In direct contravention of my wife's explicit instructions, herewith I inaugurate my first blog. Long may it prosper.

For some reason, I think I have something to say to you. You think you have something to say to me? Email me at: gideonsblogger -at- yahoo -dot- com

 
Robert Kagan has a very good piece on the proposals floating about to put NATO troops in the territories. I have been predicting an imposed solution for months now. And, in some ways, I'm an advocate. I think America can accomplish things in the neighborhood that Israel cannot. But I have always been clear on one thing: an imposed solution means an American army of occupation in the territories, not an American peacekeeping force to separate the combatants. The territories need to be de-Nazified. There can be no independent Palestinian state, not for a decade or more, not until they learn what they have lost and what kind of a civic culture they need to build to have a chance of getting it back. It Israel can't teach them that, I'm willing to let the Americans try. But 10,000 troops sounds like a low-end number to do the job. This will not be a pacific region, particularly after Arafat is removed. In other words, I think the only workable option for an imposed solution is Kagan's option number three.
posted by Noah at 6:07 PM