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I propose East Mecca as a capital for the more than 750,000 Jews expelled from Arab countries in the 1940s-60s. Right of return, anyone?

Hamas openly & proudly declares it's goal of destroying Israel and it's rejection of any peace talks (including protesting Annapolis) so it's bizarre & naive to suggest that that they should be part of Annapolis.

There is no need for another terrorist state in the Middle East - Syria & Iran are enough.

Of course, it's also naive to think that Fatah wants peace - in most of its Arabic rhetoric, they too focus more on destroying Israel than building a civil society - but Fatah is the only game in town for now.

Check out the book "Ethical Realism" they suggest an EU membership as a carrot to the Israelie and Palestinians to get them to come together. Provided that you have a shared jerusleum and that the Europeans establish a fund for the Palestinians and their loss of land.

They also talk about other foreign policy issues.

eCAHNomics wrote:

>>Until Israel stops denying Palestine's right to exist, nothing will happen.<<

And what do you say about this:

>>Top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Monday rejected Israel’s demand that the Palestinians acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state. “There is no country in the world where religious and national identities are intertwined,” Erekat told Radio Palestine.<<

Don't you think this is a bit hypocritical on Mr. Erakat's part considering that Article 4 of the Palestinian Constitution says:

>>1. Islam is the official religion in Palestine. Respect and sanctity of all other heavenly religions shall be maintained.
2. The principles of Islamic Shari’a shall be the main source of legislation.
3. Arabic shall be the official language. <<

I understand the concept of isolation of dangerous elements like Iran and Hamas, but at the end of the day, if you exclude them and leave them with no voice whatsoever in the process, you leave them with only the option of violence.

Like Obama states, the US should be meeting with all parties, even its enemies. To exclude Hamas and Iran is created negotiations that are one-sided as usual.

The settlements WON'T be gone. W has already authorized them as "facts on the ground."

You guys are really removed from reality.

So Clemons has just described a suicide mission for the U.N. Bwahahahaha.

Final matters aren't even on the table.

No Hamas, no peace.

This just shows how inexperienced the Bush administration is. The Middle East is a powder keg ready to explode.

The question is, will this be more destructive than constructive? I mean, every time they have a peace conference that comes to nothing, it makes any future peace conference seem less likely to succeed. It makes peace at all seem impossible to achieve because everyone will just say "We've been here before..." And can Abbas really afford to go back to his people empty-handed right now?

The fact that anyone thinks Annapolis is up is indicative of how far down the Israel-Palestine situation is.

BTW, not inviting Hamas & Iran shows just what a non-serious meeting this is. Nothing productive can happen in the Middle East unless these are included.

The fact that so many irrelevant country reps are showing up is testimony to nothing other than it's a grand photo op.

Until Israel stops denying Palestine's right to exist, nothing will happen.

...and over in Baltimore is the one for the Stagehands.