Kadima wins, your thoughts?

[AlonzoMourning23]

Personally this is the last thing I wanted, though I expected it. Likud winning would have resulted in more immediate conflict, but they were unlikely to move towards either peace of disengagement, and the conflict would be left where it is. Labour would be the most receptive to peace talks and that would have the possibility to contribute to a real long term solution. But Kadima, by solidifying some settlements and establishing Israeli determined borders, seems to be the worst.

The borders they intend to set up would take all of jerusalem for Israel, take some of the best land and water resources, and would leave palestinians with no control over their borders or air space. This is not insignificant as Israel has shown it will close borders. Recently Israel even closed palestinian borders used for exporting produce resulting in much of the crop being destroyed. If this is to happen then palestine, as much as a country can become one, would become a prison. You can't form a viable state with such conditions. And, considering the recent raid by Israel on palestinian jails, it seems unlikely that even the areas disengaged from would be freed from Israels military might.

Olmerd seems likely to solidify a position that cannot work in the long term, since without a viable palestinian state there will never be peace. Palestinians will just become more and more desperate. I hope for a sheep in wolves clothing, but it appears unlikely.

[PittsburghAfterDark]

You need a partner in peace.

It didn't matter who won the Israeli elections from the standpoint that you can't negotiate peace with people that won't recognize your right to exist and won't give up language calling for armed struggle in their mission statement.

[AlonzoMourning23]

But peace talks are usually done to obtain those things. You shouldn't expect total peace before engaging in peace talks.

The palestinians have long been willing to negotiate, but they don't exercise the same control over factions as Israel does. And, as we've seen previously, Israel doesn't stop raids when there are peace talks.

[Labrocca]

I think it's odd the Palestinians elect a terrorist group and the Israeli's elect the peaceful party. Kinda odd imho. If I was an Isreali I would want to get some people with balls in there. Maybe Sharon was too much because his tenure was full of conflict and the people want change.

[AlonzoMourning23]

Well, the election of hamas was more of a vote against Fatah than a vote for hamas. Fatah was corrupt and had got them nothing. Many members of fatah voted against it even due to all the corruption. Hamas won because of Fatah's ineptitude, not because of themselves or their own policies.

Though Kadima is hardly a peace party. A peace party negotiates or makes efforts to end the conflict. Setting up a unilateral border, taking much of the most valuable land, keeping a large area of it, and controlling the palestinian borders, is hardly a plan for peace. At best it will result in just very low level violence for an extended period of time for one side. It's not doing much to improve palestinians in the long term, or actually put an end to this conflict.