Right now on C-SPAN there is a program some might like to watch.

[msmcghee]

It is hosted by the Am. Jewish Committee and it is a round-table panel of Gaza, WB and Israeli TV and newspaper correspondents.

It's at: http://www.c-span.org/watch/cs_cspan_rm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS


(This posted with mod permission at 8:25 PM PDT)

[notfullofit]

1. Thank you. nt

[msmcghee]

2. You're welcome. I learned a few things.

Especially it was interesting to hear to two Arab correspondents and get their perspective and how they functioned in Gaza. Did you think the MC was a little into himself? I guess he is a well known TV anchor in Israel so he probably deserved his eminence. I couldn't make it through all the audience questions.

[notfullofit]

3. I saw the whole thing

including the Q & A part, very informative.
Will discuss later, too tired right now.

[notfullofit]

4. I was most impressed with Sleman al-Shafh

who is an Israeli Arab Bedouin (or Arab Israeli Bedouin) he's been covering Gaza for 10 years and works for Israel's Ch2 news.

A couple of points of agreement by all parties...

1. Islamists are a huge problem, being funded and supplied by Iran.
2. Hamas must get rid of their charter.
3. The Palestinians have no organization in comparison to Israel's "Peace Now"
4. A peace treaty should be thrown out to "the people" on both sides and let them decide.
(if you want this version, you vote for me, you want that version vote for the other guy).
5. Regarding the settlements and the Hamas rocket attacks, it's a "chicken and egg thing"
6. Support for Hamas is falling and support for Fatah is rising.

I'd like to know more about the Arab lady reporter for the NY Times. Tagreed el-Khodary, she's a very smart (and plucky) young woman.

Still and all, I learned that nobody had any real answers but all stressed MOST importantly, THE PEOPLE should get to decide on a peace treaty and NOT those so called leaders on either side.

Very, very interseting discussion and I hope C-SPAN will do a repeat sometime'
Thanks again for the heads-up.

[msmcghee]

5. Yes, he did seem very astute as did el-Khodary.

I do not fully understand no. 4 above, however. You say it would be in the form of " . . if you want this version, you vote for me, you want that version vote for the other guy".

Does that imply that each side would have more than one version floating and the people would vote on the treaty and the person/party that put it forward, implying that the other side would not have accepted it yet. It wasn't clear to me at the time either. Could you explain how you see that working?