invested by millions of investors world wide and yet, everyone is stuck. Hebron, Bethlehem and even Jericho, if developed well can be a great source of tourism and trade.

...It is because I worry so much for Israel - Every Day ( and most of my Family resides there..) that I offer my advice... So far the Israelis have been acting like a "bunch of sheep" allowing their own Government to give away their country 'Peace' - Meal without raising Hell.... No other people on the face of the Globe would do a thing like that...I also worry about America - who by releasing the Idiot(ic).. MIE Report- has resigned itself to the entire Middle East becoming a Iranian 'fiefdom'. " Stregnth preserves Peace - Weakness leads to War " ( ala Chamberlain) ... and the entire World which I also worry about... is, unfortunately, a step closer to WW III and the Jews ( in spite of all their 'Friends') will of course again be All Alone !

Yes, but ... I want to see a good return on my Israel Bonds. War and bloodshed aren't good for business (unless you've invested in armaments and hospitals). I'd like to invest in Palestine, too, but it's hard to do that whilst it's occupied. MV

Uzi, Your "peace plan" has one critical flaw: Jordan formally gave up all claims to the West Bank in the 1994 peace treaty. Why? For the same reasons Israel should give it up - possession of the West Bank profoundly shifts the occupying country's demographics; in Jordan's case, resulting in a Palestinian majority (currently about 40% of Jordan's population). The Jordanians were smart enough to avoid this. Kind regards.

the problem with this conflict is that there are too many people not directly affected with the peace process involved, i.e. Jewish Americans, who should worry more about America (their own country) and Iranians, Saudis, etc who need to butt out and let the parties on the ground, the people who ARE ACTUALLY LIVING THERE decide with what they can and can't live with.

...Hamas is negotiating via Saudi Arabia ( see other Haaretz Article) ..to forge an alliance with Fatah... and Olmert's Governmant is negotiating to give away...the West Bank...East Jerusalem... and who knows what else ?.... With America not going to do anything to Iran ( ala .. the MIE) ...there is a good chance that there will be Iranian Revolutionary Guards in the West Bank and EAST JERUSALEM ... This is the Last Chance for Israel -If the Israeli People ( where are you Shas & Lieberman ? ) are not going to make a stand right now ... IT IS OVER !

They can give the Israelis peace, without that, Israel will never be accepted in the region, will constantly be in threat and eventually, will lose any legitimacy as there are ALREADY more Palestinians than Jews between Jordan and the sea. Eventually, this will look more and more like South Africa, where a minority is dictating and ruling over a majority, which as Olmert has stated is the end of Israel. No one can or will support that. Jerusalem must be devided, some Pals must be allowed to return to their ancestral homeland within Israel proper, all settlements must be removed and if settlers want to stay the should be allowed to stay so long as the pledge allegiance to the State of Palestine and agree that all neighborhood must be integrated, no more "Jewish" only neighborhoods, and respect for PA law. This is a good start.

The headline says: "Olmert vows to 'forge historic path' toward peace with Palestinians" How can Olmert make such a claim. Just last week Abbas declared he refuses to accept and recongize Israel as a Jewish state. That's no different than saying he doesn't recongize Israel. So as long as Abbas' position remains as such there's no chance for any kind of agreement. This refusal is part and parcel of the so-called "right of return" If Abbas continues to demand right of return (which if was implemented would effectively destroy Israel), there will be nothing to negotiate and nothing to talk about. Olmert is well aware of this fact as well as Abbas' stance on this issue. So why he would make such a wild statement that he will "forge a historical path" towards peace is misleading to all. It's time for Olmert to resign.

Israel already agreed on creation of a Palestinian state just as the rest of the world does. What's really missing is an agreement on final borders, probably along the Green line with some alterations and swaps to get around the land crazed settlers.

All we have ever heard from Palestinians is their menu of demands. They say they have nothing to give. If they continue with that position, they will get some media pictures and nothing more.

If Olmert really thinks that Israel is going to allow him to dictate what would be an Arab State, he is wrong. I ask myself how does Olmert plan to implement such an act. Taking into consideration the follwing, a)52 percent of combat soldiers are religous. b)The disengagement from Gaza has left a mark on non combantant soldiers who have seen no results from their deeds in removing Jews from the Gaza Strip. c)The Israeli public will not allow the Police to remove settlers after watching what happened in Amona. Olmert is left with little options. Resign dude. Rofl. Folks, lets get real. These people can't even get along with their neighboring clans within their own village, do you think they can get alone with their sworn enemy, Israel? As much as I am for giving away most of the West Bank for a genuine peace, its useless dealing with individuals such as these.

He's like some unpleasant spam that keeps on popping up all over the place with the same irritating and irrelevant messages. Uzi, the Pal-denier, it's no good denying their the Palestinians' existence and hoping that Jordan's going to take them off your hands. It's not going to happen, however many times you repeat it. Also, what's with the 'possession is nine tenths of the law' rubbish? You're presumably not a lawyer. I think you might find problems using that as a defence if you get stopped by the police wandering down the road with stolen goods.

Uzi - come on, just what do you want the Arabs to "offer". They have, after all, nothing since Israel has everything. David

"change of the Palestinian position on refugees,Jerusalem, borders and the acceptance of Israel as a Jewish-majority state." What is there then to negotiate? We could say also that there needs to be an Israeli change on east Jerusalem, refugees and acceptace by Israel of all of its citizens regardless of race, ethnicity, or religious affiliation, a state of equals.

Israel should let Hamas to depose Abbas and smash Fatah, also in Judea and Samaria, on their way to abolish the PA and wipe it off the world map and consciousness. Then Israel should get rid of Hamas. This will open the way for the Kingdom of Jordan to take charge as the only viable nation state of all the Arabs of Greater Palestine. Having got rid of the PA and Hamas, Israel and Jordan should agree on the border between them in Judea and Samaria and maybe cede Gaza to Egypt that would sort it out quite smartly. Everybody, Jews and Arabs, should continue to live in peace where they are and nobody should move from their homes or land. Israelis who would thus become residents of the Kingdom of Jordan should be given rights and conditions like the Arabs in Israel.

The Arabs of Western Eretz Yisrael have consistently demonstrated that they are incapable of surviving unaided or ruling themselves, especially at the national polity level. They have never exercised their inherent right of self determination and now they expect others to determine and create for them that Mickey Mouse "state" which will never be. They constantly kill and steal from each other and lie to themselves, each other and the rest of the world. They never miss any opportunity to make atrocious choices and mistakes and they are incapable of sustaining and providing for themselves; they depend on others for everything. How on earth will they ever make it?

The Arabs of the Land of Israel consistently demonstrate that they don't want, can't make and won't maintain real peace. They do want, however, to weaken Israel by gaining territory without 'giving' anything tangible. They ignore that "possession is nine tenths of the law" and that it's rather the Arabs who should come forward and spell out what they offer Israel in return for what they want. They also pretend not to get it that in this case "land for peace" is both immoral and unworkable. The Arabs had used the 'territories' to threaten, pester and attack Israel before we took these territories in self defence. They continue to plan, prepare and perpetrate genocide against Israel and pretend not to see that it would be suicide for Israel to concede anything in response to their threats and aggressive action. The Arabs must realize that the only way toward peace is that rather they themselves should offer, accept and be convincingly satisfied with 'painful' compromises.

No explanation required.

Next we will hear about all the checkpoints that are going to be removed to make life easier for the Palestinians. American newspapers will dutifully repeat this evidence of boundless Israeli generosity, but the check points will never be removed.

It was lunatics like Rabin,Barak and Sharon plunging deeper and deeper into the bog despite seeing fruitlessness of it who have brought the present disaster to Israel. Olmert thinks like his daughter,Israeli concessions are the way forward. Pitiful

A positive approach is just great! What matters after all the cigars and backslapping is a change of the Palestinian position on refugees,Jerusalem, borders and the acceptance of Israel as a Jewish-majority state. Otherwise, this is just theatre.

No one is listening to Olmert. Let him go on tv and explain to israelis why he appointed peretz, a novice, as defence minister. Also why has he appointed a man who was charged with sex assault as his deputy prime minister. Let him explain why he says he won the lebanon war when Hezbollah and IDF soldiers say otherwise. Since Olmert considers himself so smart, why didn't he challenge Halutz on israel home fron readiness and how you clean out bunkers with the air force, when ground forces would be needed. Why did he say israel is finished? olmert is finished that's who is finished. If israel is finished,then the palestinians are finished.

East Jerusalem would be icing on the cake.