Today's snapshot is a view of my Company Law Lecture. For once I actually arrived earlier than the lecturer (normally I am about 6 minutes late after having to get the tube from my counseling session). You can really feel the love in that room, it's found just behind the blank confusion and pass-out-knackeredness.
My counselor suggested that she'd be willing to sign a mitigating circumstances form to exempt me from exams so at least I know that if I don't pick up before January I won't be totally destroyed by a phalanx of written papers.
In altogether more important news, there's a new unofficial peace accord making the rounds which is aimed at bringing an end to the suffering in the middle eastern conflict surrounding Isreal and the Palestinians. It purports to be loaded with concessions and has what appears to be decent grassroots support. Naturally however it is not supported by the hard liners. Ariel Sharon has already stated that he's opposed to the measures. However Mr Sharon is a democratically elected leader and can be 'dealt with' if need be.
My fear for the future of what is called "the Geneva Accord" is that its failure will weaken the Road Map and more importantly that if it does fail, it will be because terrorists don't like concessions.
Two Palestinian Cabinet ministers and two influential legislators who helped negotiate the plan refused to go Geneva when they were threatened by militants. They changed their minds after they said Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat backed their participation, overriding criticism from Fatah hard-liners.The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades linked to Fatah called them "collaborators," a loaded term that often marks Palestinians for death. Masked gunmen also shot at the home of Abed Rabbo, who already was in Geneva.
San Francisco Gate
If the Israelis want this accord they can grasp it with both hands and embrace it, Israel is a democracy after all. However it doesn't matter how many average Palestinians want to follow the new plan, if the Fatah don't want it then the suicide bombings won't stop. All I hear from some people is "Israel's worse". Whatever you might think of Israel it's a sovereign state, who's army is subject to the control of its government and it doesn't pursue its objectives by blowing up buses of school children. Isreal has demands, The Palestinian people have demands, both can be met by the other. However the demands of terrorists can and must not be met by anyone. The people of both sides can broker this deal but ultimately it is the cowardly terrorists who will decide whether it will be effective.
I pray that they choose to right their past wrongs and accept peace for the people they purport to serve. However I remain cynical.
Later
John
Posted by John Swaine at December 1, 2003 07:08 PM | TrackBack