I don't understand, the media have been saying for years how extraordinarily Clever John Kerry is, so are we now saying that's not necessarily so? And what about Tsipi Livni, she is a Strong Woman and a Smart Woman, right? Gosh, I hope we haven't been being fooled all these years...

#1 flaw is the plan itself. #2 flaw is osama obama #3 flaw is kerry But greater than all of these is the flaw in failing to heed the warning of the Prophets who warned of dividing Yerushalayim and Eretz Israel.

When it comes to arguments like this, it's the principle, not the numbers. And, in fact, the US has just released prisoners as a preamble to negotiations with the Taliban.

There is a US alert around the world now against a Muslim terrorist attack. Obama and Kerry naively believe a Palestinian state will go a long way to stopping attacks against the US. Terrorists like this don't want any Jewish state. They don't support the 2 state solution. But Obama and Kerry are looking for simple solutions and they think a Palestinian state is it.

Your article is truthful, but the government we voted for decide that Livni is ther most qualified person to deal with the peace process. She said it is like getting together with old friends when she met with the Palestinians.She with Olmert gave our country away , and she will do it again despite your article.don't waste your breath, Netanyahu is morphing into a Sharon

This would not be an issue if Israel had the guts to impose the death penalty for murder. All these prisoners should be out of jail and sent to their families -- in Body Bags! The message Israel sends to the would is that Jewish lives mean nothing. We will all pay the price for this message.

New Zealand has press standards that remind me of "Pravda" and "Izvestiyah". NZ Herald is always lying through their teeth. I am surprised they manage to get the date on their front page without distorting it excessively. Ah well, at least we had a fair and balanced reporting about the royal pregnancy in all its minute details...

Would the US agree to release 104 Guantanamo prisoners for negotiations with anyone? Yes they would. obama and the doj would turn them all loose right this very minute if they could possibly get away with it. They would even release them on the streets of America. I do agree with your opinion though of what obama and kerry really want to do, to eliminate the mideast problem, destroy Israel.

Or even worse, a Peres or a Barak.

History must not be ignored, standing up to bullies is a must, and some understand of military geography is necesary. Lookat the generals who have been prominent in israeli politics-barak, mofaz, halutz,dagan, rabin, dayan, allof them have not a defined attachment of the land and the land of israel. The civilians have been a poor mix of incompetents, fearful cowards, uncertain types, and exaggerated importance types from peres, bib, olmert and livni, peretz, gal on, yechaimovitc, lapid and his father and so on. There are a few israelis who hold onto their convictions, cannot be pushed around by kerry for a prisoner release bribe and they include, shamir and son, lieberman as much as the media consider him uncouth, bennett, feiglin, rivnlin for sure, and hotovely and a few others. Its time to bring in a new pm with cahunas, real cahunas who wil be able to tell kerry, no deal, no concessions. We are not interested in any concession. And if abbas incites, he will be dealtt with harshly.

especially as the more sincerely they say it, the greater the lie is.

Your Israeli government promised to release these prisoners in 1999 - but never did. Your Israeli government released the prisoners in exchange for a 6 month reprieve on Palestinian appeals to to UN and ICC. More Importantly, your Israeli government chose prisoner release over immediate freezes on settlements -- i.e., land is more important than law, order or security. A recent study showed Israelis and Palestinians had little incitement in the textbooks but both were equally negative about the other. Israel's own maps are just as false and self serving as Palestine's. They don't show Palestinian territory marked as such. Abbas said "no Israelis" not "no Jews.' Of course the new state will not allow what happens at present -- some hostile residents claiming they are citizens of a neighboring country and not subject to the laws of the land where they reside. And expect the military of a neighboring country to overlook their crimes. Abbas' statement is just common sense. Jews will be able to immigrate to Palestine if they meet Palestinian standards and abide by Palestinian law. Simple. Jordan is Jordan -- and not the "out" Israel seeks for seizing land and dispossessing its rightful owners, the Palestinians. Palestine will control its own border with Jordan. Israel will control its borders (north and south) with Jordan. Israel has a peace treaty with Jordan and would do well to maintain it in good order. Israel is not a democracy in the Western sense of government ruled by the consent of ALL its people. It's a theocratic regime with preferential treatment based on religion and is in the process of enacting even more anti-democratic "rules."

Bibi has proved that he is a coward. Bibi is not fit to be Prime Minister. Bibi should resign.

Rubbish is far too kind a word to describe the Kerry "peace plan". It is an obvious prescription to destroy Jewish ownership of Judea and Samaria and turn Israel into an absolutely helpless 9 mile wide concentration camp. Don't forget that Israeli Arabs would immediately demand to be annexed to "Palestine". Moreover, the U.N., E.U. and other despicable Jew hating entities would support them 100%. Time to end the B.S. forever. Judea and Samaria belong to Israel now and forever.

Israel had a choice They could have made a commitment to at slow the to a trickle settlement expansion. They opted for some quiet freeze and the release of murderers. If you want to blame anyone, blame the settlers who make even the smallest talk of a freeze impossible.

realizes that the core of the conflict is not a particular parcel of land presently under Israel's rule, but rather, from the Arabs' perspective, that Israel as the sovereign nation-state of the Jewish people, even exists on ANY parcel of land of the Jewish people's ancestral homeland. The international community foresaw this predicament when it legally partition the territory of EretzIsrael/Palestine in 1921/22 between Arabs and Jews; 77% to the Arabs, east of the Jordan River, and 23% to the Jews, between the Jordan River and the Med. Sea. It would behoove Mr. Kerry to study the decisions of the San Remo conference, 1920; League of Nations, 1922; and UN Charter, article 80, 1945.

Guantanomo Bay Cuba is a Fluke. They only opened the prison there...so they don't have to let any of these idiots free if they don't want too. They have no rights in the United States Judicial system. They are under Military Law...Universal Code of Military Justice. UCMJ Obama is the only idiot letting some of these terrorists go. In the United States...they don't let you out of Prison in trades for anything....other than overcrowding of prisons.... which is rare. A prison guard never opens the gates even if his kid is held hostage...That's the rules. The gate stays locked...no exceptions. This letting murderers go for a land swap....is like letting an American Indian go free after he has committed murder...to settle an Indian lands claim. It never happens. Only the CIA trades spies for spies. Tell Obama you want Pollard...especially since he is so gung ho to release terrorist murderers...who will be repeat offenders against innocent Jews. Tell Obama to put his money where his mouth is.

...loud and clear that their intent is the demise of the sovereign nation-state of the Jewish people, Israel; the "cleansing" of the Jewish people's ancestral homeland of its Jews; and, the use of all means possible at any given time in order to advance these two goals. I believe them, especially when these goals are pronounced and written in Arabic!!

Just the fact that Kerry/Obama agreed to raise the subject of releasing hundreds of prisoners and murders proves they are not on the side of morality or justice.

That this whole peace plan is based on a lie! There never was a conflict between Israel & Palestinians, but between Arabs & Israel which, because of Arab aversion/wars against Israel, resulted in a group of Arab Palestinian refugees, skillfully cultivated by the Arabs into the Palestinian sob story, which then resulted into the Palestinian lie about their history, rights & stolen state. This whole episode of how a lie has turned into the truth and tricked the world & politicians in believing it and taking measures in maintaining the lies by eradicating the truth is the main flaw why there won't be peace. But...it's the biggest achievement of the Arab world!

You really have a good understanding of Israel, the 'Palestinians' and the ME. Consulting those who live & breath this conflict every day could do with your good advice and non biased opinion.

You say this and yet look what happened when Israel left gaza!! Sure things will be more of the same in the new "palastine". Where people like you form your opinion and get your information is bizarre to say the very least. These people you obviously support murder and oppress their brother as badly as they do outsiders. Remember the men being dragged through gaza some time ago. That the kind of freedoms you think the leaders of the new "palasitnain" regime will meat out. Oh well, i guess ignorance really is bliss!!

Islam in a complete social/religious structure governed by Sharia Law. Islam is by its very nature not designed to co-exist with another religion or god. It sees itself as unique and superior and requires all other "gods" or religions to submit to its authority. Islam itself means submission. Those who do not submit are infidels who must be killed, even if said infidel is another "Muslim." The west has fundamentally failed to understand Islam and its goals. Kerry, like Obama thinks Israel and the west need to give in to the Muslims to avoid having them rampage and kill innocent people. That is rewarding unacceptable behavior, which is unacceptable itself.

at the moment all these problems are left to fester. In a peace agreement all these points can be addressed and solutions found. The reciprocity for the prisoner release was a Palestinian promise to stop the diplomatic offensive at the UN. In a peace deal the Palestinians will have to show good faith, they will have to convince their public to support the deal etc etc. Like the writer I can't see it happening, old habits die hard. But the Israeli gov't decided to try the path again and we have to let it run it's course.

Yes, obvious Noah Beck is a reader of talkbacks, most points taken. Missing is the hamass eager to kill fatah people, and what cruelty hamass is using, throwing people from roofs..shooting blindfolded and handcuffs fatah-members which actually makes hamass a non-member of negotiations. With abu mazen ousted, the pals have no negotiator, and should be thankful for israels decition to move all islamic followers into Jordan. There they can live under the islamic rules, and possibly make an much needed arab spring.

trying to achieve these goals. They have been acting what they have been preaching, in other words.