We are mainly concerned these days with Iraq and Iran, when it comes to the Middle East, but the issue that gave rise to both of these problem areas has yet to be resolved: a peaceful existence for Israel in the Middle East and a just solution to the Palestinian problem.
It is easy to ignore an essentially stateless people. But a grave danger is building in the Occupied Territories, as more and more hope is being sucked out of the lungs of their youth. Whoever gains the presidency in 2008 would do well to consider an article published two days ago in the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/world/middleeast/12intifada.html?ex=1331438400&en=41c081f4be010bfe&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
It's tragic to read but, then, most Americans have no idea what daily life is like for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. We can wag our fingers and shake our heads at the insanity of suicide bombings, but these are young people growing up without hope in this life and probably longing for any kind of afterlife.
Our next President will have to convince Israeli and Palestinian leaders that it is no longer acceptable to deny these Palestinian youth a basic hope by refusing to make concessions without unacceptable stipulations, walling them in, separating them from each other and the world, taking their land, keeping them unemployed, and inciting them to violent death.
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