Oh boy! According to President Bush, the Israelis and the Palestinians have agreed to agree by the end of 2008. Well, now I feel better. I guess we've torn up the Road Map to Peace that was going to put an end to the conflict by 2005. Now we have a "joint understanding." Even better, they haven't really agreed to agree. They've agreed to try to agree. In the statement read by Bush, the parties: "shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008." Oh, I am bursting with optimism.
And note the three reasons Bush feels now is the time for success.
"First, the time is right because Palestinians and Israelis have leaders who are determined to achieve peace," Bush said. "Second, the time is right because a battle is under way for the future of the Middle East and we must not cede victory to the extremists. Third, the time is right because the world understands the urgency of supporting these negotiations."Let us examine these, shall we?
1. "Palestinians and Israelis have leaders who are determined to achieve peace." Well, not exactly. Abbas doesn't control his people and Olmert is very unpopular. So calling them "leaders" is pie-in-the-sky thinking.
2. "a battle is under way for the future of the Middle East and we must not cede victory to the extremists." That is not a reason why "the time is right" for an agreement. It is only a reason why Bush hopes the parties can reach a sustainable agreement.
3. "the world understands the urgency of supporting these negotiations." Great, other countries understand it is important for the parties to negotiate. Whereas before now I guess the world didn't think it was that important. And what part of the world does he mean? given that the most important player in the Middle East is Iran, if it doesn;t think negotiations are urgent, what hope is there?
2 comments:
I'm surprized you didn't mention the fourth, unspoken reason the time is right: Bush has lame-duck-itis and wants to leave some positive legacy. Fractured nations of USA and Iraq aside, he doesn't have much to squawk about. He wants it to be said of him that he reigned over THE Mideast peace agreement - or at least he tried. -S
HE CONTEMPLATES THE MAPS OF WAR
Riding the warm air rising, so
He hardly moves his wings
But soars majestic o´er us, though
We be paupers or kings.
He glides, he seems to hover, for
How long, upon the swell
Maintains suspended stillness o´er
The scene--is hard to tell.
The occupant of this or that
High office, occupied--
Preoccupied--with business at
His desk knows no such glide.
Though he be head of state or have
No pressing need or want,
Yet e´en a ruler is a slave,
This current occupant:
A slave to habits of the mind,
No better, maybe worse
Than such with nature intertwined--
And yet he never soars.
The rodent in the field has little
Foreknowledge--apprehension
Perhaps; but man is brittle
Dwelling within his tension.
He contemplates the progress of
The war without a thought
To eagles in the sky above
Or rodents talon-caught.
He has not the serenity--
Engaged in guilty cause--
Of nature, as conception free,
In breaking human laws.
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