The plan? for dealing with Hamas/Gaza is to bomb them for every rocket and keep up the embargo/blockade until Hamas goes away. No talks, no negotiations even over Shalit. Netanyahu's coalition refuses to let him do the typical lopsided prisioner swap. I have listened to Israeli politicians for the past year running around to the settlements telling the settlers not to worry, Bibi isn't going to give them a real state. Whether its Likud, YB or even Shas politicians they are all telling the settlers they will remain in Israeli sovereign territory. I have heard these speeches in such far flung places as Homesh, Eli and Shilo, Kiryat Arba, Itamar, Elon Moreh and Immanuel. Look at a map and tell me how Israel expects peace negotiations to be successful.

As far as I can tell Israel is just hoping that nothing forces a final conclusion on the west bank so they can continue to expand their presence in Judea and Samaria.

In short, Israel keeps kicking the can down the road hoping ultimately for a conclusion that is favorable to them. Israel by not having a strategic plan and not taking the lead according to that plan is a prisoner to the arabs and their actions.

The plan? for dealing with Hamas/Gaza is to bomb them for every rocket and keep up the embargo/blockade until Hamas goes away. No talks, no negotiations even over Shalit. Netanyahu's coalition refuses to let him do the typical lopsided prisioner swap. I have listened to Israeli politicians for the past year running around to the settlements telling the settlers not to worry, Bibi isn't going to give them a real state. Whether its Likud, YB or even Shas politicians they are all telling the settlers they will remain in Israeli sovereign territory. I have heard these speeches in such far flung places as Homesh, Eli and Shilo, Kiryat Arba, Itamar, Elon Moreh and Immanuel. Look at a map and tell me how Israel expects peace negotiations to be successful.

As far as I can tell Israel is just hoping that nothing forces a final conclusion on the west bank so they can continue to expand their presence in Judea and Samaria.

In short, Israel keeps kicking the can down the road hoping ultimately for a conclusion that is favorable to them. Israel by not having a strategic plan and not taking the lead according to that plan is a prisoner to the arabs and their actions.

The plan? for dealing with Hamas/Gaza is to bomb them for every rocket and keep up the embargo/blockade until Hamas goes away. No talks, no negotiations even over Shalit. Netanyahu's coalition refuses to let him do the typical lopsided prisioner swap. I have listened to Israeli politicians for the past year running around to the settlements telling the settlers not to worry, Bibi isn't going to give them a real state. Whether its Likud, YB or even Shas politicians they are all telling the settlers they will remain in Israeli sovereign territory. I have heard these speeches in such far flung places as Homesh, Eli and Shilo, Kiryat Arba, Itamar, Elon Moreh and Immanuel. Look at a map and tell me how Israel expects peace negotiations to be successful.

As far as I can tell Israel is just hoping that nothing forces a final conclusion on the west bank so they can continue to expand their presence in Judea and Samaria.

In short, Israel keeps kicking the can down the road hoping ultimately for a conclusion that is favorable to them. Israel by not having a strategic plan and not taking the lead according to that plan is a prisoner to the arabs and their actions.

I have been aware of the Jordanian, Syrian and Saudi shipments but as the IDF explained to me, Israel's deal with those countries is their promise to ship ONLY goods on Israel's approved list - mainly food and medicine. If Egypt got tents and blankets in - good for them because they are normally prohibited. Gaza sure could have used them last winter.

That is the reason the blockade only allows minimal life support or as Dov Weinglass said - to put them on a diet. That's why toys, wheelchairs, only basic medical supplies (no chemo drugs etc)no chocolate, no fresh meat etc. The idea is to make their life joyless so they acquiesce to Israel's demands.

The way Israel is administering the blockade is immoral and illegal collective punishment, it's also turning into a PR nightmare.

However, all the new construction for the last decade has been for Jews only. Palestinians almost never are granted a building permit in East Jerusalem,so only illegal building seems to happen. If you walk through the arab neighborhoods you will see how unbelievably crowded they are. More and more people are getting squeezed into the same size land. Israel shows great concern for large Jewish families but not so much for arab families. That in a nutshell is what this is all about. It's not that Gilo, Har Homa etc will fall outside Israel in any peace agreement, it's Jewish settlement growth in the area is preventing Palestinian growth.

Remember, the dust up last November when Gideon Sa'ar, the Likud Education Minister, sent a notice to all the Israeli schools demanding that they teach about the heros, the 12 Lehi and Irgun members hanged by the Brits for terrorist acts. Even Netanyahu had no problems participating in the big 2006 celebration of the King David Hotel bombing.

The Palestinian economy was much better back then only because the number of Palestinians working in and for Israel was larger. I remember back in the 80's and 90's, the Israeli fear of competition from Palestinian businesses and the desire to limit them so Israel would have a continuous supply of cheap labor.

As far as the right of return goes, everyone knows(arab,israeli, palestinian etc) that a complete return is impossible. That's why the Arab Peace Initiative uses the term "To accept to find an agreed, just solution to the problem..." At Taba, both parties struggled with a solution but the sides were discussing which refugees stay in host countries, which go back to the new Palestine and compensation.

The Geneva Accords(which the leadership of both Palestine and Israel followed very closely) similarly made the right of return very limited. Discussions leading to the Clinton Parameters used numbers for returning refugees in the area of 30,000-50,000, ie token face saving measures.

The right of return is the sole Palestinian bargaining chip and they are not about to give that up while Netanyahu talks about keeping the Ariel corridor, the Jordan Valley etc.

AG - Unless someone stops Israel, the right wing plan to put Palestinians on fenced in reservations will be implemented. The mood in Israel right now is giddy. They can continue to provoke to see if the US or the rest of the world will draw a line. If Israel doesn't see any stop signs (so far there is none)another 5-10 years and the revised Allon plan will be implemented.