Rice: Israel, Palestinians making 'most serious' peace effort

[butterbut]

Rice: Israel, Palestinians making 'most serious' peace effort - CNN.comHome.

"Frankly, it's time for the establishment of a Palestinian state," Rice said.

Will establishing a Palestinian state help our image in the Middle East?

I think long term a Palestinian state could become a terrorist hotbed. They would just be another Syria, or Iran. However, I don't really see an alternative.

[Thanatos]

Establishing a Palestinian state would make us look better, but it would be much better if America could talk the Israelis and the Palestinians into sharing fairly.

By drawing a national boundary between them all one would really accomplish is changing a civil war into a war between nations. The simple fact is that both sides want the other's cities and land and simply drawing lines will almost certainly not help.

Also, because the Israelis and the Palestinians do not neatly occupy their own separate areas even more people will be displaced by the effort to partition the nation. Bush will look good if he can do this, but its just going to dig a deeper hole.

[grandpa]

Quote by: Thanatos Establishing a Palestinian state would make us look better, but it would be much better if America could talk the Israelis and the Palestinians into sharing fairly. By drawing a national boundary between them all one would really accomplish is changing a civil war into a war between nations.

Until the Middle East is transformed into a truly secular, nonhierarchical section of the world, we'll probably see these conflicts continue. The solution does not lie in a Palestinian state or an Israeli one, but in ending the power struggles, ideologies and authoritarian alliances making them occur. Obviously, this might entail challenging all states in the region, and their "rights" to exist.
The "War on Terror" is a failure in this regard.

There can be no true harmony between nations, because nations exist.

Grandpa h.

[Technosoul]

Moreover, it would be Rice who should get the full credit if anyone does, not President Bush.

It would also demonstrate that the Islamic countries can respect female leadership in matters of forien policy.

It would depend a lot on what "conditions" Rice might wish to toss into the mix, if those conditions favor Israel too much then America gains nothing relative to our image for being fair and not just pro-Israel.

If some agreement is established then that would might mean that the Islamic radicals cannot use our support for Israel as justification for terrorism. This means that any terrorists that do not want our image to improve would blow something up in Israel to cause Israel to break the peace treaty. So Israel would also need patience. And the Palestinian people would need to see signs for a hopeful recovery from poverty which was partly dependant on jobs in Israel in the past.

[grandpa]

Quote by: Technosoul Moreover, it would be Rice who should get the full credit if anyone does, not President Bush. It would also demonstrate that the Islamic countries can respect female leadership in matters of forien policy.

President Bush's policies have been adding to the general mistrust, so I doubt many will respect any US leadership very much, regardless of sex.

Grandpa h.

[notworthabean]

Quote by: butterbut Rice: Israel, Palestinians making 'most serious' peace effort - CNN.comHome. Will establishing a Palestinian state help our image in the Middle East? I think long term a Palestinian state could become a terrorist hotbed. They would just be another Syria, or Iran. However, I don't really see an alternative.

I agree that Israel can't give Palestisnisn their own state right away. That wont give israel the peace they think it will.