Israel/Palestine: Optimism (maybe)

Georgie, Israeli PM Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas met today in preparation for the Annapolis Summit which would resume the never-ending Middle East Peace Talks that have been going on since I was wearing a micro-mini-skirt and go-go boots. Today's meeting is one more of a long series of attempts to get the Peace Train back on the Roadmap -- right now it's where it usually is, upside-down in the ditch, on fire.

I just saw a short clip of Georgie and Olmert and Georgie said all and sundry were very optimistic:

"Hours before the opening of a high-stakes international conference on the Middle East, President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed hope Monday that peace finally could be achieved. A senior member of the Palestinian delegation said an elusive joint statement on the contours for future talks was within reach. "I'm looking forward to continuing our serious dialogue with you and the president of the Palestinian Authority to see whether or not peace is possible," Bush said after meeting with Olmert in the Oval Office ahead of the conference. Bush had a similar meeting scheduled with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later in the day. "I'm optimistic," Bush said."

Apparently the meeting went better than expected, resulting in a joint statement that would set out the parameters for a separate Palestinian state. Okay, good -- but it's just symbolic unless all parties follow up with a commitment to making it work. So far that "making it work" thing isn't looking good.

What new post

would be appropriate for the second-most hated man in the Middle East (second only to George W Bush) now that he's resigned?

Now that Tony Blair has officially stepped down as Britain's PM, logic would dictate that he keep his nose as far out of middle east affairs as humanly possible, even to the point of physically moving himself to the opposite side of the globe -- somewhere between California and Hawaii? Well, that's if logic had a hand in things, which it clearly hasn't for at least 5 years. Reality: an appropriate job for the second-most hated man in the middle east is ... Middle East Envoy!

"Major Western powers agreed on Wednesday on the mandate for a new Middle East envoy and were expected to name Tony Blair to the position after he stepped down as British prime minister. Blair acknowledged the difficulties of a high-stakes peacemaking role meant to steer the Palestinians towards statehood following Hamas's violent takeover of the Gaza Strip."

These guys always think a "do-over" will make everything alright. But even bringing peace to Palestine, as great as that would be, wouldn't be enough wash the blood off Blair's legacy. George W could find a cure for cancer, AIDS and bring peace to Palestine and he'd still be remembered as the illicit president who started a needless war for corporate gain that killed hundreds of thousands and trashed an entire nation. So it goes for the man who danced to Bush's tune if not like a poodle, then like an organ grinder's monkey. The best thing he could do for his "legacy" is to remove himself from the public eye.