Haaretz raises a critical question and issue in relation to Israel remaining a so-called Jewish State. In fact, can Israel rermain so? And how does that play with and for the still displaced Palestinians in the region?
"Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are demanding that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state, but they should direct this demand at the Israelis. Another conference and another negotiation, another trip and another draft agreement, another escape from addressing the core issues, as though there is anything else to talk about. The Israelis, not Palestinians, are making the vision of the Jewish state impossible. A law tying the government's hands vis-a-vis concessions in Jerusalem passed the Knesset in a preliminary reading, as though Israel's interest is to annex East Jerusalem with its hundreds of thousands of Palestinians."
Meanwhile, a new book, "The Confidante" backgrounds Condi Rice - and delivers a serve on her poor efforts in connection with the Middle East conflict.
JTA reports:
"As Condoleezza Rice prepares for what could be the make-or-break event of her career -- the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian summit -- a new book is raising questions about the U.S. secretary of state's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other Middle East issues.
"The Confidante" (St. Martin's Press, 304 pp, $25.95), by the Washington Post diplomatic correspondent Glenn Kessler, has earned rave reviews for depicting Rice's delicate balance between her friendship with Bush and the demands of the international community.
Kessler has traveled the world as part of Rice's press entourage, and he provides a blow-by-blow and sometimes devastating account of her foreign policy decisions. Middle East watchers will be especially interested in his sharp criticism of several of Rice's judgment calls pertaining to the region, including her promotion of elections that ended up bringing terrorist organizations to power."
"Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are demanding that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state, but they should direct this demand at the Israelis. Another conference and another negotiation, another trip and another draft agreement, another escape from addressing the core issues, as though there is anything else to talk about. The Israelis, not Palestinians, are making the vision of the Jewish state impossible. A law tying the government's hands vis-a-vis concessions in Jerusalem passed the Knesset in a preliminary reading, as though Israel's interest is to annex East Jerusalem with its hundreds of thousands of Palestinians."
Meanwhile, a new book, "The Confidante" backgrounds Condi Rice - and delivers a serve on her poor efforts in connection with the Middle East conflict.
JTA reports:
"As Condoleezza Rice prepares for what could be the make-or-break event of her career -- the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian summit -- a new book is raising questions about the U.S. secretary of state's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other Middle East issues.
"The Confidante" (St. Martin's Press, 304 pp, $25.95), by the Washington Post diplomatic correspondent Glenn Kessler, has earned rave reviews for depicting Rice's delicate balance between her friendship with Bush and the demands of the international community.
Kessler has traveled the world as part of Rice's press entourage, and he provides a blow-by-blow and sometimes devastating account of her foreign policy decisions. Middle East watchers will be especially interested in his sharp criticism of several of Rice's judgment calls pertaining to the region, including her promotion of elections that ended up bringing terrorist organizations to power."
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