Sharon Offers Abbas Deal on West Bank

[Colorado Blue]

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas that Israel would hand over two more West Bank towns if the Palestinians take step to end violence, officials said Tuesday, after the leaders held their first summit since a cease-fire was declared. The meeting, which lasted more than two hours, was meant to step up coordination of Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, which is scheduled to begin in less than two months.

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/world/mideast_conflict

Other stories linking to this include,

Palestinian PM Calls Sharon 'Difficult'
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050621/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians_6;_ylt=Aig9qRqwx2GIVqBIrL34wGYUvioA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Palestinian hardliners slam Abbas for meeting Sharon in Jerusalem
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050621/wl_mideast_afp/mideastsummithamas_050621163033;_ylt=AhXKh5f6lxjKbfVZnGQp49MUvioA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Also, Jerusalem Post says there's to be an airport in Gaza.



So, it's slow and difficult but things are at least moving.

[Igel]

1. I'm cautiously optimistic.

There's always the risk that people will take it not as a gesture for compromise, but as a victory won by violence.

One yields peace; the other yields more violence.

[Colorado Blue]

2. One step at a time. The sense I get from reading other

stories, though, is that the Palestinians are disappointed.

But, without control of the violence, what can be expected?

There seems to be a disconnect between the two sides, concerning the violence.

I don't understand why it isn't universally understood to be THE problem, for decades now, and that no real progress can be made until this is solved?

[Igel]

4. Indeed. Very, very strong emphasis on "cautiously." n/t

[sofaman1]

3. Land for Peace...

oh what a good idea. Why not try it again. Didn't work the last time...

Prediction: Result this time? More of the same.

[Colorado Blue]

5. Well, they're TRYING to disengage from some more West

Bank towns, but it's hard to see how this is going to work with violence increasing again.

This is so discouraging, it's happened every time real hard negotiating and steps forward begin to occur.

Boom.

But, it's worth a try, I guess. Nothing else will work either.

Ideas?