The whole world is intimidated by Religious Extremists -

Quote of Frida Ghitis,"One day, historians will scratch their heads in disbelief, wondering how it came to pass that Muslim extremists managed to intimidate moderates of every religion - including Islam - on every continent on earth. No question, insulting any religion is reprehensible. It appears, however, that nothing is more reprehensible than insulting the Muslim religion. And the extremists now decide what constitutes an insult. Moderates everywhere now seem terrified of making missteps that might upset the extremists, while they obsess over the question, "What can we do to avoid offending Muslims?" Standing Pentagon orders instruct those touching the Koran that "clean gloves will be put on" and that "two hands will be used at all times." (International Herald Tribune)

Palestinian Farmers said to Israeli Settlers in Gaza: Don't Leave - Reports Miri Chason in Ynet News.

Currently, some 3,000 Palestinians are employed in the Gaza settlement bloc of Gush Katif, most of them in agriculture. Mahmoud, 33, a Khan Yunis resident, said, "We hear in the news that in August they will leave Gush Katif, and we pray to God it won't happen." "If they do leave, there will be no food for my children."
Mahmoud has been working at Ganei Tal for more than 18 years and said he is happy with the work and earns as much as three Gaza laborers. "There's no work in Gaza," he said, slamming the Palestinian Authority for its corruption. "Only PLO members, those who work for the government, will get everything (following the pullout)," he said.

Mahmoud said he would be doing better had Israel refrained from signing agreements with Arafat.

I was born in 1948.
Since as long as I can remember I've been hearing this stuff.
Korea came and went, Vietnam came and went, Malaya, Nicarugua, Chile,Cambodia, Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland, Mao, USSR all came and went but we are still stuck with this crappy, dirty little conflict at the eastern end of the Mediterraean. As I described earlier I even went to see for myself and wasn't impressed. The land around the West bank and Jerusalum is a wasteland, an environmental and social nightmare. Mosques, Synagogues and Churches all wailing to the same god and getting no answers. I have never seen so many people with such miserable looks on their faces.
I can only see one solution.
a. One democratic secular state.
b. Don't call it Israel.(How about Canaan?)
c. Jerusalum an International city run by the U.N.

...complete with flying porkers

yep, like Priscillian,I reckon the whole thing has inhabited too much of the world's attention and intellectual space for too long, its like the world's own unsolvable rubics cube nation where never ending solutions are being put up by people who suffer chronic color blindness. Someone’s red is someone else’s green. Lets call it Rubic!

Priscillian wrote: I see only one solution. One democratic secular state. b. Don't call it Israel.(How about Canaan?) c. Jerusalum an International city run by the U.N.

In the area controlled by the Israeli government and army (noting that the Palestinian Authority only has whatever control the Israeli government and army allows it to have) there are now 5.2 million calling themselves Jews and 5.3 million calling themselves Palestinians. There are a further 4 million Palestinian refugees who are unable to normalise their residency in the countries of refuge. International law upholds their right of return to the villages they were expelled or fled from. I agree with Priscillian that the only solution possible, in that it accords with international law and the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one democratic secular state (whether in federalized cantons, a confederation or a binational state). A concept of citizenship whereby every individual has the same citizen's rights, based not on race, ethnicity or religion, but on equal justice for each person guaranteed by a constitution, must replace discriminatory laws that unequally confer health care, education, freedom of movement, housing, and employment.

Many of the abuses of human rights which have taken place over the past years have even been carried out in the name of "peace". But the suppression of human rights has also been a catalyst in encouraging and facilitating human rights abuses by those who oppose the peace process. The failure to uphold people's basic rights feeds hatred and perpetuates abuses. All those in a position of authority must recognize that the right to life, physical and mental integrity, freedom from arbitrary detention, freedom of movement, freedom of expression and freedom from fear and want are the inalienable rights of both Israelis and Palestinians. The human rights of one individual can not be founded on the loss of rights of another individual.

See "Ten Principles that Amnesty International Articulated for a Durable Peace based on Human Rights (press release, 26 March 2001) at http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/israel_and_occupied_territories/document.do?id=F631E2C3C616E1FB80256A1C003D4C41

It is a pity that the Eastern mind does not think the same way as our Western cultured mind - then a solution would easily be resolved. It is obvious we on this forum have the answers but are they able to comprehend or willing to trust each other?

RayBer, totally agree with the international law quotes etcetera.
But citing international law in this country is as useful as backing England in a test match. Its just not seen as relevant and or 'Australian' . Sad but true.