What exactly might that be?

One element is trust – trust that this is what both populations want.

WE might want that for them – but there are factions in both populations that don't wish peace for the other population. Some of these groups don't wish peace for the others, ever, and are willing to continue to kidnap and shoot rockets in the case of Hamas in particular, or move into settlements in the case of the right-wing Israelis.

When you write about or express the fading of hope, how do you think you would feel living in these conditions, just psychological, let alone physically for more than 40 years, some might say forever practically?

Think, imagine, put yourself in their place – in their places.

Unless you have lived there, and I don't mean some touristy trip to all the important sites, I really just don't know if you can comprehend the pervasiveness of the problems and the stamina, in general, that must be preserved to carry on.

This isn't drama – for the people trying to survive there, it's reality.

They can deliver a minority of the Jewish vote, a minority that is shrinking each year. In 2006 the Democrats received over 85% of the Jewish vote, in spite of constant Republican support of these traditional Jewish political groups.

What these groups did deliver is a lot of money. The rise of internet fund raising diminishes the dependence on such funds.

My friends, all college-educated professionals, use words like “creepy” and “frightening” in reference to Sen. Obama.

Don't feel bad. Apparantly his grandmother sometimes harbored similar irrational feelings.

I'm certain this won't come as a surprise to you, but I disagree with your characterization of my position concerning Israel & the occupied territories as having cartoonish clarity.

While I heap my fair share of scorn on certain actions of the Israeli government, I can't and don't deny the monstrous actions of the Palestinians.

I dont't know if this was asked of me or of Holly, but here's my answer, anyway.

You've locked onto who you see as the guilty party in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and you seem to see it all :with cartoon like clarity: Snow White and the Wicked Witch. Instead, the situation is as mired in complexity as the history of the ME is long. Victims and victimizers tumble all over each other.

Obama presented the case that both Rev. Wright and his bigoted white grandmother have to be understood within the context of their expeirences and influences. Then we move on.
That's the only workable attitude, IMO. But it wouldn't work for Obama if he only understoon one of these two figures in his life and jettisoned the other.
The same is true in Palestine.

If I remember correctly, you're an Obama fan.
Why not learn from him?

There is nothing Obama has ever said or indicated that is more creepy than booing peace for Palestinians….or defending the jeers. That's ethnic hatred in a nutshell. It's terrifying.

It doesn't help to oversimplify or stereotype either the Israelis or the Palestinians.
The Palestinians are locked into their own internatl narrative and their self-identity as victims without responsibility. The tragedy of both is that they can't seem to honor the past without getting stuck in it.

As for bigotry, everyone always spots the bigotry aimed at you, while few bother to notice the bigotry emanating from you. That's an equal-opportunity shortcoming, all around.

Neither side seems to want peace now; they want revenge.

Blacks in the US began to advance when they adapted and decided to succeed inspite of injustice .

Congratulations. You're constant, mindless vocalizations against Obama are finally driving me to remove TMV from my RSS. I've had all of you I can take.

Donna

Take almost any one of their “thoughtful” screeds about Islam and do a global search/replace from “Islam” to “niggers” and the text becomes instantly recognizable. This racist energy had for a long time been at least partly directed towards “the Communists” but now that it isn't it is pretty much clear that Islam is now the designated nigger.

I guess Islam is the new Nigger

Holly,

This is what you and your “college educated friends” are now preaching, the modern day version of Jim Crow.

If Mr. Aronson is on to something, then that is dangerous for Israel, indeed.
To survive, one must be able to adapt. To adapt, one must have enough imagination to envision new solutions, when the old methods fail.

It says you and your friends are bigots. There was a lot of “college-educated professionals, who used words like “creepy” and “frightening” in reference to” African Americans during the pre-civil rights era (and some still do), so for you to use that as an excuse to not support Sen. Obama doesn't carry any water.

I guess its true Arabs are the new African American.

David,
The booing would be comedic if it weren't so unnerving.