I'm with you on the basic peace plan structure. It's not really different from Zinni's or any number of experts that have gone over, checked out the situation, made proposals, and then gone home with their tail tucked between their legs because one side or the other (usually Israel) wants it their way first and the ambassador had no authority to make any of it happen.

I've got $3 billion a year in military aid to Israel that says they'll accept UN peacekeepers instead of losing a sizable chunk of their military budget and their favorite arms dealer. And we gotta have 'em -- there's no way Israel and Palestine can settle this themselves, there's just too much bad blood and there's gotta be a referee to keep the chief combatants apart until they settle down.

But I think that the countries in the region could help out a lot by offering resettlement land and citizenship to the Palestinian refugees. The Palestinians aren't going to get all their land in Israel back; it's just not feasible. Compensation for lost lands for those who accept by the availability of land elsewhere could help. But none of the surrounding countries want a population of Palestinians because any time one of them lets a few Palestinians in, Israel lobs missiles at them. They all have to adopt an integration policy, or none at all.

Nonetheless, I don't think the other countries will feel warm and fuzzy until some results happen. Too many peace plans for the region have fizzled and failed; they won't believe it until THIS one is different.