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Shibley Telhami reiterates what the great majority of observers and scholars of the region have been saying for years: People in the Arab world really do care about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and resolving it is key to moving forward in the region. Also, President Bush's attempt to make Iran the issue is not helping anything.Meanwhile, the National Review editors demonstrate the curious affliction which persists among many in the anti-Palestinian camp, which manifests itself in a persistent need to downplay the significance of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
In this gathering crisis, the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians is marginal, although seeming to act on it helps our friends in the Gulf ally with us against Iran. Unfortunately, for many a long year, the State Department has actually believed that peace in the Middle East is predicated on settling this particular dispute. We hope President Bush is not really as dewy-eyed about this process as his words suggest.Left unclear is why "seeming to act" on the issue would help in a way that "actually acting" on the issue would not, but I'll leave that aside while I address NR's attempt to dismiss the belief in the necessity of a Israeli-Palestinian peace process as something dreamed up by those hacky-sacking pot smokers over at the State Department. MORE ...
