Israel pulls out of Gaza

[Accounting Troll]

As some of you know, Israel is evacuating its settlements in the Gaza Strip. Not everyone wants to leave, so the army is being used to forcibly evict them. BBC coverage.

 

Will this mark the beginning to a peaceful solution to the decades of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians?

 

I am concerned that Hamas have said that they are prepared to continue terrorist attacks against Israel. Story. Ariel Sharon has taken a big political risk by forcibly evacuating thousands of settlers and giving the land to the Palestinians, a move that many in his own political party is deeply unhappy about. If the Palestinian Authority doesn't rein in Hamas then the latest peace process will go the way of all the others, and Ariel Sharon's position will become untenable.

[FullAuto]

It may not be peace on a platter, but it's a start. I can quite easily see the PA gaining power, as people flock into Gaza, and while Hamas will always get some extremists, hopefully they'll end up so sidelined as to be irrelevant, as happened with the IRA in Northern Ireland. Now that Israel has ceded the Palestinians some ground to actually call their own state, although it still may go pear-shaped, this could be the first step towards detente between Israel and the rest of the Middle East.

Which would be nice.

[Accounting Troll]

A Palestinian state will need a lot of economic and technical aid from the West to survive, at least for the first few years. Other Arab governments aren't going to be too happy at the thought of a democratic Palestinian state because their own citizens might start wanting a spot of democracy as well. Israel is the biggest recipient of US military and economic aid in the world, so maybe we should balance things out a bit. It would be well worth it if it means an end to the Israel/Palestinian conflict spilling over into other countries.

[FullAuto]

I can see the UN pitching in big time, and hopefully Israel will assist with setting up a basic infrastructure. If, and it's a big if, Palestine can become established, then that's a big step, because once they have an identity of their own, they won't take any shit from other ME states attempting to subvert them.

[Blehm 98]

well, thats the problem, now that palestine may actually stop bombing Israel for now, they're going to have all the other ME countries trying to force their own causes onto the Palestinians. Since it is in Israels interest to establish palestine as a friendly country, they probably will help too

[Accounting Troll]

I've just read the Ammnesty International 2004 report for the Palestinian authority. Anyone else who is interested can find it here. It does not leave me feeling terribly optimistic for the future of the Gaza Strip.

 

According to the report, there is violent infighting between the various Palestinian militant groups, some of whom are responsible for murdering people suspected of collaborating with Israel. Hundreds of people have been detained by the local police without trial, where they are frequently subject to torture. Independent journalists covering ythe political in-fighting and corruption of the PA are frequently threatened and attacked, mostly by the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.

 

This does not look like a good foundation for the creation of a peaceful and democratic Palestinian state, and I think that the Palestinian Authority is going to blow it, just like they did after the 1993 Oslo Accords.

[Blehm 98]

I'm sorry to say this, i really am, but that is pretty much what is going to happen i think Its just sad, but you can't make a peaceful state when every time the evil leadership dies, a new evil leadership emerges... *sigh*

[FullAuto]

That applies to a lot of places, not just Palestine.

Presumably, one faction will gain power over the others and be farsighted enough to establish a Palestine state. If Israel can take a couple of punches, as they might have to, then things might go ok.