Comments on: Bibi Zig, Bibi Zag http://southjerusalem.com/2009/12/bibi-zig-bibi-zag/ A Progressive, Skeptical Blog on Israel, Judaism, Culture, Politics, and Literature Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:35:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Fred http://southjerusalem.com/2009/12/bibi-zig-bibi-zag/comment-page-1/#comment-20375 Fred Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:47:13 +0000 http://southjerusalem.com/?p=1814#comment-20375 So the freeze is really a chill. Maybe it's a Big Chill. Maybe it isn't. It doesn't matter. Israel is supposed to get negotiations in return for a freeze. But negotiations are of little value right now: - Abbas won't be around much longer and everybody wants to know what comes next. - Abbas doesn't represent Gaza and so he can't really make a deal. - The two (or three) sides are so far apart that agreement is vanishingly unlikely. - Creation of a Palestinian State may lead to a horrible bloody war as Hamas takes over and arms itself with much bigger and better weapons. Would the deaths be in the tens of thousands or the hundreds? - The freeze is apparently intended to fool some people that the settlements might be evacuated. This is not possible. I think we all know this. So the freeze is really a chill. Maybe it’s a Big Chill. Maybe it isn’t. It doesn’t matter.

Israel is supposed to get negotiations in return for a freeze. But negotiations are of little value right now:

- Abbas won’t be around much longer and everybody wants to know what comes next.

- Abbas doesn’t represent Gaza and so he can’t really make a deal.

- The two (or three) sides are so far apart that agreement is vanishingly unlikely.

- Creation of a Palestinian State may lead to a horrible bloody war as Hamas takes over and arms itself with much bigger and better weapons. Would the deaths be in the tens of thousands or the hundreds?

- The freeze is apparently intended to fool some people that the settlements might be evacuated. This is not possible. I think we all know this.

]]> By: Suzanne http://southjerusalem.com/2009/12/bibi-zig-bibi-zag/comment-page-1/#comment-20284 Suzanne Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:20:57 +0000 http://southjerusalem.com/?p=1814#comment-20284 If Netanyahu has found a way to disappoint everyone he should shake hands with Obama who is in the process of doing the same. You'd think that Obama would show some toughness as a response to being made to look totally ineffectual. Has he already said "we tried but it's up to the Palestinians and the Israeli's"? The settler's "price to pay" dares an intifada. Palestinians should by now have the control and collective wisdom from past experience to hold off from violence. If they can they mount broad passive resistance, at this point it would be much more powerful. If Netanyahu has found a way to disappoint everyone he should shake hands with Obama who is in the process of doing the same. You’d think that Obama would show some toughness as a response to being made to look totally ineffectual. Has he already said “we tried but it’s up to the Palestinians and the Israeli’s”?

The settler’s “price to pay” dares an intifada.

Palestinians should by now have the control and collective wisdom from past experience to hold off from violence. If they can they mount broad passive resistance, at this point it would be much more powerful.

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