Is anyone else getting spooked by the recent events in Iran and the Palestinian vote?

I'da thought political guru Idiot would be all over this one. Wonder what he's spending time on???

pish, posh.

Not that I agree with it, but if either of those two act up, Israel will take care of business. I think we "support" Israel way to much. Time for them to stand on their own two feet. I believe they are more than capable.

The US subsidizes the Palestinians to the tune of ~$330 million/year, which provides us w/ considerable leverage over Hamas. Iran is a different story. Any economic sanctions imposed by the UN will be undercut by tight supply in the oil market. Thx to AQ Khan and our "ally" Pakistan, the mullahs are almost within reach of nukes.

Do you agree with the Palestine subsidy?

Fatah, seemed to be headed in the right direction as far as the "peace process", economically they were a train wreck waiting to happen and it did happen.

Hamas, seems to have a good handle on taking care of the people yet their thoughts for the destruction of a state are out of touch. They need to find a happy medium. If there is such a thing.

That whole area has been a mess for hundreds of years. It will not be fixed overnight, by a Democrat, Republican, Communist etc.

Our subsidy to Israel is approx. $1.5 billion/year, totalling in the neighborhood of $120 billion since '48. Fatah got whupped because of corruption, tho prolly just an avg amount for the region. The PA election results will certainly change the political equation in Israel. The moderate Kadima party, which still looked like a lock even w/o Sharon, will face a reinvigorated challenge from Netanyahu and the hard-liners, proportionate to the rhetoric issuing from Hamas prior to the Israeli vote.

You didn't answer the question of whether you support the subsidy.

If I recall President Clinton, was close to a deal between the two parties (I actually have to give him credit on his "peace initiative").

Continuing to subsidize both parties, to ME, seems to be rather fruitless. I would scale back any or all monies until these two come to some sort of REAL agreement.

For a variety of reasons I support the Pal subsidy more'n the Israeli. The Pals got shafted by the last great movement of colonialism - Zionism - itself a consequence of a millennium of western (Christian) anti-Semitism. It was a strategic blunder for Truman to reverse our long-standing opposition to the partition of Palestine. We should have insisted on integration, backed by American force if necessary, and kept to the plan that Jerusalem become an open, international city. Far better in the long run had our military relieved the Brits in Palestine in the post-war rather than the French in Indochina a decade later.

I don't see how $300 million a year gives us much leverage over Hamas. Also I don't think we will ever see peace in the region but it will be interesting to see what Hamas does with their new found power.

Considering the US supplies fully a third of the PA's annual budget, and combines with the EU to fund over half, I'd say the we have some clout. Even more so given the Palestinian economy's dependence on political patronage. The PA is by far the largest employer so any reductions in foreign assistance would be a direct hit to the avg Pal's pocketbook.