Enough Negative Shit - Hope for Peace in the Mid-East

[NiteTiger]

Saw this earlier, thought it would be nice to share some good news out of the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has proposed holding a regional peace conference following the revival of an Arab peace initiative.

Mr Olmert said if Saudi Arabia arranged a conference of moderate Arab states and invited him and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, he would attend.

Earlier, Mr Abbas urged Israel to engage in direct serious negotiations as soon as possible.

Last week Arab leaders urged Israel to accept a peace plan proposed in 2002.

Saudi Arabia has yet to respond but the BBC's Alim Maqbool in Jerusalem says Mr Olmert's call for a regional summit suggests the plan could at least form a basis for fresh negotiations.

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SAUDI MIDDLE EAST PLAN
First adopted by Arab League in 2002
Calls for "full Israeli withdrawal from all the Arab territories occupied since June 1967"
Calls for Israel's "acceptance of an independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital"
All Arab states would establish "normal relations... with Israel" and "consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended"
Calls for a "just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem"
------------------Inset----------------


The Saudi plan offers Israel normalisation of ties with Arab states if it pulls out of all Arab land it occupied in 1967 and a "just solution" for Palestinian refugees.

Israel rejected the plan outright when it was first proposed.

But Mr Olmert said on Thursday Israel was ready to make "big and painful" concessions to advance the peace process.

'Important leader'

Mr Olmert's call for a regional peace conference came during a news conference in Jerusalem with the visiting German leader, Angela Merkel.

"I am announcing to the heads of the Arab states on this occasion that if the Saudi king initiates a meeting of moderate Arab states and invites me and the head of the Palestinian Authority in order to present us the Saudi ideas, we will come to hear them and we will be glad to voice ours," Mr Olmert said.

"I think it is time to make a momentous effort in order to give a push to the diplomatic process... I am optimistic," he said.

"I invite all the heads of the Arab states, including of course the Saudi king whom I consider a very important leader, to hold talks with us," he said.

Earlier, speaking after his own talks with Mrs Merkel, the Palestinian leader had called on the Israeli government to respond constructively to the new Arab peace initiative.

Very cool to see Israel and the Palestinians joining the Saudi's in calling for peace, and are willing to make serious concessions to reach that noble goal.

Let's keep our fingers crossed!

 

[vonforne]

Maybe the Saudis will finally get the job done, where the USA failed.

 

[James Morrison]

As long as entire societies are strutured around a cult that believes "death to infidels" and has waged a bloody "Jehad" (that HAS NO END BTW!!!) against said infidels that also happen to supply them and grease their palms(), peace will never come..if it does, it will be a false peace

one things for sure..Israel aint goin anywhere

Praying regardless

God bless

 

[Yummybud]

well Iran the biggest enemy of the state of Israel is not an Arab state

but I guess if the Arab states and the Jews work something out Iran might follow also?

I doubt it.

 

[nycdfan042]

i wouldnt expect much from a country that claims the holocaust never happened, thats just scary to me.

 

[Guest]

Are they talking about the same Saudi Arabia that is stockpiling weapons like there is no tommorow?

 

[NiteTiger]

*sigh*

We just can't see that it is a monumental step that everyone at least wants to try, can we?

 

[Yummybud]

well that's obviously not the view of everyone in the country lol.

 

[James Morrison]

hey brother nite tiger

Im as positve as the next battery end brother, but Im a realist too, these false peace flags have been waved time and time again..however they are planted in a pile of sand and when the tide comes like it allways has and will, it washes the sand away and the flag colapses

sorry..I am smokin a phatty and its hittin me...

 

[NiteTiger]

Hell, I figure if it at least slows down, or pauses for a time, the vicious cycles of reprisals, it a great thing.

Thing is, I think it's not going to be up to the governments - terror groups can't afford to lose that wedge, and they'll literally bomb any peace process.

Bah, look, I'm getting sucked in... must resist

 

[James Morrison]

bless you for your kind heart friend

 

[HCSmyth]

*sigh*

We just can't see that it is a monumental step that everyone at least wants to try, can we?

In order take said monumental step, the majority of the various splintered groups and cultures must ultimately be willing to seriously take it together. That is what seems to be so problematic.

 

[Pops]

NiteTiger, we all have to continuously be optimistic about possible peace in the Middle East. Even if all Arab nations agree and Israel gives up the captured land, there will still be some radical groups that will attack Israel, but compliance with the Arab demands will put Israel in a much better position.

While most of us do not understand the high feelings on both sides, I really hate the warmongering talk that I hear on these forums, with people who sit in their Lazy Boys and want the U.S. to bomb the shit out of everyone. War gets people killed on both sides and promotes hard feelings for generations. I don't think that anybody should espouse war-like statements unless they are willing to put themselves in harms way and risk their own ass in the conflict, instead of risking sons and daughters of people that they don't know.

Maybe I'm just old and have lived through too damn many wars. I served till 1967 and hope that my sons and daughters never have too.

 

[NiteTiger]

I don't disagree at all guys, but hey, gotta crawl before you can walk, much less take monumental steps.

Agreeing to talk face to face and willing to compromise are farther than we've ever come so far...

 

[Guest]

I think we should make weed legal and have iraq grow are shit and lets all be buddys!

LOL

 

[PazVerdeRadical]

saudi arabia is not very liked by most muslims, so i don't get why they are hosting anything... the sauds are the flag of imperialism in the area, even more so than israel. go figure...

 

[Guest]

Maybe Saudi can hold Mecca hostage. No entering their lands and visiting Mecca until All concerned nations attention the Peace Conference.

Plus *we* must be apart of it - we pull out of areas we occupy as well.

Everyone opens their borders (allows visas) and we start over peacefully. Start equal trade and tourism.

The clerics have to participate in this as well. No more Jihad - die or convert BS - teach their people that Paradise is open to the peaceful and tolerant, hell is for those whom cause hell.

It's the only way - the clerics have to stop teaching jihad and the West and Israel must stop trying to control the region.

 

[Old Man Time]

Even if all Americans and Isrealis converted to Islam, there would still be no peace. IMO. Arab states are taught at a young age to despise the western culture. Great Satan ring any bells?

This has been tried before....on much more 'capital' setting. Someone correct me if Im wrong but didnt clinton hold mideast peace talks at camp david in 94? Arafat and Rabin made huge concessions and had a very good peace plan.
That all ended with the assasination of Yitzak Rabin by a right wing extremist ISREALI.

Time and time again....blood always wins.

Peace is a myth.

People fight....have been since the dawn of man. This wont change.

 

[Nikijad4210]

Peace...in the...Middle East? Yeah, right!

Look, as far as Israel's concerned, they've been fighting over that pitiful sub-par region for how long now? It's not gonna stop, at least, not until a nuke takes care it.

Holy land my fucking ass. It's worthless.