Israel, Palestinians Still Out Of Sync

No Breakthrough Before U.S. Meeting Despite Israel's Promises On Prisoners, West Bank

(CBS/AP)  Israel on Monday approved the release of 441 Palestinian prisoners and pledged not to build any new settlements in the West Bank, but it stopped short of American demands to halt construction in existing settlements before a crucial U.S.-hosted Mideast conference.

Israel announced the moves ahead of a meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

But the Israeli and Palestinian leaders failed to complete a document on Palestinian statehood that is to be presented at an international peace conference in the U.S. planned for next week, reports CBS News correspondent Robert Berger.

The key issues include Jerusalem, refugees and borders, and Israel prefers a vague document while the Palestinians want a timetable for statehood. The Palestinians say without substance, the peace conference could be little more than a photo-op.

"There are serious gaps. I mean if it was easy it would have been done a long time ago," said Israeli spokesman Mark Regev.

Seeking to drum up support for the conference, Olmert is heading to Egypt on Tuesday for talks with President Hosni Mubarak, his office said. Arab League members are to decide on Friday whether they will join the gathering. High-level Arab attendance is seen as crucial to its success.

With the outcome of Annapolis uncertain, Israel has been under American pressure to take steps to bolster Abbas, including a settlement freeze and a large-scale release of Palestinian prisoners.

A settlement freeze, and a related promise Monday to dismantle tiny settlement outposts, are key Israeli commitments under the "road map," a U.S.-backed peace plan that stalled shortly after its inception in 2003. The U.S. has been trying to revive the road map ahead of the peace conference.

At a Cabinet meeting, Olmert said Israel would not build any more settlements in the West Bank.

"Let's be straight, we committed ourselves in the road map not to build new settlements and we will not build any," Olmert was quoted as saying by his spokeswoman, Miri Eisin.

But he indicated there would be no end to construction in existing settlements, as required by the road map.

"We won't choke off under any circumstances the existing settlements," Olmert said, according to another meeting participant. He spoke on condition of anonymity under Israeli civil service guidelines.

Israel has built no new authorized settlements in nearly a decade. But it has continued to rapidly expand existing settlements to accommodate what it calls "natural growth."

Palestinian officials reacted coolly to Olmert's announcement.

"Either it's a 100 percent settlement freeze or no settlement freeze. There is nothing in the middle," said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

Former Israeli ambassador to Washington Danny Ayalon wonders what the Palestinians will give in return.

"They should do something in return, and the least of which is to eliminate, or at least to fight, terror in an effective way," Ayalon said.

The Cabinet overwhelmingly approved Olmert's proposal to release 441 prisoners. Although the release would be the largest in years, it fell short of Palestinian calls to free some 2,000 prisoners. Israel holds an estimated 9,000 Palestinian prisoners.

"We welcome the release of any prisoners," said Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki. "But this is not enough. We will continue demanding the release of all prisoners."

Olmert and Abbas have been meeting frequently to lay the groundwork for the U.S. conference.

"We want to continue our talks regarding the preparation for Annapolis, and we need to hear from him (Olmert) things that will satisfy us, so we can go to Annapolis on a solid basis," Abbas told reporters shortly before his meeting with Olmert in Jerusalem.

The two men (with Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, left) were seen smiling and warmly embracing each other at the beginning of their meeting at Olmert's official residence. Negotiators from the sides smiled and made small talk, and Abbas paused to sign the residence's guest book.

But Erekat said there were "serious problems" in the preparations.

At the summit, Israel and the Palestinians hope to renew formal peace talks, which broke down in violence seven years ago. The U.S. also hopes the gathering will give an international boost to Abbas in his power struggle against the Hamas militant group, which now controls the Gaza Strip. However, preparations have run into trouble.

The Palestinians want the conference to address issues at the heart of the conflict with Israel, such as the borders of a future Palestinian state, shared sovereignty over disputed Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees. Israel says the summit should be a forum to formally renew talks, with discussions on core issues to follow.

"The negotiations will start after Annapolis and it will be very intensive, very serious," Olmert told reporters Monday. "It will deal with all the core issues that are a part of the process that has to lead to two nation states for two nations."

Amid the disagreements, the U.S. has not announced an official date or invitation list for the summit.

In a boost for peace efforts, international Mideast envoy Tony Blair said Israel and the Palestinians would announce on Monday a number of economic projects that could create tens of thousands of jobs for Palestinians.

Among the projects will be a Turkish-sponsored industrial park in the southern West Bank, a sewage project in northern Gaza and road construction in the West Bank, a Palestinian official said.

[earlyprophet]

WHO''S RON PAUL?
Ron Paul''s campaign has become a clearinghouse for voters like me who feel unrepresented by the Fascisct (globalist Republicans) and their Socialist comrades in crime (globalist Democrats). They''re actually one and the same. It''s all a phony, poorly staged, left-right paradigm. Most people, though, are too distracted, dumbed-down, or outright brainwashed by mainstream media, which endlessly regurgitates scientifically-crafted streams of information aimed at keeping their eyes closed to the realities of the world around them, that they fail to recognize this. Those currently in power, and those being groomed to take [major] political power, are preselected by a "global elite," and whomever is eventually elected, will ultimately, serve their agenda, and not ours. People on the right and those on the left have many differences, maybe irreconcilable ones. But we have a lot of common beliefs too, and our numbers and anger are of a considerable magnitude. No matter what happens in 2008, I personally believe Ron Paul will influence the national conversation about how much power our government should have over our lives; how much liberty we should give up for security; and whether we should continue moving along our current path towards one world government. These are issues that, frankly, no one else is talking about as seriously and sincerely as Ron Paul. What''s for sure is that his growing army of supporters like me will be there to cast our vote for liberty in 2008.

[earlyprophet]

TO APATHETIC AMERICANS
Voter disenfranchisement and apathy infects the heart of our Republic. Get off your couch, put your remote control down, and become active in your nation''s political process. The pathetically few people that do vote in this country, a.k.a., "the ruling class", who currently get to decide under what kind of conditions (and Laws) you and your family will live, are certainly involved. I can assure you of that. In fact, the ruling class would be much happier if you would just continue to stay home and watch TV in your pleasantly distracted and brainwashed, stupor. That way they can continue to elect their political ****** to office, and continue to maintain their grip on 100% of the political power they currently own in this country. If you voted (God Forbid), it would cancel-out their vote, and they would lose control. They can''t have that. Now can they? If you don''t vote, my friends, you''re nothing but an unwashed "Pleb" to those that do, and the ruling class should rightfully consider themselves superior to you in every way. They do, after all, have all the power, while you have none. If you''re too apathetic and powerless to do anything for yourself more time-consuming than driving down to Mickey D''s to buy a milk shake in order to sieze control of your life, and your country''s destiny, then perhaps you deserve to be ruled over like the "Pleb" that you then are. The time to act is now. The time for political revolution has come. The time for Ron Paul is NOW!

[earlyprophet]

YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES
America is tipping back way too far in her easy chair. Something BIG is about to happen, and I predict this upcoming 2008 election will be extremely pivotal. I''m not going to name any candidates. You probably already know who my favorite is. But let me make my point absolutely clear: If you think times are boring, think again. If you think the future is predictable, think again. My advice to everyone who reads this is to be thoughtful. Trust only that wisdom which is your own. 90% of mainstream media in this country is controlled by fewer than 20 different organizations. Unfortunately, they, like our sold-out political ****** in Washington, were bought and paid for by the military-industrial-pharmacutical complex decades ago. Therefore, they will paint pictures they want to paint, and people will open their minds to pictures they want to see. So, be skeptical. Be wise. Research issues and talking points on your own, and share what you learn with those you love. The future of your family tree may lay in the balance.

[earlyprophet]

RON PAUL''S FOREIGN POLICY BOOK BECOMES BESTSELLER
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul''s new book, "A Foreign Policy of Freedom: Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship," broke into the best-seller''s list. On November 2, Congressman Paul''s collection of speeches on foreign policy from his 10-term career in the House of Representatives hovered at number 93 on the amazon.com top 100-selling books list, and continued to maintain its number one spot in the non-fiction government and economic policy genres. The book is a 30-year compilation of the Texas congressman and rising GOP presidential contender''s speeches from the congressional floor, and assorted foreign policy writings on constitutional republicanism and non-interventionism. "Dr. Paul''s message of freedom, prosperity and peace is a best-seller," said Paul campaign spokesman Jesse Benton. "The numbers don''t lie. Americans want a constitutional, humble foreign policy, which only Ron Paul can deliver in 2008."

[earlyprophet]

A FOREIGN POLICY OF FREEDOM
All of the other presidential candidates want to continue our illegal police action in Iraq indefinitely, and they do not rule out a preemptive (nuclear) first strike against Iran. Conversely, Ron Paul voted against our (undeclared) war in Iraq, which was sold to us with lies. The area is more dangerous now than when we entered it. We destroyed a regime hated by our direct enemies--the jihadists, and created thousands of new recruits for them. The war in Iraq has cost more than 3,500 American lives and almost a trillion dollars. We need a leader in the White House who will ensure this never happens again. Both Jefferson and Washington warned us about entangling ourselves in the affairs of other nations. Today, we have 750 foreign bases and troops in 130 countries. We are spread so thin that we have too few troops defending America. And now, there are new calls for a draft. We can continue to fund and fight no-win police actions around the globe, or we can refocus on securing our borders against illegal aliens who are invading us from the South. No war should ever be fought without a Declaration of War voted upon by the Congress, as required by The Constitution. Under no circumstances should the U.S. again go to war as the result of a resolution that comes from an unelected, foreign body, such as the United Nations. Too often, we give foreign aid and intervene on behalf of governments that are despised. Then, we become despised.

[earlyprophet]

MORE TROOPS AND VETERANS SUPPORT RON PAUL
On Veteran''s Day, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul today addressed a crowd of over 5,000 enthusiastic veterans and supporters in Philadelphia. The Veteran''s Day weekend rally took place at Independence Mall. Thousands of veterans and their friends and families heard country music superstar Rockie Lynne open the event for the Texas congressman. John Holland, the founder of a leading advocacy organization for troops, veterans, and POW/MIAs, delivered an enthusiastic endorsement of Congressman Paul, before the congressman addressed the crowd. The rally coincided with the launch of the Veterans for Paul Coalition, which is composed of hundreds of war veterans. "Dr. Paul''s support among veterans is extremely high," said Paul campaign spokesman Joe Seehusen. "These great patriots who have fought for our country know that only Dr. Paul''s foreign policy of peace and secure borders can guarantee true national security, and they want him fighting for our country''s freedom." Congressman Paul was himself a Captain in the Air Force who served as a flight surgeon during the "totally unnecessary and illegal" Vietnam war. He receives more campaign contributions from former and active military and military affiliates than any of the other 2008 presidential candidates.

[earlyprophet]

RON PAUL WINS NATIONAL POLL
The results of a nationwide telephone poll, announced by Zogby on November 19th, reveals that Americans want to vote for a candidate who protects liberty; who wants to shrink government; and who wants to immediately withdraw our troops from Iraq - positions of Ron Paul. As part of a blind, spread poll, 1009 likely voters [from all parties] were provided with descriptions of four different candidates and asked to choose who they would vote for based on each one''s attributes and political platform. 33% of pollees chose Ron Paul, 19% chose Rudy Giuliani, 15% chose Mitt Romney and 13% chose Fred Thompson. The results clearly illustrate that the country is crying out for Ron Paul, which is why mainstream media has launched a PR offensive to marginalize his accomplishments and suppress the Congressman''s name recognition. In a seperate question, over 49% of pollees said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who would begin an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. In fact, Ron Paul won in every demographic in this poll (religious voters, NASCAR fans, military families, etc.) except amongst 503 preselected Zogby pollees, which identified themselves as "extremely conservative," which Guiliani won when they were only presented with the candidate''s name rather than his biography and platform. In spite of Paul''s resounding win, Zogby "spun" these poll results to make it appear as if Giuliani won, when he actually only won in a small subset of the poll.

[earlyprophet]

U.S. WAR WITH IRAN?
When I consider the prospect of a War with Iran, I wonder whether or not another major power might be inclined to side with Iran and oppose us. 10% of China''s exports go to Iran and 12% of Germany''s. Also, many countries, including China, are heavily dependent on the 2,836,000 barrels of oil Iran exports everyday. Not a problem. I''m sure those folks won''t mind riding bikes until the war is over. As far as the Iranians are concerned, I''m sure they''re just dying (no pun intended) to be invaded, er, I mean "liberated" by Americans, considering the horrid 70% approval rating of Ahmadinejad and the terrible $8,700 gross domestic product per capita there (8.6% better than China). I''m sure we''ll be welcomed in the streets after we "shock and awe" their all important looking buildings to Jahannum and back. When I compare U.S. military numbers with Iran''s, what I find is truly alarming. The U.S. has 2.37 million soldiers ready for combat. Let''s compare that with little ol'' Iran, which has more soldiers available for combat than any country in the entire world. Actually, Iran has more combat-ready soldiers (11.7 million) than China and Russia combined. Talk about hell! The bottom line is that America can''t even handle Iraq. At one point, we thought we could rush in, smite some nubs with dirks and bunnle on back home in time to catch the next season of American Idol, but it didn''t quite work-out that way. Did it? With Iran, reality is going to hurt a lot more.

[earlyprophet]

WERE HAVING A TEA PARTY! YOU''RE INVITED
As we all know, freedom isn''t free in this country. Therefore, in the wake of our successful fundraising event of November 5th, in which we all came together to raise $4.2 million dollars for Ron Paul''s campaign, we''ve set yet another date for an even bigger fundraiser. This one will take place during on December 16th: a very important date for people who love freedom and hate tyranny to ring the Liberty Bell, and let our sold-out, globalist, political ****** and their mainstream media enablers know that good Americans are mad as hell, and that we''re not going to take it anymore. December 16th is the 224th aniversary of The Boston Tea Party: an act of protest by the American colonists against the tyranny of Great Britain where the Sons of Liberty boarded British ships and dumped crates of tea overboard into Boston Harbor. It was a key event which helped to spark the American Revolution, and we hope this event will, likewise, add additional spark to our own 21st Century political revolution to restore peace, prosperity and freedom to our Republic by helping elect a President whose record of adherance to The Constitution is unmatched by anyone in American politics. Please join us this December 16th for the largest one-day political donation event in history. Our goal is to bring together 100,000 people to donate $100 each, creating a one day donation total of $10,000,000. The time to act is now. The time for Ron Paul is NOW! TeaParty07.com

[earlyprophet]

HOPE FOR AMERICA: PRESIDENT RON PAUL

-- No more meddling in other country''s political affairs
-- No more aggressive military actions overseas
-- No more torture prisons
-- No more pseudo-wars like the "War on Drugs"
-- No more IRS and unconstitutional income taxes
-- No more Federal Reserve (the group of private banks which owns our government)
-- No more erosion of Social Security to pay for militarization
-- No more U.N. (one world government) participation
-- No more NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO or GATT (globalist trade cartels)
-- No more North American Union (loss of U.S. sovereignty)
-- No more federal gun control laws
-- No more illegal aliens pouring-in over our country''s borders
-- No more illegal aliens allowed to roam freely in our streets
-- No more national ID cards (Real ID Act)
-- No more government invasion of your privacy
-- No more federal Laws which force you to take unwanted injections
-- No more federal Laws which are not authorized by The Constitution
-- No more federal erosion of State sovereignty
-- No more unlimited federal government

They don''t call him "Dr. No" for no reason. The Doctor is in! Find-out what CBS hides from you, and join us in this 21st Century political revolution at ronpaul2008.com

"Those who expect to reap the blessing of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
- Thomas Paine

"Ron Paul doesn''t represent your Father''s school of political thought. He represents your Founding Fathers."
- Me