Monday November 13, 2006

I'm Predicting:

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is in town.

He is having a handful of 1-on-1's and some 2-on-1's.
There will be a Rice - Olmert meeting and a Bush -Rice - Olmert meeting.

Several of the agenda items are important, but no-brainers.
Iran- both sides agree.
Lebanon and Hezbollah - both sides agree.
Captured Israeli soldiers - both sides agree.
Hamas - well, that's a sticky point.

About Hamas:
The US wants Israel to calm down and act more diplomatically concerning the Hamas-led government. They want a little less stick and a little more talk. Rice already said it is better to have Hamas in the government than on the streets.

The problem is Hamas. Hamas does not want to talk to or recognize Israel, not the opposite.
So what is the US really asking of Israel? Not to make a difficult situation harder for US policy. That is their bottom line.

Do not think for a moment that this is about Israel's issues or best interests.
The United States is interested only in the best interests of the United States.
When the content of these meetings is leaked to the press there are going to be some very disappointed people - on both sides of the Atlantic.