But they still depend upon the perpetuation of conflict to get seats. If they don't have a solution regarding Palestine whatsoever, that's much easier.

I think there is pretty much a consensus since the Second Intifada began on security, so the competition is simply over how small a cage do they want to put Palestinians in with a bigger focus on how exclusivist they want society in general to be, i.e. do they kick out the African Jews and Christians, for example.

@ Trip: "Jamie: The official position of Hamas is not to go back to the pre '67 borders. Their charter calls for the killing of Jews, the destruction of Israel, and to not accept any peace offering or diplomatic solution."

What you have described is not the official position of either Palestinian government.

Why are you making things up?

Dearest Putin, I note the. " helpful" way Russian military forces 1 grabbed control of Syria's naval base so they have use of a "warm water port" in the Med, 2 have taken over "garrison" duties for the Syrian army freeing up their men to fight for a corrupt regime in a civil war 3 their " bombing " campaign targets the regime's opponents in the civil war and moderate groups more than Isis / Daesh....all part of a strategy to limit the choice to the current regime or Isis / Daesh & associated splinter groups....by targeting the regime's opponents and moderate groups and leaving two " extremes' to choice from..it's a dirty self interested strategy.

At least the RAAF forces. deployed are hitting the right targets, if any air force is indiscriminately bombing it's the Russian forces, not the US, not NATO, not Turkish, imho

@_Jamiet99uk... Greetings, I'm listening to a soccer grand final, Adelaide Reds 2 goals V West Sydney Wanderers 1 goal, late in the second half, a home game for the Reds being played not at their normal ground, but on Adelaide oval, where Ashes test matches & Australian Football League games played.
I also share the ecstatic joy of all Australians at the news we're having our Federal election about five months early.....and the French beat the German and Japanese tenderers to build a dozen submarines in Adelaide..the Reds have scored, Pablo Sanchez, it's three one...and they've won.
Our nation's are not perfect Jamiet99uk, but all those desperate people seeking somewhere safe for themselves, their families that choose our nations as places of hope to flee to and not other nations.... is there something in that for us, the "destination nations" that's telling us something good about our nations, countries and peoples ? ( and something about the nations they do not choose )

Mitchell, which one of those three things do you think the US is innocent of?

Mitchell:
Russia is defending one of its key allies? You know it's kind of shocking.

If the regime that's been running Syria is the type of government Russia chooses as it's "key allies" and rather than support improvements in the human rights for the people of Syria, but support the corrupt brutal regime, that in itself demonstrates Putin's ( Russian leader, not our much loved WebDiplomacy Putin ) " dirty game" that I allude to, rather like choosing North Korea as a key ally and encouraging excess of tyranny rather than reform....oops, out of time..

Meanwhile, the US is supporting those paragons of moral virtue, Saudi Arabia. Alliances in that region are about stability and influence and threat management. Everyone's playing a dirty game.