Mahmoud Abbas is new Palestinian leader

[HorhayAtAMD]

What are your thoughts on this? I've always feared the situation is pretty much unresolveable for the foreseable future because a Palestinian leader moderate enough to negotiate with Israel won't be strong enough to clamp down on the terrorists. Stopping terrorism must be a precursor to peace because there won't be any peace while Israelis are being attacked with suicide bombs and rockets. Does anyone think that Sharon and Abbas can come to any meaningful and enforceable agreement?

 

[no1tovote4]

What are your thoughts on this? I've always feared the situation is pretty much unresolveable for the foreseable future because a Palestinian leader moderate enough to negotiate with Israel won't be strong enough to clamp down on the terrorists. Stopping terrorism must be a precursor to peace because there won't be any peace while Israelis are being attacked with suicide bombs and rockets. Does anyone think that Sharon and Abbas can come to any meaningful and enforceable agreement?

He seems to be a rather interesting gentleman.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1933453.stm

It remains to be seen whether he is actually dedicated to the idea of Isreal's destruction or to the Palestinian people. They are mutually exclusive goals. However he was one of the main reasons that there has been peace agreements between Isreal and the Palestinian Authority at all, maybe he will dedicate his time to actual promotion of Palestine rather than to the end of Isreal.

 

[HorhayAtAMD]

maybe he will dedicate his time to actual promotion of Palestine rather than to the end of Isreal.

And I hope that if he does, Israel responds positively. The wild card could be the settlers but things like this (Settlers' violence will be crushed, Sharon says) give me hope that the Israeli government will not let radical Israelis speak for the country as a whole.

 

[Zhukov]

The most important thing is that his ability to embezzle foreign aid is removed.

If he can make an enormous amount of money off the violent and turbulent situation, like Arafat did, he will have a vested interest in perpetuating it.

 

[Doc Holiday]

Did we trade one terrorist for another or is Abbas really going to try to make peace? Then the question is, does he have the power to control Hamas and Hezbollah in order to make peace? I don't think so. I think Arafat brainwashed the Palestinians to the point that nothing short of Israel's destruction will satisfy them.

 

[DaTroof]

Amen Doc. Knowing this he might as well self indulge a bit in the people's cauffers.