Same situation, different countries. The result is that the UN is doing jack because one of the big brothers be saying "bad on you for thinking ill of my friend." I could replace 'friend' with a whole list of different words, but you get the gist of it. =P So I would say, looking at the UN's reaction to Israel, they are related by the inability for the UN to step in and do something.
The rocket barrage should not stop untill all agressors and invaders are driven off from Palestinian land.
You know, reading this thread I noticed people talk a lot more about what one side should do\did\would do\was in the right to do\etc. to the other.
Not much talk of possible solutions (well, aside, palestinians should keep bombing Israel until they leave, for all the sense that makes).
Can we change that? Maybe focus a bit more in this thread on what both sides should do (within the plausible) the enact peace?
And please, I much rather hear a solution that does not involve massacre on either side, by local and far away forces... Just saying.
Anyone up for a challange?
Solutions have been offered, surprisingly, by the Israeli side. The peace talks always fall on 3 points:
1) Palestinians admitting Israel has a right to exist
2) Jerusalem staying the way it is, with the Palestinian neighborhoods and the great mosque under Palestinian authority and the rest under Israeli control.
3) Palestinian right of return
I believe they may give up on Jerusalem before they accept Israel's right to exist. How can you make peace with an entity unable to accept your right to exist to begin with? Hoping that random rockets, brain-washing propaganda, media pressure and the even more random terrorist attack will actually cause Israel to "go back" to "48's borders" is quite... Unreal?
I bet Israel would sooner return the Golan Heights to Syria and give up the strategical and tactical advantage of not being threatened from a higher position before they moved back to 48's borders.
Israel has suggested going back to 67's borders, which was accepted by the government, despite several extremist minorities being against such move. Splitting Jerusalem was also accepted, even if under more critique, yet still somehow accepted. Israel also somewhat agreed to a right of return plan as long as it isn't right away and in waves (More in order not to completely overload Palestinian infrastructure and services, than for security reasons).
The ways to make "peace" are there. But for peace, both sides need to agree. When one side says "Yes" and the other says "Maybe... But we'll keep firing random rockets for now", you know what it means.
Well, there are people who talk now, just that they're drowned out by the people that obfuscate and justify.
"To locate weapons. But we didn’t find any weapons. They confiscated kitchen knives. There was also stealing. One guy took twenty shekels. Guys went into the houses and looked for things to steal. This was a very poor village. The guys were saying, “What a bummer, there’s nothing to steal.”"
"It’s mostly punishment. I hate that: “They did this to us, so we’ll do that to them.” Do you know what a naval blockade means for the people in Gaza? There’s no food for a few days."
"They shot anyone walking around in the street. It always ended with, “We killed six terrorists today.” Whoever you shot in the street is “a terrorist.”"]
"Someone said it was funny that the kids saw their mother smeared on the wall and everyone cracked up."
"There were other things that bothered me, this thing with Palestinian fishing nets. The nets cost around four thousand shekels, which is like a million dollars for them. When they wouldn’t do what we said too many times, we’d sink their nets."
http://www.theamericanconservative.c...ly-punishment/
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0805095373/
Why not simply split the religious/historical areas for each religion? The Palestinians want ALL of Jerusalem, Israel wants only the Jewish part, willing to part with the great mosque and the muslim quarters. Even as far as willing to give up the Armenian and Catholic quarters too (Tho those oppose both sides for different reasons)
But, I listed the 3 points in a specific order, because that is the priority. No peace will ever come, unless the Palestinians accept the right of the State of Israel to exist. How can you make peace with an entity incapable of recognizing your right to exist to begin with?
'Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead
Or a yawing hole in a battered head
And the scuppers clogged with rotting red
And there they lay I damn me eyes
All lookouts clapped on Paradise
All souls bound just contrarywise, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
I am not very familiar with the map of Jerusalem but the areas surrounding the old city should be neutral too because they'd be needed as resident or whatever facilities people need when they travel to such places.
---------- Post added 2012-11-27 at 09:25 PM ----------
Some of the specific areas hold religious and historical importance for more than one party that is why. I agree with your 3 points not much to discuss there except what I noted in this and the previous post.
There're plently of hotels/hostels in Jerusalem, and it's not a big city - it'll take you about 30-40 minutes to drive from one edge of town to another in everyday traffic (trust me, lived there for 12 years). So, in my opinion, nearby residential areas shouldn't be affected. Of course, there's still a question what to do with residents of Old City itself, but i'm pretty sure that it could be worked out.
Just to sum things up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=Cbdnu_R9G40