Commendable insight

Submitted by Steve Klein (United States), Jan 5, 2006 at 08:35

I missed your earlier article on "escapist" parties in Israel. You must be commended for your study and insight.

Your concluding paragraphs: "Turning to Israeli relations with the Palestinians, Sharon made monumental mistakes in recent months. In particular, the withdrawal of all Israelis from Gaza confirmed for Palestinians that violence works, prompting a barrage of rockets on Israeli territory and an inflammation of the political temperature."

I could not agree more.

And: "As Israel settles back to a more normal state, with no politician enjoying Sharon's outsized popularity, governmental actions will again come under closer scrutiny. The result is likely to be a less escapist and more realist set of policies toward the Palestinians and perhaps even some forward movement toward a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian war."

Let us all hope that Israel settles back to a more normal state, with no politician enjoying Sharon's outsized popularity, etc. Realistically, there will be no forward movement toward any resolution of the Arab war against Israel -- which is part and parcel of the Israeli-Palestinian war --- until the Arab world resigns itself to accepting Israel's existence. I do not foresee this in the near and the not-so-near future.

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