The Middle East summit: mission impossible?

Update: II: Fantasy vs. Reality in Palestine-Israel
Heading for Annapolis
Update: Gideon Levy in Haaretz: "Demands of a thief"

... Security? We (Israel) must defend ourselves by defensive means. Those who do not believe that the only security we will enjoy will come from ending the occupation and from peace can entrench themselves in the army, and behind walls and fences. But we have no right to do what we are doing: Just as no one would conceive of killing the residents of an entire neighborhood, to harass and incarcerate it because of a few criminals living there, there is no justification for abusing an entire people in the name of our security. The question of whether ending the occupation would threaten or strengthen Israel's security is irrelevant. There are not, and cannot be, any preconditions for restoring justice.

No one will discuss this at Annapolis. Even if the real core issues were raised, they would focus on secondary questions -borders, Jerusalem and even refugees. But that would be escaping the main issue. After 40 years, one might have expected that the real core issue would finally be raised for honest and bold discussion: Does Israel have the moral right to continue the occupation? The world should have asked this long ago. The Palestinians should have focused only on this. And above all, we, who bear the guilt, should have been terribly troubled by the answer to this question.

I think Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist, killed by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003 (pictured above) would agree with Levy.

The Independent asks if a breakthrough at the Middle East summit is a mission impossible for the Bush administration.

In light of Bush's hostility to a two-state settlement, a more accurate headline might read Mission Indifferent or Mission Antagonistic.

Outside of the U.S., most of the rest of the world (including much of Israel) see the summit for the long-winded PR stunt that it is.

Rupert Cornwell reports for The Independent:

This week will see George Bush make his first, and almost certainly his only, major attempt to bring an end to the world's most intractable conflict. As participants gather for tomorrow's Middle East conference in Annapolis, Maryland, the spotlight is on the Israelis, the Palestinians, the Syrians and the Saudis – but the most important consideration lies closer to home: how will President Bush fare in a belated attempt to play peacemaker.
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