israeli cabinet narrowly accepts roadmap

[ris]

bbc

the vote was 12-7 in favour with 4 abstentions, ariel sharon's trip to washington convinced him that the roadmap was a viable motion for long term peace under the assurance that his reservations would be considered. the crux of the vote appears to be the potential crisis that could hit washington if israel failed to implement the deal [i suppose potentially israel could be in a position to lose the massive funding it gets from the us as a result].

my only serious reservation with it is reality of the concete measures to cease militant violence by the palestinians. even if the palestinian authority can get an agreement from the major players [hamas and islamic jihad] there are likely to be smaller group who do not and the potential for splinter cells of the larger ones forming [much like the formation of the real ira after the ira set its ceasefire].

 

[Gonz]

I hope it's a new beginning but I'll stick with Thank God until I see real progress. I'm still unconvinced that the Palestinians want peace or the general Arab world will allow them to gain it. In the event of implementations this set of goals, who will be the whipping boy?

 

[ris]

without efforts to seek peace from both sides [and both are involved so there is the concept at least that the palestinians want peace] the situation will only become worse.

i would guess that the whipping boys would be set out in the roadmap, probably a co-operative of the international comunity in all its guises and those within the governments israel and palestine who have a duty to pursue the process once accepted.

 

[HeXp£Øi±]

Sooo much to this it's hard to say. If the Palestinians don't comply they will screw themselves into getting nothing with this amount of world pressure. I think we will see atleast some generic peace come from this for a time. Will continue to follow this one closely.