Sunday, February 18, 2007

A Rice Restart - Run for Your Lives

The poor Palestinians are about the be subjected to another "restarted" peace effort from Condoleeza Rice, our midwife from Hell. But NPR would have us believe that Rice is out to seek peace in Palestine. Here's how Liane Hansen opens the story this morning:
"Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is in the Middle East again to try to restart long stalled Israeli Palestinian peace talks. Her visit is being overshadowed by battles over a new Palestinian unity government and whether it will meet international conditions for recognition."
This opening deserves scrutiny. Its premise is that Rice wants to bring a just peace to the Israel-Palestine issue even though there is no factual evidence to support such a position - and in fact there is strong evidence to support the contrary. Also note how the movement toward accommodation by the Palestinian government (a pledge to respect previous agreements and the implicit recognition of Israel this indicates) is seen as "overshadowing" her efforts.

Of course NPR trots out again and again the demands of the Quartet. But these demands bear a closer look: "A two-State solution to the conflict requires all participants in the democratic process to renounce violence and terror, accept Israel's right to exist, and disarm, as outlined in the Road Map." It is interesting that NPR never includes Israel as one of the "participants" required to renounce violence and terror - that might be, how can one say it, "awkward."

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