Peace Talks: Arguments "For" and "Against"

For: All Jews and all Arabs want peace. Arabs want it so badly; they are prepared to sacrifice and fight for it. Hamas Charter says: "The Day of Peace will not come about until Muslims fight for peace to the last Jew".

Against: Peace negotiations invariably lead to Intifadas. "Intifada" is a form of Palestinian Olympics in which you don't have football or volleyball tournaments. Instead competing teams from Gaza and the West Bank take turns in the ancient sport of "Throw the Jew Down the Well".

For: Some think that Intifadas are not really linked to peace negotiations but are merely supported by the organizers in line with available resources, be that homemade Qassams, explosives or holes in the fence.

Against: Some claim that Obama is planning to lock Abbas and Bibi alone with Hillary until they reach an agreement. Personally I would opt for a more humane method.

For: One of the most venerable places of Judaism is no longer under any threat whatsoever. Palestinians destroyed it last time around.

Against: Have you no pity? If they were to come to a peace deal... Who will that poor Palestinian farmer blame as he is beating his third wife and raping his fifth daughter? Please spare a thought for population of the 25 Arab countries - how on earth will they explain their backwardness if it were not for the Zionist enemy?

For: The fact that a powerless stooge with a PhD in Holocaust denial finally agreed to have a talk with the Prime Minister of Israel is not only a great honour to the Israelis but also a huge success of Obama's foreign policy. When his presidency is over, Obama will be able to say: "Yes, I destroyed the economy. Yes, Iran got nuclear weapons on my watch. Yes, the US was pushed over by Kremlin and Venezuela. But I did get Mahmud and Bibi to chat to each other!

Against: Mahmud Abbas is too decisive. Only took him a couple of years of vacillating before he agreed to sit at the same table with Bibi. At this rate the conflict could be fully resolved before my grandchildren get married and we won't get to enjoy the negotiation process for very long.

For: Negotiations will finally, finally give the British newspapers a long-awaited excuse to write about the conflict and to blame Israel for all sins in a traditionally understated and non-partisan manner.