Israel At 60: Prosperity Without Peace

Charles Wolfson: For All The Achievements Of Israel, Peace With Palestinians Still Unresolved

(CBS)  Background and analysis by CBS News State Department reporter Charles Wolfson.

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World leaders have celebrated Israel’s astonishing growth and prosperity created in its 60 years as a modern state and now the festivities are over. President George W. Bush and scores of other luminaries from around the world paid homage to the Jewish state and the Israeli people in several days of celebratory meetings and speeches in Jerusalem.

But for all the progress, all the democracy and all of the achievements of Israel and its people, there remains at its core a key piece of unfinished business: making peace with all its Arab neighbors and most especially with the Palestinians.

Israel proudly boasts of the best military force in the Middle East and its soldiers have defended the nation seven times in six decades. Peace treaties have been signed with Egypt and Jordan, two of its closest neighbors. Still, Israelis have not been able to come to political accommodation with the Palestinians, the people they have shared the land with for centuries.

While Israel celebrates its 1948 victory in the war of independence, the Palestinians are left to acknowledge another year of loss. It is called the “nakba” or “catastrophe” in Arabic and it refers to Palestinian families who either left their lands or were driven off by the Israelis 60 years ago. No matter whose narrative you accept, the grievances of the Palestinians are real and have to be dealt with before Israel can celebrate a full peace.

Why is the problem still unresolved after six decades? There is enough blame to go around. Yes, the Palestinians have missed opportunities and so have the Israelis. The 1993 Oslo agreement worked out between negotiators for the two parties launched them on a path toward peace but the destination has not yet been reached. The past decade saw numerous attempts to negotiate a solution, including intense involvement by the Clinton administration, to no avail.

Now, the Bush administration, after staying on the diplomatic sidelines for seven years, is trying a new approach which it launched in Annapolis last November and which is aimed at creating a Palestinian state by the end of 2008. Only the most optimistic Mr. Bush and his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice among them give the parties a serious chance of succeeding. One reason cited by those more pessimistic about the chances of reaching a deal is the apparent unwillingness of the Bush administration to pressure Israel to make significant concessions to the Palestinians and without such pressure, the argument goes, the Israelis will not offer a deal the Palestinians can accept. The same criticism was made of the Clinton administration’s efforts.

Why is this so difficult? The problems are so well known they are called simply “final status” issues: defining the borders of a future Palestinian state; dividing Jerusalem as a capital city for each; the right of return for Palestinian refugees to come back to the land and to homes that once belonged to them and their families; and resolving the question of secure borders and a lasting peace for Israel which will not leave it exposed to the constant possibility of attacks from their closest neighbors.

Israel, the far stronger power, has not always been a benign occupier. It has since its victory in the 1967 war occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza (which it relinquished unilaterally in 2005). It has built settlements and allowed Israelis to takeover lands formerly occupied by Palestinians. The Palestinians have never accepted defeat and have vowed to continue armed struggle in one form or another. In earlier rounds of violence suicide bombers killed innocent Israelis. In its current form the resistance is led by Hamas, which operates from its base in Gaza and permits a steady stream of rockets fired by various factions to land on Israeli towns. Ultimately, this will lead to another Israeli military crackdown on the Palestinians and another cycle of violence between the two.

Even though Israel’s Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, and the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, are having regular meetings, both are politically weak and neither seems willing to make significant concessions on the main issues. In other words, the likelihood that either would be willing to make politically tough decisions, which by their nature would have them risking their tenuous hold on power, is very slim indeed. There wasn’t even enough progress for Mr. Bush to hold a three-way meeting with Olmert and Abbas when he was in Jerusalem this week.

The optimists argue that if a deal is to be struck there is still time. Even though Mr. Bush has only eight months left in office, it is a given in Middle East negotiations that almost nothing significant gets decided until the last minute - or five minutes past the last minute.

Thus, there are those who can cling to whatever slim rays of hope they see. One of those optimists is Condoleezza Rice, who just days before Mr. Bush’s trip, on one of her many trips to nudge the parties along, recalled the “historic and courageous” decision of President Harry Truman to recognize the founding of Israel only eleven minutes after it declared its independence. Rice told reporters: “I hope someday that somebody will be - I mean it will be well beyond our watch - somebody will be coming to celebrate the 60th anniversary… of the Palestinian democratic state one day, that some American president will say George W. Bush took a courageous decision to support the creation of a Palestinian state and it came into being and we are here to celebrate that.”

To the political successors of Mr. Bush, Olmert and Abbas, each of whom will have their own opportunity to craft a solution which has eluded their predecessors, I say good luck. It is time.

[sjc_1]

Israel has caused the U.S. problems for 60 years. I do not know about their "right" to exist, but putting them in the middle of Arabs that want to kill them is not a formula for success.

[truthyness]

NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THE DNC

Action speaks louder than words. I was on another

web site last night and the Hillary supporters were

talking about REGISTERING AS REPUBLICANS AND NOT

COMING BACK TO THE PARTY UNTIL HILLARY GETS THE

NOMINATION.

This way it would be harder for the DNC to just

brush us off by saying we''ll eventually all rally

around Obama......No Way, Nobama!

I''''m going tomorrow and register as a Republican. If

you''re not already registered as a Democrat, you can

first register as a Democrat and a day or two later,

register as a Republican. It will show up as a lost

member on the Democratic Membership Roll by the

end of the week.

Sounds like a plan to me!!

[truthyness]

NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THE DNC

Action speaks louder than words. I was on another

web site last night and the Hillary supporters were

talking about REGISTERING AS REPUBLICANS AND NOT

COMING BACK TO THE PARTY UNTIL HILLARY GETS THE

NOMINATION.

This way it would be harder for the DNC to just

brush us off by saying we''ll eventually all rally

around Obama......No Way, Nobama!

I''''m going tomorrow and register as a Republican. If

you''re not already registered as a Democrat, you can

first register as a Democrat and a day or two later,

register as a Republican. It will show up as a lost

member on the Democratic Membership Roll by the

end of the week.

Sounds like a plan to me!!

[truthyness]

NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THE DNC

Action speaks louder than words. I was on another

web site last night and the Hillary supporters were

talking about REGISTERING AS REPUBLICANS AND NOT

COMING BACK TO THE PARTY UNTIL HILLARY GETS THE

NOMINATION.

This way it would be harder for the DNC to just

brush us off by saying we''ll eventually all rally

around Obama......No Way, Nobama!

I''''m going tomorrow and register as a Republican. If

you''re not already registered as a Democrat, you can

first register as a Democrat and a day or two later,

register as a Republican. It will show up as a lost

member on the Democratic Membership Roll by the

end of the week.

Sounds like a plan to me!!

[it_oldtimer]

I agree with joyous88: all religions are just fairy tales for the simple-minded.

As Marx said: "religion is the opiate of the masses."

[joyous88]

there is no such thing as ''god'', you are a fool

[cfin5]

cfin5 is insane

Posted by joyous88 at 09:12 AM : May 18, 2008----------If someone claims to be the Alpha and Omega (the beginning and the end) who sees the whole picture of time at once as a historical fact, and the things he predicts will happen and most of which has happened, what better intel can you get? Our and many countries go to great lengths to get the best and most accurate intelligence in world affairs, yet they seem to disregard the prophetic timetable of the end of time. This is a very disastrous policy to pursue. All a man like me can do is remind our leaders of these solemn warnings. I do it because I LOVE my country and do not wish to see us or any nation cut to pieces as God said he will do to any body that trespasses the prophetic warning line......But it is going to happen as he says in Joel 3:2 - I will gather all nations, and bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

[joyous88]

truthyness is insane

[truthyness]

NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THE DNC

Action speaks louder than words. I was on another

web site last night and the Hillary supporters were

talking about REGISTERING AS REPUBLICANS AND NOT

COMING BACK TO THE PARTY UNTIL HILLARY GETS THE

NOMINATION.

This way it would be harder for the DNC to just

brush us off by saying we''ll eventually all rally

around Obama......No Way, Nobama!

I''m going tomorrow and register as a Republican. If

you''re not already registered as a Democrat, you can

first register as a Democrat and a day or two later,

register as a Republican. It will show up as a lost

member on the Democratic Membership Roll by the

end of the week.

Sounds like a plan to me!!

[joyous88]

cfin5 is insane

[cfin5]

I really don''t understand why all of our leaders insist to disbelieve who is really letting Israel to both prosper and suffer turmoil. Jehovah in his word (Zechariah chapter 12) says that it is none other than HE that is causing these issues. He is letting Israel prosper because they need it while bringing the remnant of the Hebrews back from every corner of his world. He is also very displeased with the treatment the nations have dished them out while there.......Their turmoil is to get their attention to remember who it is that made them the country that they are in the first place. I doubt that he could get their attention with peaceful lullabies seeing that he himself called them a stiff-necked people. No,....it''s burrs under their saddle will spur them to call on God again......Jesus said in Luke 13:35 that the Jews would not see him again until they say again "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord"......My advise to our leaders is that they had better tread VERY VERY LIGHTLY when Israel is concerned or you will get America destroyed! "THEY" are the apple of Gods eye, "WE" are not. Don''t meddle, just bless them.

[o_nolan1]

"World leaders have celebrated Israel%u2019s astonishing growth and prosperity created in its 60 years as a modern state." Few nations on this earth have had the advantages that Israel has had during this period. Growth and prosperity on one side of the wall and hopelessness and poverty on the other. The entire situation continues to be a giant mess and will remain that way until some neutrality by the United States is instituted.

[it_oldtimer]

The Jews invite their own problems, and have been doing so throughout recorded history.

That''s not about to change any time soon, it looks like.

[joyous88]

republicons are un american

[truthyness]

Obama, Odinga & Kenyan Jihad

Another story the media is holding
back on!!!

[tibu987]

The small state of Israel, about 7 million people, will keep the U.S. embroiled in controversial wars and military actions in the Middle-East forever.
They use our soldiers, our military arsenal, our money, to fight their wars.

It is time for the U.S. to reevaluate our relationship with Israel, it is a very one way pact we have with them.

I have long felt that our dealings with Israel were never a benefit for the U.S. The U.S. has been used by Israel for many years to fight their battles and it is time for it to stop.

[joyous88]

the same old craap for 60 years,

and they won der why people hate them

now, with the first un american president of the US,

we are making the same mistakes. Look how well our

60 year embargo of the Cuba people has gone!

Republicons and their evangelical friends are
Un-American

[truthyness]

The Republicans are playing Blacks for fools.....

and theyre doing a pretty good job of it.

[bluestardad]

BUSH WHAT A CHIMP!

THIS CHIMP DEGRADES THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

AMERICA SHOULD LET THESE MIDDLE EAST PEOPLE DRINK OIL AND QUIT BEGGING THEM FOR OIL! SINCE THE 1970S THESE RAGS HAVE HAD AMERICAN POLITICIANS BY THE SHORT HAIRS!

ITS TIME TO PULL OUT ALL SUPPORT FOR THEM AND LEAVE THEM TO THEIR OWN DEVICES!

THE BIN LADEN FAMILY IS A FRIEND OF BUSH!

BUSH HAS NO PROBLEMS GROVELING TO THESE RAGS EVEN THOU HE IS THE PRESIDENT OF A GREAT COUNTRY!

AMERICA DEMAND IRAQ WAR CRIMES TRIALS ON THIS CHIMP AND HIS NEOCON BUDDIES!

PULL ALL TROOPS AND AID FROM THE MIDDLE EAST INCLUDING ISRAEL AND LET THEM ALL THROW ROCKS AT EACH OTHER!

AMERICA DESERVES BETTER!

AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!

[sharncedar]

"Israel proudly boasts of the best military force in the Middle East"

It suffers the same problem as the US military it is based on. Our military technology and Israel''s are both a step behind, as shown by our shared efeats in Iraq and Lebanon. The old style military that is based on air power and centralized regular forces can be beaten by the newer irregular and decentralized armies such as Hezbollah.

I''m not sure Israel is the strongest power in their region anymore, just as the US is clearly not the strongest power in Iraq. The US/Israel military strategy relies on knocking out the command structure of the opposition, and a decentralized opponent has no command structure. It leaves you dropping million dollar bombs on tents, or stationing a trillion dollars worth of "boots on the ground" all over a country that you can''t in any sense control.

Military history is a history of innovation; the game-changing innovation of the last 30 years was not technology but social structure, and that caught our Pentagon flat-footed.

The way to counter is to give power back to the American people, for example some public executions of the super-wealthy would change everything, re-energize our country, but the Pentagon as a top-heavy command structure is itself the dinosaur, they have lost touch with their own country.