More fantasy-based recommendations from the Secretary of State. Of course, the major problem with this is that it is simply a wish, a hope, while all the actual concessions are being demanded from the Israeli side. Israel has in the past exchanged land for wishes -- notably in Sinai and Gaza. Rice seems intent on making sure it will do it again.
By Terence Hunt and Anne Gearan for Associated Press (thanks to all who sent this in):
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday that Arab nations must do more to reach out to Israel, as a way to do their part to nudge a Mideast peace accord into being.Rice spoke from Saudi Arabia, at the side of its foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, giving her words and the U.S. position more weight. President Bush, traveling through the Mideast for eight days in part to build support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, made the same request from Jerusalem earlier in his trip.
She stepped gingerly around the sensitive question of whether the outreach should include Arab countries establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, their historical enemy. The only Arab nations that now have relations with Israel are Jordan and Egypt.
"Diplomatic relations, of course, is another matter and undoubtedly down the road," Rice said. "We hope that as progress is made between Israelis and Palestinians that there will be more efforts, that there will be more opportunity for outreach. But this will move at different speeds for different countries, we understand that."
They already are "reaching out to Israel"!
What do you think all those rocket attacks are for?
We arm Saudis with the latest weaponry and they don't even have diplomatic relations with Israel. To acknowledge that Israel EXISTS might be a 'gesture' though Rice wouldn't dare demand that much of the our fat, greasy Sowdi overlords.
Condi's been taking pills. Must be, cuz her notion of Arab outreach is fantastic.
* 2:61 * 2:64 * 2:96 * 4:41 * 4:47 * 4:55 * 4:160 * 5:13 * 5:41 * 5:59 * 17:7 * 59:2 * 88:1 *
But after a year from she'll rake in millions on the PetroDollar Speaking Circuit, just like Slick Willy did.
JudeoChristians have no sense of loyalty anymore.
How is she going to 'demand' any thing from the Saudi's or other Arabs, when they are already favoring her by standing next to her to give her words and the US position more weight?
Peace in the ME is simple, get the Arabs to stop bombing and killing Israelis, then there will be peace.
This isn’t the rocket science that Rice would like you to believe it is.
Sure, they'll "reach out"...they won't even acknowledge Israel, or her right to exist, but they're going to reach out to Israel...what IS Rice smoking??
I feel sick.
Ellul put it unforgettably, in his final completed work, 'Ce Dieu Injuste? - Theologie chretienne pour le peuple d'Israel' ('This Unjust God? - Christian theology *for* the people of Israel') when he referred to
"l'horrible aventure des Temps presents: a la fois la Shoa commise par les nazis et celle preparee par les musulmans" [p. 163].
"the horrible jeopardy of this present age: both the Shoah committed by the Nazis, and that which the Muslims have prepared".
And which, it appears, far too many non-Muslim Gentiles are knowingly or unknowingly approving.
Sure, they'll "reach out"...they won't even acknowledge Israel, or her right to exist, but they're going to reach out to Israel...what IS Rice smoking??
Lt. Presley O'Bannon
Your comments resonate with me...and would I be inferring too much from your comment that the Saud standing next to Rice would be lending too much "weight" to her pithy comments as in who knows what exorbitant obesity is under that robe from one who's never worked a day in his life..? Regards Lt.
And lions should become vegetarians...
At Annapolis the Saudis refused to shake hands with, refused to listen to, refused to recognize, any of the Israelis, even ostentatiously pulling out their earphones (with Arabic translations avialable) when Olmert began to speak.
And yesterday a Saudi spokesman in Riyadh, responding to Bush's request for the Saudis to engage in confidence-building measures (akin to the ones where the Israelis release five hundred terrorists and the Arabs in exchange say "it should have been a thousand") said it is hard to imagine "what more the Saudis could do" for peace.
muslims reach out to the jewish people all the time,mostly in a rocket atack or suiside bombing but there are some good things being done but the jewish state must find a way to be less harsher there in the gaza strip.also ms.rice is a laughing stalk to most muslims just as maderline albright was.
A personal Christian Perspective - just me thinking aloud - don't mean to rub anyone up the wrong way.
It is all very odd to me, because I have a strong conviction that both Bush and Rice are good Christians. And I am certain that they know God gave Israel to the Jews.
So what is God doing.
According to biblical end time prophesy the USA and Europe MUST play NO role in defending Israel. She is isolated alone and despised, her friends either disappear or turn against her, while evil hostile forces rise up all around her, starting to sound familiar?
Vast combined armies of millions from multiple nations descend on Israel from all directions, devastatingly powerful weapons fall from the sky .....
Don't worry, I skipped to the end - the Jews effectively end up saving us!
Humbling isn't it.
However, thinking I know what will happen is no use at all, we still must fight to the last man.
As for Bush and Rice - God have mercy on your souls - and if God is telling you to do this then you had better be damm sure you're hearing the right voice.
if the muslims would lay down their weapons, there would be peace in the middle east....
if Israel laid down her weapons, Israel would cease to be......
mulsims reaching out to Israel will only be with weapons.........
To think that Condi didn't win the "American Dhimmi of the Year" by a landslide this year at JW astounds me.
Meanwhile, Israel has invaded a Gaza area with tanks, and has killed a number of Hamas terrorists as well:
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli troops killed a son of Gaza's most powerful leader along with 18 other Palestinians on Tuesday in the bloodiest day of fighting in the coastal area since Hamas militants seized control last summer.
I guess Rice does not know about this. It sort of throws a wet blanket on the idea of Arabs 'reaching out'.
To think that Condi didn't win the "American Dhimmi of the Year" by a landslide this year at JW astounds me.
Posted by: awake at January 15, 2008 11:34 PM
Well, Condi had little chance, with Dubya in the race. Am surprised that Dubya, as Bandar Bush's family member, did not win the award, then again, Bush may have taken the shahada in secret, making him George Al-Saud!
Alert,
Condi was a candidate in the race, Bush was not. Besides that, I wholeheartedly agree.
Regards,
awake
Bush may have taken the shahada in secret, making him George Al-Saud!
Posted by: Alert
Exactly my suspicion...Maybe not, but in lots of ways he acts like it...
Thanks nodak,
That really is a disturbing image you conjured up, though. Let's hope those robes don't fall open while al Faisal is discussing 'weighty' matters of state with Madame Secretary. Yuck!
On a sad note, think of the poor modern day Aisha's that really do have to find out.
Momma's don't let your babies grow up to be Muslims....
"At Annapolis the Saudis refused to shake hands with, refused to listen to, refused to recognize...." from a posting above
Yes, and I remember seeing a picture of Condi during another bout of diplomacy in Israel. She was standing next to Abbas, I believe, and were holding hands..... no, wait..... they were holding the opposite ends of her sunglasses. These Arabs would't even TOUCH her, yet she thinks she can influence their attitudes toward Israel. She seems not to even notice who is influencing whom.
Come to think of it, has any American secretary of State ever done anything but pressure Israel to make concessions that were not in their interest, with nothing but empty promises and more war in return?
LivingVictory:
You didn't rub me the wrong way at all.
As has been said, "We may not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future!"
Look what Israel got when it pulled out of Lebanon - more rocket attacks from close range on civilan targets.
Israel shoul demand concessions from surrounding Islamic states - why, for example, don't they carve off sme of their land for the Palestinians?
Condi Nasti is an idiot, but then look who she hired her.
She needs to reach out to reality.