Submitted by Matthew Mausner, Dec 5, 2006 13:01

The Israel-Palestine issue is only linked to other problems in the region because of irrational Muslim hatred of Israel. The suggestion of linkage is, in realpolitik, absurd. Israel's own security-- 'concessions'-- should be made just to encourage Iran and Syria not to take advantage of America's stupidity in Iraq? Israel should make concessions-- in exchange for 'promises'??? That don't even help Israel? I suppose Israel should make concessions without even demanding Iran stop its nuclear program?

The Israeli-Palestinian issue is intractable for its own reasons, which have nothing whatsoever to do with America (or with Iraq, or Iran.) Peace is impossible as long as the minimum the Palestinians want is far more than the maximum Israel can give, and that's the situation for the foreseeable future. Israel can never give the 'right of return' or Jerusalem, and Palestinians can never abandon those conditions for 'peace'. To force Israel to make concessions as long as the root cause of the conflict is not addressed will not solve anything, and what's worse, it will encourage the theocrats and extremists in Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Iraq itself.

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