Peace in the Near East

I was reading through Sunday's New York Times Book Review and came across a review of a new Bernard Lewis book, Faith and Power:&nbps; Religion and Politics in the Middle East and of Muhammad and the Believers:  At the Origins of Islam, by Fred M Donner.  Professor Donner I have never heard of, but Mr Lewis is more widely known.

The reviewer, Reporter Max Rodenbech, didn't much like the Bernard Lewis book, but he did extract for us this little quote:

If the conflict is about the size of Israel, then long and difficult negotiations can eventually resolve the problem.  But if the conflict is about the existence of Israel, then serious negotiation is impossible.

That about sums it up.

Regards  —  Cliff