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This entire withdrawal folly was sold in Israel on the proposition that the US made certain tradeoffs with Israel. That Bush had promised American support for Israel's position on keeping parts of the West Bank and laughing off the absurd "Right of Return" demands.

Just minutes ago on CNN, Rice reiterated that no such promises to Israel were really made.

You can see the future by seeing the present.

While Rice presents the "Palestinians" and their peaceful intentions, mortars fall on Israeli cities and now

Gunmen kill IDF soldier, wound 2 in Gaza attack

In the first term there was some hope that the US was breaking its modus of 50 plus years and perpetual war. The policy of allowing Israel to fight back occasionally but never win anything substantial and permanent.

Instead, in this second term, "Israel's best friend ever" is engaged in a seriously anti-Israel mode which will lead to more and more violence and a severely weakened Israel.

American policy in the MidEast is very strange. It supports Israel while simultaneously always giving the Arabs hope of the ultimate victory of Israel's destruction.

The Arabs never lose. They are never punished. They can try to destroy Israel over and over and over. When they fail, things go back to square one- or worst from Israel's point of view.

This entire withdrawal folly was sold in Israel on the proposition that the US made certain tradeoffs with Israel. That Bush had promised American support for Israel's position on keeping parts of the West Bank and laughing off the absurd "Right of Return" demands.

I think a unilateral solution makes sense. But you're right, the administration lied to Sharon, and Sharon lied to the Israeli people. Neither the Sharon nor the Bush admistration will write the final chapter here.

And of course the Arabs are never punished, they have the oil, and it will take a lot more than a few thousand 9/11 deaths to change policy in that regard.

--The Arabs never lose. They are never punished. They can try to destroy Israel over and over and over. When they fail, things go back to square one- or worst from Israel's point of view.--

We've been around almost 6000 years. The Palis maybe 60. As ever, we'll be patient, true to our G-d and this empire too shall pass into history with the Babylonians, the Romans, the Nazis, the Communists....