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2003-06-06 Middle East

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Posted by Steve 2003-06-06 09:11 am|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 come on now - $6000 is the opening bid - they'll eventually settle for less than $500. thats the way it works.

Thats why we westerners (and western minded israelis) keep screwing this up. Today there are people getting bent out of shape cause Abu mazen hasnt given up the right of return - hes keeping something to haggle with. Barak, a very western minded israeli, went to Camp david with close to his final offer - no wonder Arafat couldnt make sense of it - either there was a trick, or Israel was collapsing, and he could ask for Nazareth and Haifa. At Taba Barak did make the final offer - and Arafat was too much the middle easterner to accept so fast - if youre putting that much on the table so fast, there MUST be more i can get out of you.

Thats why the current process is more hopeful. Sharon seems to have more insight into the regional mindset. You know damned well he is NOT going to put his cards on the table early. He'll play every little concession for all its worth, and his first bid will be something totally unreasonable "you want contiguity - i'll give you contiguity - we keep ALL pre-2000 settlements, and link them to Israel with bridges and tunnels you can pass under and over"
By being unreasonable, Sharon makes peace MORE likely - reasonable folk like Barak may NOT be capable of making peace in this region.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-06-06 10:02:32|| 2003-06-06 10:02:32|| Front Page Top

#2 "By being unreasonable, Sharon makes peace MORE likely-reasonable folks like Barak may NOT be capable of making peace in this region"
I think your on to something.
I sure wish I could hear someone say that on cable news. A statement like that would get the anti-semites, and other knee-jerk reaction type liberals up in arms.

Posted by Mike N. 2003-06-06 10:13:33|| 2003-06-06 10:13:33|| Front Page Top

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