world news or outside my window.

Yesterday the Annapolis peace conference took place with every major Arab player in attendance (except Iran…oops) where for the first time in seven years the leaders of Israel and Palestine met to discuss a peace deal.  The results seem to be gaurdedly positive with more talks to commence in Russia in about two weeks or so. 

I was privileged to observe Palestinian university students watch the speeches of Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert live- can you imagine speeches where ever single word is critical?  every. single. word. Their reaction was notable dismay forAbbas who lacked compassion and a sense of respect for Olmert- weird.  I’d have to agree with them though after reading the following excerpt from Olmert’s speech:

Many Palestinians have been living for decades in camps, disconnected from the environment in which they grew up, wallowing in poverty, in neglect, alienation, bitterness, and a deep, unrelenting sense of humiliation.

I know that this pain and this humiliation are the deepest foundations which fomented the ethos of hatred toward us. We are not indifferent to this suffering. We are not oblivious to the tragedies that you have experienced.

I believe that, in the course of negotiations between us, we will find the right way, as part of an international effort, in which we will participate, to assist these Palestinians in finding a proper framework for their future, in the Palestinian state that will be established in the territories agreed upon between us.

Israel will be part of an international mechanism that will assist in finding a solution to this problem.

It seems as though Israel (or maybe just Olmert) is beginning to show some compassion for Palestinians and their living situation which has been missing from past negotiations.  This is HUGE as it becomes increasingly hard to marginalize people when you recognize them as… well … people. 

Of course, the proof of a commitment to peace will come when Israel and Palestine start to make some concrete concessions.  Concessions? The main issues are: 

1) the building of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land. Israel says yes.  Palestine says no. 

2) the refugee problem:  either allow refugees to return to their familial homes which were taken in 1967  or compensate refugees.  Palestine says yes.  Israel says that would be an economic nightmare. 

3) Moving borders back to pre-1967 area- Palestine says yes. Israel says no.

4) allow East Jerusalem to be the capital of Palestine.  Palestine says yes.  Israel says… are you kidding? 

Perhaps I’m an optimist but it seems that on their side- remarkably- is that George Dubyah is leaving office in less than a year and desparately wants something good to come from his foreign affairs record: Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel/Palestine?  Of course- you could say that Bill Clinton tried the same thing just before he left too…

So I guess we’ll just wait and see.