September 2, 2010

 
 
       Well, here we go again.  Israeli and Palestinian leaders, with the U.S. (Hillary Clinton) watching and encouraging, are getting together to talk about a peaceful end to their sixty-year old dispute.  It would be nice to write about this with hope or optimism, but a much more natural reaction is, been there, done
that.
 
     The Washington Post today published a useful, if depressing, chronology of this long search.  It starts with the Camp David Accords in 1978.  President Jimmy Carter took part.  A peace treaty was signed by Egypt and Israel, yes, but "subsequent talks broke
down." 1978?  Negotiators were Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin.  Long time ago.
 
     1993--the Oslo Accords. 1997--The Hebron Agreement.  2000--Camp David.  2007--Annapolis.  I'm
leaving some out or I'd run out of column.  
 
    I don't know how the average Arab feels, but a lot of them don't believe Israel has a right to exist.  Hamas, which holds that view, killed four Israeli soldiers Tuesday, their way of disapproving of the talks, I guess.  Obama called this "senseless slaughter" which does not mean it will stop, of course.
 
     "Got to keep on a-walking," one of the old civil rights hymns goes, "Till we get to freedom land."  But the Israelis and the Palestinians have been walking for sixty years now. 

They're not there yet.