This is the most happy day:

Since 1967, Israel's government declared that the occupied territories will only be kept as a bargaining chip for a peace agreement with the Arab world.

TODAY WE HEARD THIS GREAT NEWS: THE "6-DAY" WAR IS FINALLY NEARING ITS END!

As the first step, Israel will abandon its annexation plans.
Further down the line, as more Arab countries join the United-Arab-Emirates in a comprehensive peace agreement, Israel's army will abandon the West-Bank altogether (and the Golan Heights when Syria is also ready for peace).

No more depressing horror-stories, SteeleRedux!

While the author may, at his own peril, maintain his private "100 years old Arab-Jewish conflict", between his sect of "the Jews" and the Arab ghost, Israel and the Arab world will now live in peace as Israel will no longer bow down to "Jewish" demands.

As for the native population of the West-Bank, the so-called "Palestinians" and the so-called "Jews", let them handle their internal affairs as they please: if they wish to keep fighting each other then so be it, but the rest of the world will leave them to their own devices and concentrate instead on fighting and eliminating the virus!

Dear Yuyutsu,

You proclaim; “As the first step, Israel will abandon its annexation plans.”

Don't be silly, no it won't. Netanyahu has done this dance so many times before that no one in Israel nor in Palestine believe he has any intention of doing it again. He will take the money and run, something he has turned into an art form.

As to the horror stories i'm not sure what you are wanting from me. If I stop posting them do you think the horror for the Palestinian people suddenly goes away? No, they will still exist, all that will happen is your sensibilities will be a little more protected. You will have to tell be why you think you deserve this luxury.

This announcement is purely an election one. It doesn't change much if anything on the ground but is their to boost Trump's chances.

Trump has supposedly halted North Korean missile testing but in less than two years they were back at it. His deals are soft platitudes and this latest one likely has about the same amount of substance.

I wish it wasn't so.

Quote

Convinced he would never get Israeli approval to build a home in his village, Amarneh set his sights on a cave in the foothills overlooking Farasin.

Amarneh said he figured that because the cave is a natural formation, Israel could not possibly argue it was illegally built, while the Palestinian Authority agreed to register the land in his name.

Amarneh sealed the mouth of the cave with a stone wall and installed a wooden door at its centre.

He fashioned a kitchen, a living room, and sleeping areas for himself, his pregnant wife, and their young daughter. There is even space for guests.

After living there for a year and a half, he received a demolition notice from the Israeli authorities in July along with 20 other Palestinian families in Farasin.

End quote

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/pictures-family-cave-home-faces-israeli-eviction-200811051928726.htm

As I've been saying since June: Trump can wade into the Netanhayu manufactured Israel-West Bank crisis by “brokering” peace before the US 3rd November US Presidential Election.

Even getting this 60% of it right ain't bad http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=20983#370292

And LO AND BEHOLD what does Trump announce over the last 24 HOURS?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/13/israel-and-uae-to-form-diplomatic-ties-says-donald-trump

"Israel signs historic deal with UAE that will 'suspend' West Bank annexation - Trump hails US-brokered pact as ‘peace agreement’"

Pete
Next http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2020/08/s-korean-japanese-nuclear-submarine.html

Dear Yuyutsu,

I'm wondering given the numerous reports showing the Israeli's have only agreed to a temporary halt to annexation plans whether you are now prepared to walk back your earlier claim that:

"As the first step, Israel will abandon its annexation plans."?

Dear SteeleRedux,

Nobody knows the future. All I can do is pray.

But I am optimistic, because I know that the majority of Israelis want peace more than anything, also most Israeli soldiers do the right thing and only a foolish minority commit these atrocities that you report, which saddens me to the core.

Netanyahu is in a very difficult place.
He would do ANYTHING to avoid being thrown into prison - and frankly, who wouldn't?
It is unfortunate that he needs the settlers in order to remain prime-minister, so that he can slow the court-proceedings. He pays them some lip-service and today he also announced that he will throw more money at them, to build better roads to their settlements, including tunnels beneath troubled areas. It is understandable.

- but I don't think he really cares one way or the other about the West-Bank: he will go wherever the sway goes, to lose as few supporters as he can.

He cannot lose the votes of my family because they were not voting for him anyway.

The people of Israel have been despairing.
For several decades they have been singing of peace,
but as time passed with no results, they were worn off and having considered it an impossible dream they said "well rather than banging our heads against the wall, let's instead solve the economic social and religious problems".

But now things are changing. With the new peace accord the people will wake up and demand more, and on seeing their numbers, Netanyahu will follow, perhaps even retiring with a presidential pardon for his historical "peace-making".

And for my personal excitement, having peace between Israel and the UAE means one less flying-leg and a shorter trip, perhaps even under 24 hours if connections work well (Australia-Dubai-Tel-Aviv with the Emirates, practically on a straight line) when next, once COVID is over, I can see my family in Israel again, including the two new babies I never met.