Will this increase or decrease the likelihood of terrorist actions in America, Europe and the rest of the world?

If you were a member of a family murdered in this conflict, would you be seeking revenge?

Should Tzipi Livni and Ehud Olmert, be tried for war crimes if or when this conflict comes to an end?

What will the price of oil be in 4 weeks time?

Cynic and RF, Simple answer to your "problems" is don't read the thread.

There are few posters, as well as may as well as a few threads, which I don't scan through and don't seem to miss them.

Would you wish censorship of other peoples choices?

You don't have to answer?

But the easiest thing is to impose your own censorship on your self.

Don't know who you are calling nutcases, there's only one on this thread and I don't read his posts :)

I think most residences of Israel and Palestine are tired of war and eager to have peace. Outsiders may think differently..... I think the media is responsible for many problems including this one.

I hope Obama can generate an environment for the people of the two faiths to discuss their differences and decide about their life themselves.

I do believe my friends it is now time to put this thread "to bed".

I stay up late.

Which bed?


Sivad, if it bores you, read a different thread.

Sounds like a good idea, sivad.
I must admit reading "Isreal is no homeland for them, despite being pronounced so" the day after I saw "Defiance" on DVD made me see red - still does......
What next I wonder - all immigrants to the US should leave and they shouldn't have a country and it should be handed back to the Native Americans - there is actually a stronger argument for that - the Jews have lived in the land of Israel of thousands of years and someone comes out with that sort of incredibly arrogant comment.....there's room for Israel and room for a Palestinian state too.......anyway, I'll leave this thread for now.
Richard

Fred, stop worrying and go and have a pie & pint .... lol

There may be room for the Palestinians and Israelis when Israel give back all the land they have taken from the Palestinians and allowed Israeli settlers to live on much of it.

Aldwick, I have just 30mins ago escaped from hospital, if I could walk to the pub and put the pint on expenses I would do.

But I am enjoying a nice glass of white wine for the first time in three weeks.

I haven't seen many postings from you for a while.

Ok - this thread will continue then.
Israel gave back all of the Sinai to Egypt in exchange for peace and that worked. Result - peace and no deaths.
Israel left Gaza and Hamas rocketed Israeli towns trying to kill and maim indiscriminately. Result - war and deaths.
It ain't difficult for anybody to figure out......

What's missing here is a taliban thread...! it would compliment perfectly this exercise in failed journalism, ahh !, I can just see it now ! : Ladies and Gents you can vote for your favourite taliban stonghold now ! the lies are (sorry lines) now open : dial Fred1new on claptrap -------, calls to this line cost a bomb !, you must be just not in your nappies still and have permission to stay up late....!. Yep it would look great !.

Adding to this : it would be more sensible to have a thread about Iraq and Afganistan where our forces are involved in a terrible conflict costing British lives rather than this other lot !....this is Britain after all !.

RF, Why not start such a thread.


It seems the present American Administration doesn't hold your views on the Two State solution.

I think the "governing class" of Israel will have to rethink their policies and future actions.

Didn't realise that America was still bailing Israel out to the tune of 3.5 billion a year.

required field,
excellent idea - start one :)

I think we should leave the problems for them to discuss.

Governments should be elected by the people of the two countries without any external interference. They can/will then solve their problems.

Those who live there have received enough ideas.

Unfortunately, no country is an island unto itself.

Sometimes, it is useful to have "unbiased arbitrators" or somebody to give both sides a kick up the ?

Also, neither sides in the problem are independent, they are funded from outside their own frontiers and armed by outside agencies.

Check the true economy of Israel.

Seems to me, that Israeli "government minister", in the shape of Benjamin Netanyahu, has been rebuked by America after the atrocities of Gaza and told to go home and think again!

Is there going to be further changes in America's Middle East policy? Does Israel have any oil for export?

UN Gaza inquiry 'to proceed despite Israel'

Mr Goldstone said he was "disappointed" Israel had given no positive response, and said his team would enter Gaza via Egypt if Israel refused them visas.

The UN wants to investigate whether Israel and Hamas committed war crimes during the January conflict in Gaza.

Israel accuses the UN branch carrying out the mission of bias against it.

The UN Human Rights Council has been accused of singling out Israel unfairly, and is viewed by some as having less credibility than other parts of the UN.

But correspondents say the selection of Mr Goldstone, a respected South African war crimes prosecutor who is also Jewish, as head of the inquiry has given it greater clout.

Public hearings

Mr Goldstone said his team had hoped to visit southern Israeli towns which have suffered Palestinian rocket fire , before entering Gaza from Israel.

But if Israel failed to allow the investigators passage, entering through the Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border would be a "second choice".

He said that after talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the team had decided to hold a series of public hearings.

If these could take place in the Middle East "so much the better", but if not they would be held in Geneva, with witnesses flown in or testifying via video link, he said.

Most Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are unable to leave because of Israel's blockade on the territory.

Israel has given no official response to the inquiry team, but media reports have suggested it does not plan to co-operate.

Israeli ambassador in Geneva Leshno Yaar told Associated Press earlier that the council treats Israel "unfairly" and that "justice cannot be the outcome of this mission".

Inquiry conclusions

Several investigations into alleged violations of international law during Israel's 22-day operation in Gaza, which ended on 18 January, have now reported back.

Mr Ban has requested more than $11m (7m) compensation from Israel for damage to UN property in Gaza, after a limited UN inquiry accused Israel of targeting known civilian shelters and providing untrue statements to justify actions in which civilians were killed.

The report found Israel to blame in six out of nine incidents when death or injury were caused to people sheltering at UN property and UN buildings were damaged.

The Israeli military has concluded in an internal investigation that its troops fought lawfully, although errors did take place, such as the deaths of 21 people in a wrongly targeted house.

Meanwhile, a fact-finding team commissioned by the Arab League said there was sufficient evidence for the Israeli military to be prosecuted for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and that "the Israeli political leadership was also responsible for such crimes".

It also said Palestinian militants were guilty of war crimes in their use of indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

About 1,300 Palestinians died in the January conflict. Israeli and Palestinian estimates differ on the numbers of civilian casualties.

Ten Israeli soldiers were killed, including four by friendly fire, and three Israel civilians died in rocket attacks by Palestinian militants

Perhaps, the crazy gang are crazier than they realised.

The present American administration has reviewed it attitude to Israels Right winged governments.

Obamas rebuke of Israel of its obsolescent stance on the Two State and its abuses by of the Palestinians by its settlement policy have as I stated earlier are the changes I predicted.

Any reasonable group would apologise for their previous abuse. I doubt the member of the crazy gang are capable of doing so.

I think I would prefer Obamas backing than theirs.

Anyway the following is worth a read!

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5isAKh8QC0tqYG5gzrDQpY8PFZnmwD98ERFCG3


Clinton: Israel must halt West Bank settlements
By ROBERT BURNS 9 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Israel in unusually blunt terms Wednesday to completely halt settlements on land that Palestinians claim as part of a future state of their own.
In remarks to reporters at the State Department, Clinton said President Barack Obama had made clear last week during talks at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that stopping settlements is a key part of moving toward a deal establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
"He wants to see a stop to settlements not some settlements, not outposts, not 'natural growth' exceptions," Clinton said, referring in the last case to population growth on existing Israeli settlements in the West Bank from births and from allowances for adult offspring of settlers to buy homes near their parents.
"We think it is in the best interests (of the peace process) that settlement expansion cease," Clinton added, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit at her side. "That is our position. That is what we have communicated very clearly. ... And we intend to press that point."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is putting settlements at the center of his talks with Obama at the White House on Thursday, and he has said he won't resume peace talks without a freeze. Clinton was having dinner Wednesday with Abbas.
Obama has made clear that he supports the creation of a Palestinian state, and in remarks last week he noted that under a previous arrangement known as the "roadmap," which dates to the Bush administration, the Israelis agreed to halt West Bank settlements, along with certain steps by the Palestinians.

Extract from Obama's interview.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243872310592&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

The president reiterated his view that striving for a two-state solution would also require imposing a total freeze on Israeli construction over the green line, including putting a halt to expansion attributed to natural growth. He also voiced understanding for Israeli apprehensions, saying Palestinians would have to fight terror and end "the incitement that understandably makes Israelis so concerned."

However, Obama said, "Part of being a good friend is being honest, and I think there have been times where we are not as honest as we should be about the fact that the current direction, the current trajectory in the region is profoundly negative, not only for Israeli interests but also US interests. And that's part of a new dialogue that I'd like to see encouraged in the region.