But more than the physical barriers that separate them, the residents of this valley stand on either side of an unbridgeable ideological chasm. The Palestinians are bent on seeing the Israelis go, and the Israelis won\’t leave.
rance is ready to help Israel achieve peace but wants concessions toward the Palestinians, Nicolas Sarkozy told the Knesset.\n\n
Since none of them is offering any evidence to back up their optimism, here is my Top 10 list of signs of progress to look for in your cup of Mideast tea leaves to help you judge whether this peace process is serious:
News briefs.
Briefs
Briefs courtesy Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Reports on current stories.
Leaving Gaza also made sense morally, said Daniel Sokatch, executive director of the Progressive Jewish Alliance.
\”For Israel to remain a democratic and Jewish state, it cannot occupy and control millions of Palestinians indefinitely,\” he said.
The two-day event over Chanukah, dubbed \”Light Up the Negev,\” was organized by the Jewish National Fund-Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (JNF) with the express purpose of \”selling\” the Negev to Israel\’s youth.
Though a regional economic and military superpower, Israel had been powerless in the world of negotiations to address the clearly identified threat to its survival. The Palestinians had the ability to hold Israel hostage by refusing to agree to any settlement that would end Israel\’s occupation.
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