I'm going to play Prez for this post.

There's no way I'm going to visit Israel/Palestine for show. There's no upside for me if all I do is show up. But I have a plan.

My plan is to lay it out for them.

For Abbas: "You figure out a border you can live with. You can have some of Israel, but you're going to have to give up on the existing, contiguous settlements. You can even have part of Jerusalem, but don't get greedy. Take your time. Have it to me by Passover."

To Olmert: "Deal with it. We're getting this done this year. You can still take the crazies as necessary."

Sorry, fellow. It is not up to Bush to hand out territory from sovereign nations.

Maybe he should pay more attention to protecting the US borders, which he he has failed to do, and which he was elected to do.

Larry:

I'm going to play Prez for this post.

There's no way I'm going to visit Israel/Palestine for show. There's no upside for me if all I do is show up. But I have a plan.

My plan is to lay it out for them.

For Abbas: "You figure out a border you can live with. You can have some of Israel, but you're going to have to give up on the existing, contiguous settlements. You can even have part of Jerusalem, but don't get greedy. Take your time. Have it to me by Passover."

To Olmert: "Deal with it. We're getting this done this year. You can still take the crazies as necessary."

More accurately:

"Look here guys. I'm a severly lame duck; Olmert, you are about 10 voters short of being kicked out of office; Abbas, you're lucky to get through the day without getting assassinated by your people. So, let's take this vast political capital and work out a plan which, though it will undoubtedly be unpopular with a large minority, perhaps even a majority of Israeli and Palestinian alike, will nevertheless be followed by them because of this powerful mandate granted us by our publics."

MisterPerson:

Maybe he should pay more attention to protecting the US borders, which he he has failed to do, and which he was elected to do.

I don't remember that being a major part of the election debate in 2000 or 2004.

But then I don't see that my way of life is threatened by an oversupply of candidates for jobs to pick tomatoes at 1.5 cents a pound. (actual figures). In fact, I would guess my way of life would be more threatened if America decided in a fit of democracy that we should pay tomato pickers $50K a year and pass the costs on the consumer, in order to create more jobs that will let American citizens support a family, and not give them to "illegal immigrants who will do the jobs Americans won't do". One of the ironies of being a liberal.

Seriously, polls show majorities on both sides want to move forward. As in Iraq, once somebody stands up for peace, many will follow.