This column is nothing but propaganda for Palestinian terrorist organizations. Ynet can't find anything to fill its column space but the political distortions, misrepresentations and plain manipulation evident in this article? There are plenty of good writers out there who print the truth. No sense in Ynet wasting its money paying a Palestinian propagandist to manipulate public opinion against Israel.

I hate to say it Ray, but the Palestinian mantra keeps making well intentioned people (including you) look the wrong way. The Pals have to stop looking for everybody else to save them and they have to start saving themselves. The Pals have to start making the good news themselves. Why should the Republicans or Democrats make a paradigm shift and lower support for Israel and raise their level of support for the Palestinians? What have the Palestinians done to justify such a shift? Yes, Israel's human rights record isn't so good and they have a long way to go to enshrine civil rights in their society. But the Palestinians simply aren't concerned with human or civil rights on their own turf. For example - it's ok for gunmen to accuse somebody of being a 'collaborator', torture him in public, pump a few bullets into him then string the body up from an electricity pole or drag it through the streets. Maybe he was a collaborator, or maybe he owed some money or looked at the gunman's sister the wrong way. The killers don't get charged by the police, because they are the police or they intimidate the police. The Palestinians should take a page from the South African history books - graduate from the 'armed struggle' and start building their country with legislation and commerce. Stop being sad-sacks. Stop running around like 3rd world losers shooting your guns in the air. Give the new Congress some good pro-active reasons to support the Palestinians.

I hope you are right in your prognostication that the Democrats will not falter in aiding Israel but is that why Hezbollah and Hamas as well as Osma's gang are all cheering? As usualal your article is full of lies. I believe that you are a secret Muslim because if you were really a Christian you could not be so pro Palestinian seeing what the Muslims are doing to the Palesstinian Christians.

Israel,for security reasons if nothing else is in our national interest.What would we gain? Stopping Islam from taking over the entire region and the world.

I think the election of the Democrats is very good news for everyone such as myself who favors a hardline attitude towards the Palestinians and an expansion of settlements (in other words, the rights of Jews in their land).

I'm writing to give you the many out there understand Palestinian views and opinions. Maybe one of you one day will help find a way out that doesn't mean continued conflict, violence and death on both sides. Neither sid eis going to win. So, for those who keep attacking. Sticks and "stones" ... But for those who hate the venom here, don't give up. Let's be honest and frank and discuss things and have an honest discussion about issues. It's the only way to peace, if that is your goal. If not, keep attacking me. It makes me feeel GREAT! Ray hanania (In Washington DC receiving a WRITING AWARD for writing here :)

"The proposal quickly backed Palestinians into a corner on Jerusalem and negated the rights of Palestinian refugees without clearly defining what they would get for their dispossession." They were offered East Jerusalem. What else do they want .. reperations ...?? Doesn't it make more sense to take what you are offered and build trust.? Settlements were DISPLACED...// But it wasn't enough...When will it be enough Ray,..? Such propoganda,,, good job...

you KNOW they've been outrageous.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/syndicates/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003349697 Not exactly the Pulitzer (not that this is a reaspectable award nowadays).

we all miss Edward Said , so Ray u have big shoe to fill. Reality Check , world

To claim that Bush's policy towards Iraq was driven by personal motivations is both overly simplistic and naive. For one thing, it ignores the most obvious, oil. Bush was entirely consistent with his pre-election claim that he would not get the US involved in foreign matters unless American interests were at stake. Stabilizing the Middle East due to its stategic oil supplies is very much in out interests. Also to assume that others in Bush's cabinet and others in the American halls of power and influence would alow Bush to drag us into a war for personal reasons is naive. It's just not that easy. Dick Chaeny, the most powerful VP behind the scenes that this country has ever seen, would have had a lot to say on any decission to go to war. Additionally, one must remember that Sadam had flipped off the UN weapons inspectors over 18 times, shot at US planes in the no fly zone, and all the intelligence agreed upon by all the major powers reported that he was developing weapons of mass destruction irregardless of what was found or not found after the invasion. Take all the above together: could you give an American a better reason (or excuse if you choose to look at it that way) to overthrow a despot. Sadam gave us the perfect formula to justify the invasion of a foriegn country from an American foriegn policy point of view. Democracies tend to serve American economic and strategic interests better than other forms of government. And to all you abusive dictators out there who think you can trample on our strategic foriegn economic interests out there ... you're just setting yourself up to have your people liberated so we can protect our strategic interests. It's a two for one! Too bad we haven't cleaned up the mess we made in Iraq yet. Hey, you guys in Iraq! Do you think you can fight for your own democracy so we can go home and just buy your oil? Hmmm, something must have gone wrong on the way to Baghdad.

you forget the role of israil in iraq invasion ..it is the same role of america in second lebanon war in both it is the blind guide the cripple ..so american failed in iraq as well as israil failed in second lebanon war

Comparing Ray "I'm a Chicago Christian and have nothing to do with Palestine" Hanania is even worse than comparing Ehud Olmert with David Ben-Gurion. Although I disagreed with his writings, I respected his intellectual abilities and writing style. Hanania is the ultimate lightweight and an imposter to boot.

trying to cover anything more than the one point I chose to comment on. Did you find others? I don't except Ray's perceptions outright, but they are accurate perspectives on how the Palestinians see things. Often perception becomes reality, so Ray does do a decent job of present their side. However, he makes practically no attempt to be balanced and has admitted to enjoying "getting under the skin" of those he refers to as Israel's hard-line supporters. Not a very professional reason to write columns laced with sarcasms aimed at Israeli's and their supporters. This column was a real breath of fresh air: very good analysis even if one did not accept all the premises. It was thoughful and makes a reader think. By lacking sarcasm, it wasn't trying to be entertaining, but I think his excessive one sided sarcasm of previous columns has been counter productive. He get's under their skin, but more just tune Ray out and dismiss him, often rightfully so. More columns like this with more balance and just enough humor to keep them entertaining may get a wider number of readers to think about what he is saying rather than giving their typical knee jerk response.

It will never happen. Americans are too balanced to ever support the Palestinians. Who in their right mind would support a terror led state??? Ray, time to wake up and smell the roses...you live in a weird, delusional world where everything is balck and white, where Israel is always wrong and Palestinains are always the victims...get real! You not once mention the fact that Hamas will not recognize Israel, you don't say anything about Qassams raining down on Israel everyday, you still never talk about the whole culture of hate within Arab countries. Keep denying reality...its a great way to live. Arabs have mastered it.

The PA and Pal governmental leaders are still doing the expedient to keep their heads and appear to have no taste for peace. Maybe if folks finally understand that they have been played for fools for generations things may change. But this is why they propogandize even their little children. When did you hear Abbas (or any other war lover) say, "Y'know, maybe we messed this up. Maybe we ought to try something else so that our children will not grow to hate us."

What brought the Camp David talks crashing down, was when Arafat told Clinton, when negotiating Jerusalem, " The Jews were never in Jerusalem or had a Temple there". At that point even Clinton could recognize Arafat was a lunatic.

Your eyes must be brown, no doubt! I agree with most of the postings I red so far. Israel has done its fair share of "giving up for peace", look back a few years ago, they chased the Egyptians from the Sinai (literally, they left their shoes in the sand to run faster) and they, the wonderful Israeli army, reclaimed it. Then they had to return the Sinai "for peace". Later it was Gush Katif and lately the settlements in Gaza. What more do you, moronic Arabs, need or want? Oh yes, I know! You want Israel and its population to disappear...Fat chance bud! Israel gave enough for real with no results; while the Palestinians, all they can give are LIES and strangely enough, the results are positive for them...the World hates us more than ever but guess what? We don't give a rat's ass.

Cool off dear, I heard Daysie baked you a nice pie...Quack, quack, quack!

first i do not like any one to inter beneath the skin of others . as these posting 46 ,47 ,48, .... but ilike to have a glance to the heart of a person ..first i do not want to explain as i want any one to explain as he prefer .. but i see like always in posting or replying to any post .these posters prefer to throw the pole to the other side ..and this is the role of policy between israil and palastin ... this is if there is some body recognize that there is a land known as palastin . as many here think that there is palastinians arise from the evil on this land of israil // now i want to explain as i have time first .second i feel that there is some need this explain strongly ,,third and it is the first ,,the explanation is so simple ... when the blind guid the cripple ,he do not know that he is cripple ..and this is in the iraqi invasion ..israil was the blind need america to prevent the danger of iraq as well as she want now to prevent the danger of iran ..america was the cripple one leg still in iraq mud /so how she can advanced to the terror of iran / //becouse of that in the second lebanon war america was the blind ,did not see that israil was cripple ..america did not stop the war aske the israili to length it to have the chance to deviate hizballa and its army and to give iran a lesson about the power // but sure israil kill more and more lebanees with a less effect on the hizballa members ..and made iran to decide to have the weopon that in any coming war ,,iran can protect her people against the destroying machin of the israili / so this is the result .. of the cripple israil and the blind america .. and till now the cripple israil put her force on the children the women and the houses of palastinians as these are the week which israil the cripple can reach to them easily .. and the blind america do not see the terror of alqaida korea or iran ..she see only the terror of the small bodies of the children of palastin ,,and the weake bodies of the women of palastin ..and the poor houses of gaza //so iam sad that at last the palastinians are the victimes ..iam angry of the blindness and cripple of both america and israil .. but about the arab states [haddeth wala haraj]

that you are still pissing people off;-)

I don't know what came over me !!! I'm kookoo for cocoa puffs, kookoo for cocoa puffs..... QQQQUUUUAAAACCCKKK!!

WE WILL NOT BOW TO TERRORISTS! WE WILL NOT GO SOFTLY INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF JOHN WAYNE -- SEND UM TA HELL!

You make some very good points. I think White House policy was driven by many factors but I believe that the tipping point is whether or not Bush had the desire to take the fight beyond Afghanistan and go after his father;s personal demon, Saddam Hussein. Personal feelings can go a long way to justify an irrational policy and I think that short of exploiting the Post Sept. 11 environment, stepping up the US role in controlling oil in the Middle East, and lying through their teeth about the reasons to invade Iraq, only his personal desire to take the step determined whether he would do it or not. If Bush were not personally vested in this, I don't believe he would have invaded Iraq. I think he would have partnered in tightening the economic noose around Iraq and Saddam Hussein and directed funds to support a real Iraqi insurgency. Anyway, just my thoughts, and I appreciate the straightforward way that you offered yours Try it more often. And I will to. Ray Hanania www.hanania.com

I know you didn't add the people died part, but that is the phrase that most often follows. You said Bush "lied through his teeth." That is a rather emphatic emotional statement on a similar level. Consider the following, and there is no need for the "avenge his father" psycho bable theory. I think pop culture is too quick to look for psychological excuses to blame things on. All major international, intelligence agencies felt that Sadam was developing weapons of mass destruction including chemical and biological as well as developing nuclear capabilities. This was NOT just George Bush cherry picking his intelligence. This was the concensus at the time of most international intelligence agencies. Also, terrorist training was going on in Iraq. It may not have been large scale, but it demonstrated potential. Who knew how much was really going on. And look who was supplying and aiding the Iraqis, China and Russia. Scud missles that Saddam did not hessitate to use and high tech telecom, command and control networks compliments of the Chinese were an integral part of Saddams arsenal. Remember, that giant, nuclear cannon he tried to obtain? And what about the weapons of mass destruction found more recently. We didn't hear to much about them because they had components that would have embarassed our so called friends, the French and the Germans. As far as I'm concerned, Saddam was a victim of his own actions and ambitions, not the psychological motivations of Bush. That was just an an extra cobenefit, not the reason. I doubt Bush had the power to take the nation to war over his personal issues without being stopped by Cheny, and many other powerful persons unless they felt there were other real strategic benefits that could be justified. Bush was smart enough to have realized this.