Hope in the Middle-east?

[themary]

I would imagine that people cheer because they don't really realize how many innocent lives are at stake.

ETA: Voronwë, I'll read the article later as I have to run (work shmerk). Maybe I'm not being optimistic enough but this war has been going on for so long and neither side has made much if any progress. When possible agreements are discussed it almost seems like they are toying with people's hopes because in all honesty do they ever really intend on coming to an agreement?

[Holbytla]

You cannot legislate peace, love and understanding.
There may be lulls and cease fires but this old cynic believes the two will always be at war in some form or another.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

ETA: Voronwë, I'll read the article later as I have to run (work shmerk). Maybe I'm not being optimistic enough but this war has been going on for so long and neither side has made much if any progress. When possible agreements are discussed it almost seems like they are toying with people's hopes because in all honesty do they ever really intend on coming to an agreement?

mary, I agree with you (and that holby guy) completely, but I have to hold on to some kind of home, even if it's a fool's hope.

[Jnyusa]

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[Voronwë the Faithful]

[Holbytla]

Its all about appearance and perceptions. So sad.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

The rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah have reached an agreement on power-sharing that will hopefully end the strife between them, and (even more hopefully) open the door to renewed peace talks with Israel. The agreement, brokered by the Saudis in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, includes a promise that the new government will "respect" previous peace deals with Israel, delegates said. It also divides up Cabinet posts in the new government, with the key Interior Ministry post going to a neutral person not from Hamas or Fatah.

Whether the agreement to "respect" previous peace deals with Israel will be sufficient to convince Israel, the U.S. and Western European nations to end the economic embargo that has been in place since Hamas won parliamentary elections remains to be seen.

I am, once again, cautiously optimistic.

[Jnyusa]

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[Voronwë the Faithful]

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be holding bi-weekly discussions aimed at paving the way for a final settlement to the Middle East conflict. I don't know how much room there is for optimism, but talking is better then not talking. Frankly, until there is an American administration that is more willing to pressure both sides -- particularly Israel -- I don't think there is much hope for a final agreement.

[Túrin Turambar]

It's a start, but I think that the Governments of the Middle East need to buy into the idea of peace for it too really get off the ground.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Well, Ohlmert has not proposed a regional peace conference, and has specifically alluded to Saudi King Abdullah taking a lead role. If that happens, it could be very significant.

Or it could mean nothing.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/200704 ... 271G1.html

[superwizard]

If that happens, it could be very significant.

Or it could mean nothing.

While I sincerely hope with all my heart that this will help resolve the Middle East conflict I've become very pessimistic when it comes to Middle Eastern talks and discussions. However I refuse to give up hope.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

S'wiz, you express my own point of view perfectly.

[Túrin Turambar]

Hamas has shown their commitment to peace in the Middle East by running a program on their TV station, Al-Asqa TV, designed to encourage young children to support terrorism.

Meet Fafur, the loveable character who bears a vague resemblance to Mickey Mouse. He appears on the program Tommorrow’s Pioneers, and promotes a strict and fundamentalist interpretation of Islam combined with a strong appeal to jihad. For example, he tells children that they must remember to pray five times a day at the Mosque until the whole world is under Islamic rule. The show is participatory, with children ringing in to read their own poems, usually virulently anti-western and pro-terrorism.

I hate to come accross as cynical, but what the hell?

[solicitr]

Cynical? Just realistic. Hamas has yet to learn to be a government- it remains a hate group. They also decorate their school walls with portraits of "martyrs" (read suicide bombers), and murals of heroic Arab children bayoneting Jews.

By their fruits shall ye know them......

[Túrin Turambar]

Basically, I don't see how there can be a Palestinian state while Palestine is being run by Hamas. They've gotten into power, and they've used their position to further an anti-Jewish hate campaign. There's peace in the Middle East set back another generation...

[Crucifer]

Just wondering, does Isreal really want to exist?
Every time they seem to have some hope of not being wiprd off the face of the planet, they go and fire some rockets at Palestine, or Libanus.

[Túrin Turambar]

I think you’ll find that the rockets are usually being fired by the other side…

[axordil]

A fair number of rockets are fired by both. Some come from mobile ground launchers, some from helicopters and F-16s. In either case, far too often they come down on people who aren't technically involved in the fighting.

[Crucifer]

But for example, when Israel were starting to come to some agreement with Palestine last year, they went and invaded Libanus! It's like they're all adrenalin junkies or something. Ho hum...