[enkidu]

Peace candidate Amir Peretz won the Labor Party leadership.

Just as the US Democratic Party undermined its own credibility by adopting the militaristic rhetoric of the Republicans in the post 9/11 period to prove that they too were "tough", Shimon Peres destroyed the Israeli Labor Party position as an alternative to the Right by joining the Ariel Sharon government.

If Labor ever becomes a fighting force for peace and social justice, as Amir Peretz might make possible, it could change the landscape in Israel and bring real reconciliation with Palestine. Yossi Beilin of the Israeli peace party Meretz (Yachad) and the negotiator of the Geneva Accord immediately signaled his interest in exploring an alliance between Meretz and the new Labor Party that will hopefully be remade under the leadership of Amir Peretz.

http://www.tikkun.org/rabbi_lerner/news_item.2005-11-11.7253244758

(I'm mainly cut-and-pasting. It sure sounds like a hopeful sign for peace, doesn't it? enkidu)

 

[DRB]

Peace candidate Amir Peretz won the Labor Party leadership.

Just as the US Democratic Party undermined its own credibility by adopting the militaristic rhetoric of the Republicans in the post 9/11 period to prove that they too were "tough", Shimon Peres destroyed the Israeli Labor Party position as an alternative to the Right by joining the Ariel Sharon government.

If Labor ever becomes a fighting force for peace and social justice, as Amir Peretz might make possible, it could change the landscape in Israel and bring real reconciliation with Palestine. Yossi Beilin of the Israeli peace party Meretz (Yachad) and the negotiator of the Geneva Accord immediately signaled his interest in exploring an alliance between Meretz and the new Labor Party that will hopefully be remade under the leadership of Amir Peretz.

http://www.tikkun.org/rabbi_lerner/news_item.2005-11-11.7253244758

(I'm mainly cut-and-pasting. It sure sounds like a hopeful sign for peace, doesn't it? enkidu)

He says that he wants to end the occupation, what does that mean. If he says that Israel is leaving the West Bank not to mention East Jerusalem, watch how his popularity goes.

 

[enkidu]

He says that he wants to end the occupation, what does that mean. If he says that Israel is leaving the West Bank not to mention East Jerusalem, watch how his popularity goes.

Would it be as difficult as USA leaving Iraq? Once "successfully" occupied, never let go mentality at work?

 

[DRB]

Would it be as difficult as USA leaving Iraq? Once "successfully" occupied, never let go mentality at work?

Not a relevant comparison.

Think about what it took to get less than 7500 Israelis out of Gaza.

And then realize that approximately 200,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and 150,000 live in East Jerusalem, yeah it would be a lot more difficult.

Some guy running as a "Peace" candidate isn't going to make it any easier or even possible for that matter.

 

[enkidu]

Not a relevant comparison.

Think about what it took to get less than 7500 Israelis out of Gaza.

And then realize that approximately 200,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and 150,000 live in East Jerusalem, yeah it would be a lot more difficult.

Some guy running as a "Peace" candidate isn't going to make it any easier or even possible for that matter.

Parallel is quite striking, though. Heavily fortified "green zone" / "settlements" with state of the art gyms and pools for the privileged occupiers, collective punishments inflicted on the systematically impoverished indigenous population with the most sophisticated weapons paid by USA tax payers. . .

 

[LordOpie]

If Labor ever becomes a fighting force for peace and social justice, as Amir Peretz might make possible, it could change the landscape in Israel and bring real reconciliation with Palestine.

how is that possible when Palestinian leaders have specifically and clearly stated and showed their policy that Israel must be destroyed completely?

The war will never end until Palestinian mothers love thier children more than they hate Israel.

 

[enkidu]

how is that possible when Palestinian leaders have specifically and clearly stated and showed their policy that Israel must be destroyed completely?

The war will never end until Palestinian mothers love thier children more than they hate Israel.

Really, some of the extremist Palestinian leaders are not helping their people at all. But the majority of Palestinians, I bet, are just hoping to live peacefully without being evicted by biased "laws and restrictions" and to be able to study without having to pass through multiple degrading and arbitrary "checkpoints" and to have some opportunities to improve themselves. They need hope and basic human respect to be able to love their own Palestinian AND Israeli children. Israelis need the capacity to love Palestinians as equals, that is people with equal intrinsic values, for them to achieve the true security (peace).

There are movements and groups working towards that goal:
http://www.womeninblack.net/mission.html
http://www.hanania.com/palestinianpeacenow.htm
http://www.jatonyc.org/
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/
http://www.tikkun.org/
and many more.

(I'll be on the road until Nov. 18th. I hope to find some interesting encouraging thoughts along this line when I come back, but more likely this will be buried on page 4 of discarded threads! Take care.)

 

[fluff]

how is that possible when Palestinian leaders have specifically and clearly stated and showed their policy that Israel must be destroyed completely?

The war will never end until Palestinian mothers love thier children more than they hate Israel.

You're a bit out of date O'Pie, the mainstream Palestinian organisations abandoned that position long ago. They now want the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

 

[LordOpie]

You're a bit out of date O'Pie, the mainstream Palestinian organisations abandoned that position long ago. They now want the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

Has the PA made an official policy of this or was that just recent lip-smacking, again?