Rice Acknowledges a Reality

[tw]

From the NY Times of 16 Jun 2008 is an indication that George Jr's administration is finally deviating from their extremist position and finally confronting a reality that undermined the Oslo Accords eight years ago.

Rice Says Houses Hurt Mideast Talks
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday that thousands of housing units that Israel is building on captured land were harming peace talks with the Palestinians. She also said she could not understand why Israel was still blocking three Fulbright grantees from leaving Gaza.

... Ms. Rice was more explicit than usual in asserting that the construction was reducing confidence in the talks. ...

Referring to the construction of which Israel considers Jerusalem neighborhoods but which much of the world considers illegal settlements, Ms. Rice said, "I do believe, and the United States believes, that the actions and the announcements that are taking place are indeed having a negative effect on the atmosphere for the negotiation - and that is not what we want."

She stressed that any such building would not be considered permanent by the United States ...

Jimmy Cater also noted this long ago and was roundly criticized for it. The Taba negotiations in 2002 were a last ditch attempt to save the Oslo Accords - negotiated without the US. Since then, Isrealis under the extremist Sharon began a program to all but cut the Palestinians off from what should be their capital - West Jerusalem. See Har Homa as a typical example of that occupation. During Taba, Clinton had defined the maximum annexation of the West Bank at 6%. Palestinians were willing to concede 3.1%. Peace was possible had time been sufficient and extremists kept from governments. It was the closest both sides came to an agreement. But time ran out.

During the Egyptian peace settlement, all Israeli settlements were removed which angered right wing extremist zionists. Even though a complete withdrawal from the West Bank is necessary for long term peace, it just is not possible with so many hard core Israeli extremists having remembered their insult in the Sinai.

Israel is building new settlements as fast as possible in the West Bank. Even Rice acknowledges that this action - once tacitly approved of by the George Jr administration - is probably the greatest impediment to peace. So finally even the George Jr administration (at least parts of it) are conceding to reality (as they also conceded with N Korea after Chinese pressure forced them to accept reality and the original Carter negotiated solution). After nearly eight years, some finally recognize a mistake.