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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Palestinians' expectations low for Bush visit |
| 2008-01-08 |
| Ma'an – 48 hours remain before George Bush arrives in the Palestinian territories and Israel. Taxi drivers began to ask journalists about whether the Palestinian Authority will impose curfew on the residents of the West Bank during Bush's visit to Ramallah and Bethlehem. Journalists reply, smilingly, no. The Israeli media has been busy covering the news and expectations for the visit. The Israeli government is also trying to benefit from the activity of the Israeli media in forming a front to exert pressure on the U.S administration so as to prevent any exaggerated US promises from Bush to the Palestinians. Palestinian officials and media outlets address the issue with unjustified caution, translating or quoting what the foreign and the Israeli media write on the topic. It seems the Palestinian media believe that abstention from commenting positively or negatively on the visit will be helpful to Palestinians or Americans. What has been written by the Palestinians was not more than exaggerated positive or negative comments without addressing the necessary questions on the visit. US helicopters and security guards landed on Monday in Ramallah and fled over Bethlehem arousing a smile amongst Palestinians. People wonder, "Are those the U.S choppers?" Many called their friends and relatives to tell them to watch these helicopters and the Americans coming to visit us from the windows. These feelings remind some of us of the visit by former US president Bill Clinton to Gaza Strip, Ramallah and Bethlehem in 1998. He was then received in great hospitality by then-Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. So warm was the welcome that Palestinians joked with one another, "Oh guest, had you visited us, you would have discovered that we were the guests and you were the host." A Palestinian security officer told Ma'an: "Frankly speaking, we do not know what this visit could produce. On the one hand, Bush promises to establish a Palestinian state before his term is over and that is good, yet when we watch the Israeli conducts on the ground, we become overwhelmed with despair and we fail to believe what Bush says." A Fatah official in Ramallah told us after we pressured him to comment, "We expect the U.S president to lay flowers on Yasser Araft's grave which is the least that a visitor who respects the people he is visitng, can do." Ma'an also got a comment from a source close to the Americans who said, "It was not planned that the U.S president [will stand] before the grave of Yasser Arafat, neither by the Americans nor by the Palestinians." The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member from Bethlehem Muhammad Al-Lahham said: "We are before a very significant step. We should take advantage of the US president's time and efforts to answer the Palestinian question. If the visitor does not stand before Arafat's grave, it is more important that he answers the Palestinian questions of Jerusalem, independent state, freedom, right of return and Palestinian dignity which Arafat gave his life trying to answer. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #13 But that's the easiest way to find out she isn't worth the effort, RD. The rude ones never are. A pity the State Department hasn't made that correlation. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-01-08 21:39 |
| #12 Yes TW, the flexible one, with a bit of disappointment and acceptance thrown in. Like when you ask her out and she declines in so many words... LOL! not that that has ever, ever happened to me! ~:) |
| Posted by: RD 2008-01-08 21:16 |
| #11 Always bendable? or green? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-01-08 20:56 |
| #10 Palestinians' expectations low for Bush visit Look for the White House & State Department's Language artists to whip up a batch of righteous sleep apnoea inducing ..... Grist A) It is untenable for Israeli citizens to live in terror. It is untenable for Palestinians to live in squalor and occupation. ¿occupation? isn't "regulating a bunch of squatting psychopaths so they don't murder us", a better descriptor? Grist B) 2002, In the situation the Palestinian people will grow more and more miserable. My vision is two states, living side by side in peace and security. There is simply no way to achieve that peace until all parties fight terror. Yet, at this critical moment, if all parties will break with the past and set out on a new path, we can overcome the darkness with the light of hope. Peace requires a new and different Palestinian leadership, so that a Palestinian state can be born. ...and the bees will kiss the sheep's knees.. I myself am gonna go out on a limb and predict that the Prez will use the fabulous woid *democracy*.. somewheres in his wonder-bar Address! Post Visit a week from now... sure as shit stinks the stinking paleo murder culture will be unchanged.. Semper Gumby Guys |
| Posted by: RD 2008-01-08 20:22 |
| #9 Are you kidding? Half the country would be cheering until they realized Cheney was still VP. |
| Posted by: Titus Hayes 2008-01-08 19:20 |
| #8 Assassinating a sitting US President would be a really, REALLY bad idea, guys. Just so ya know... |
| Posted by: mojo 2008-01-08 17:20 |
| #7 They don't give a rat's ass about a state, why should we? They'd rather murder each other and beg for UN handouts than build a country. If they could act like human beings and at least try to improve the land that they do have instead of fixating on land that they lost 40 years ago they might find that even the Israelis would be more apt to listen. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-01-08 12:57 |
| #6 I don't know why he wasting the time. Well said. Further, I don't know why anyone is kidding themselves about any "Palestinian" state. |
| Posted by: Crusader 2008-01-08 11:27 |
| #5 I think our expectations are lower than the Palestinians ... because of our experience with Palestinians Yes, my expectations are lower. Bush will pledge more of our taxpayer $ and more kid-gloves treatment of paleo killers, for sure. Feh... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2008-01-08 11:03 |
| #4 What is the definition of insanity again? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-01-08 10:36 |
| #3 I don't know why he wasting the time. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-01-08 09:29 |
| #2 I think our expectations are lower than the Palestinians ... because of our experience with Palestinians. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2008-01-08 09:23 |
| #1 My only expectation is that they'll try something spectacular. Expecting a big boom. |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter 2907 2008-01-08 08:50 |