Mustafa,

1) for fairness sake, Hamas has been launching rockets because Israel hasn't respected the conditions of the cease fire (the complete blockade of the territory, with the complicity of the Egyptian regime very much against its own public opinion). War rhetoric aside, Hamas has been stating again and again, including since the latest cycle of Israeli-election related massacre of Arabs, that it's willing to stop the rockets provided Israel removes the blockade. Israel finds anything less than a total surrender unacceptable (which implies Palestinians in Gaza have to basically accept living in a giant prison ad infinitum).

2) Though Gaza can be disengaged, it's too late for the WB. There are entire Israeli cities in the WB, surrounding Palestinian urban islands, and the feasability of having entire cities relocated is questionable at best. De jure, the WB is not Israel, but the only reason this legal trick is still maintained is to avoid granting Palestinians Israeli citizenship - the demographic problem as you mentioned. De facto, the WB is as much under Israel's control as anything inside the green line. In fact, there's no demarcated border, and aside from the occasional checkpoints impeding Palestinian movements, Israelis can move in and out of the WB like anywhere else inside the green line. The settlements, some of which again are entire cities, abide by Israeli laws. So, de facto, the situation in the WB is very much one of South African apartheid (quibbling about intentions and legalese notwithstanding), the walled urban areas being a new kind of bantustans.

There's simply no way out for the Palestinians on the short term. On the long term, it would take a serious change, either in Palestinian elites to peacefully demand the one man one vote and gain enough influence in the US to actually be heard, or in the greater Arab world who if stronger and more democratic (i.e. more willing to listen to its public opinion), should actually be able to twist Israel's arm into a more reasonable attitude.

I agree with Mr. Akyol that Hamas must get real, and seek peace - not necessarily justice - in order to prevent pain and suffering for the Palestinian people. Otherwise, they will be wiped out of the map. If Israeli foreign policy borders lunacy so does that of Palestine. Unfortunately, Palestine does not have the means to effectively carry out its share of lunacy.

By the way, when will the Islamic community (especially those who consider themselves as the successors of the Ottoman Empire) leave this habit of fooling itself? The ethnic communities of the Balkans and the Middle East separated from the Ottoman Empire not only because they were fooled by the West; they were conquered by the Ottoman Empire, and thus had quite a few other reasons to be discontent with the Ottoman rule (legal system, taxation, administration and etc.) Ask Romanians, Bulgarians, Arabs, and even the Bosnians; It is a myth that world was a better place for those groups under the Ottoman rule.

I have great sympathy for the Palestinian people for they are human beings suffering great pain regardless of their color, religion and ethnicity. It is shameful for Mr. Akyol to take this opportunity to imply that Palestinians were better off under the rule of the sultans "living in his home city..."

Mustafa,
your opinions are just what they are...pure opinions... with no corroboration from hard facts. Only some cherry picking that fits your view.
Let's resume: the gentile Ottomans that came in peace and love in the Maghreb and the M.E. and were received warmfully an lived in peace and love for 800 year, but then the evil stupid Jews came, that are so idiotic to kill civilians to feed the MSN public, that practice genocide (sic: 1000 death for 1.5mio inhabitants in heavy populated areas)...bcs they want to have negative headlines, don't they? (never heard of Pallywood??)
It is ridicolous to forget your own facts, just remember the Armeninans!!!, and let you feed by arabic newschannel...if even you, that I admired for your balanced views are falling into mere rethoric and sophims...
God save us...

Hamas was offering an up to 15-year-long "hutna"- peace with Israel if the siege of the Strip was stopped.

Most probably the cease-fire being currently talked about will end the Israeli siege and the Hamas rocket-fire.

Just think about it, Israel could have ended the siege earlier and more than 1,000 civilians, including >300 children, wouldn't be murdered.

Well, the World now knows that Jews care not about lives of other peoples:

"The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday it had discovered “shocking” scenes — including small children next to their mothers’ corpses — when its representatives gained access for the first time to parts of Gaza battered by Israeli shelling." source NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/world/middleeast/09redcross.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

"Venezuela ... has decided to break off diplomatic relations with the state of Israel given the inhumane persecution of the Palestinian people," http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/01/200911536357502.html

Turkiye, Eqypt, Jordan your turn!!!

the gentile Ottomans that came in peace and love in the Maghreb and the M.E. and were received warmfully an lived in peace and love for 800 year

anti-Ottoman/Muslim obsessions aside, that statement which you wanted to be sarcastic is true to a great extent, aside from a few occasional tribal rebelions and the last decades which were ugly for pretty much everyone around. In fact, the only reason the Maghreb, for example, hasn't been subject to what Spain went through (the massacre and/or expulsion of Jews and Muslims) is because the Ottomans were able to intervene on time and integrate it into its empire or under its sphere of influence. Not only that, but, judging by the era's standards, they were far better than anyone around: the reason you have diversity across the Middle-East or South-Eastern Europe today is precisely because Ottomans have been able to maintain a relative peace between communities (with ups and downs, not to idealize things). To put things in perspective, over the same period and even well into the 20th century, the European/Western way of maintaining peace was simply to brutally eliminate anything that's different.

You are right, Mustafa. Both peace and justice are something that only God can achieve, while we only manage to somehow navigate between them, and in the end we basically redistribute injustice. I think the prophet, Muhammad, peace be on him, would have done the same as your suggest, and Jesus, the Messiah, went as farther to demonstrate that one must begin by showing concern for the enemy, in order to receive God's justice and peace. Actually Moses taught the same. Unfortunately the Jewish state has shown no respect for any prophets, including their own.

I like the comment above about people in the West Bank. My opinion is that if the Palestinians can hang on and remain there as a united people, eventually the Jewish state will have to give them citizenship and the vote, if they demand it. An old saying here in the west proclaims, "If you can't beat them, join them." The next step, of course, after joining is to subvert them. That's what the Israeli state fears most of all.

Even though I live across the Atlantic, I appreciate being part of the conversation when such important and terrible events are happening.

I would agree with all the Mr. Akyol has written here.

Thankfully, as of now, there is news that a new ceasefire is being established.

As for Mr. Philip Friesen, i too think that it would be nice if a one-state solution can be established (i am assuming that you are for the one-state solution from your comments). Unfortunately, you will be hard pressed to find the majority of Israelis agreeing to it, as most who want peace with the Palestinians would want to establish a two-state solution.
Three things are a big problem with the 1-state; one, it does not neccessarily diminish discrimination. you might end up with more riots that happened last October. And two, The Jewish Israeli citizens will always live more comfortably than its non-Jewish Israeli citizens. the socio-economic disparity between these two groups is quite vast, it's sure to cause problem in of itself. And three, it does not neccessarily mean that the Palestinians can assert their nationality. While it has the sympathies of the ast majority of the Muslims, The Palestinians don't fight for a Muslim cause, they fight for a national cause. And bi-national states don't work out that well. the only best one is probably Belgium, and even that is on the verge of breaking up into two at the present time.

I liked the one-state solution because it seems to be the more Gandhi-esque solution. But i feel that the two-state solution is more pragmatic, and and does not further antagonise both sides. There are still many great obstacles that hinder this solution, but hopefully it can work out.

i feel that the two-state solution is more pragmatic

It isn't necessarily. It depends on the balance of powers. The two-states has always been the solution (if any) favored by Israeli Jews. It has been accepted by many Arabs under the grounds that they can't hope for more anyway because the balance favors Israeli preferences.

But, the solution that is favored by the Arab (inluding Palestinian) opinion has always been the one state - any divisions you might see on this issue is about feasibility, not about which option is best. Prove the feasability of one state, and any support for two states in Arab/Palestinian public opinion would become insignificant again.

That, and the lesser known fact that the reality on the ground in the WB actually makes the two states solution an exercise in self-delusion.

Mustafa

how is ti possible that such an erudite person like you can tell something so unhistorical as the loving relationship between Ottomans and Arabs?
Just this morning I woke up and into my mind I came across something that I learned during my high school period...the Arab Revolt of 1918-1920 agains the Ottomans...it is even not soo long ago, you should have been studying it in Turkey shouldn't you?

Behruz Himo, again, you scream against the Israeli blockade of Gaza. But first, did Israel not go out from Gaza some years ago? and what do you think, that Israel is so stupid to let the border open when into Hamas' statute is clearly written that their aim is to kill all Yews (you can chek on internet, the Arab version is more easily available if you speak it)? And if they continously send terrorist to kill the bad Jews, what should they do? Give them even roses and welcome them?

But the most striking difficulties that no Arab wants to touch in their retoric (especially Arab media) is WHY DOES EGYPT block Gaza as well? Are they not Muslim brothers? were they not originally Egyptians as well? If Gazans are so starving, why do they not open the Rafah crossing? Have you any reply to this? If you scream agains Israel, why noone says anything about Egypt? Nice family picture I see!

Playing the victim for years and years seems not really to pay!

Quousque faber fortunae suae

Echnaton

How, I would like to ask, is Israel supposed to deal with the stream of rockets being fired from Gaza into Israel? If you answer 'end the siege', please check the historical record: Between Nov. 25, 2005 and June 25, 2006, there was no blockade of Gaza, the Rafah Crossing was open, there were no settlers or Israeli soldiers in Gaza. How did the Palestinians respond? The firing of missiles at Israel DOUBLED over the previous time period (that is, opening the borders INCREASED rocket fire) and the Palestinians democratically voted for Hamas to lead them on Jan. 25, 2006. And Hamas routinely uses school areas and UN camps as bases for launching rocket attacks against Israel? So what was is supposed to do, and what IS Israel supposed to do? A real suggestion, not just 'what Israel did is unacceptable.' I am Israeli and I don't know what we're supposed to do, and I'm tired of being criticized by people who either don't know the facts or don't have any better suggestions.