CAN ANNAPOLIS SUCCEED? NOT LIKELY. HERE'S WHY...

EU REFERENDUM HAS A POST ON A RECENT APPEARANCE BY RICHARD PERLE ON THE STATE OF AFFAIRS ON THE MIDDLE EAST. HERE IS AN EXCERPT:

The problem between Israelis and Palestinians goes beyond the diplomatic discussions that are likely to take place at Annapolis. It is not about land or the number of people who might or might not be allowed to “return”. (By the way, nobody is asking this but are we to assume that if right of return becomes part of the deal, the 800,000 Jews who were forced out of the Arab countries where they had lived for a couple of millennia and their descendants will be allowed to return and their land and property will be restored to them? No? Really?)

The real problem goes further into the psyche of the Palestinians and many of their Arab supporters (though none of the latter are prepared to fight for them, which is just as well). We need to look at the indoctrination that is carried out in Gaza, in the West Bank and in many of the Arab states; the songs of hatred children are taught to sing; the miniature suicide bombers’ vests that they are given.

Mr Perle did not quote Golda Meir but it is pertinent to recall what that indomitable old lady said: “There will be no peace in the Middle East until the Palestinians learn to love their children more than they hate Jews.” There will be no peace in the Middle East until the Palestinians will stop thinking that their children are to be sacrificed to the great Moloch of the Palestinian leadership. And there will be no peace until the Palestinians will understand reality and start thinking about genuine negotiations; not until they stop seeing themselves as the eternal victims.

These are the issues that the negotiators at Annapolis must address but will they? On past performance, one would say that is unlikely. So the answer to the question, is the Middle East ready for peace, has to be no, not for a long time.

I AGREE.

• THE CORE BELIEFS OF THE PALESTINIANS ARE ANTITHETICAL TO PEACE.

• IF PEACE TALKS, A PEACE PROCESS, AND PEACE TREATIES MADE PEACE THEN THE MIDDLE EAST WOULD BE THE MOST PEACEFUL PLACE ON EARTH.

• THE ENTIRE WORLD WOULD BE BETTER OFF IF BUSH AND CONDI AND GATES AND KHALILZAD WOULD SPEND THEIR ENERGY AND TIME ON GETTING THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON ALL OUTSTANDING ISSUES.