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First it was called a “conference”, then a “summit” and the latest preferred terminology is “meeting”. But whatever you call it, the Annapolis Conference/Summit/Meeting planned for November 27 is not being taken seriously. Just over a week away and there have been no invitations sent out, no joint declaration – not even a consensus on which countries will actually participate.

The usual game is being played out, however.

[Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud] Olmert is expected to announce at the meeting in Annapolis that Israel will freeze settlement construction and dismantle the outposts. <<< more

While Israel convinces the world that this is some kind of concession, we know better. Freezing settlement expansion is not only a significant requirement of the Roadmap, but reflects the barest of moves towards full compliance with international law – which demands that expansion cease on the basis that the colonies should never have been built to begin with.

Meanwhile, yet another sick Palestinian has died while attempting to get permission to leave Gaza for medical treatment. And Israeli troops continue to terrorize Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, most of which goes largely unreported. Israeli soldiers have maintained a virtually permanent presence in Gaza for the last two months, arresting, bulldozing, killing – all unnoticed apparently.

It seems the Jewish state expects all 1.5 millions Gazans to be good victims, despite the Israeli-inflicted problems of a destroyed economy, inhuman living conditions and total isolation from world.

But perhaps the Palestinians should be thankful for Israel’s generosity. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said yesterday that Israel will allow Israeli Arabs to remain in Israel if a Palestinian state is ever realized. How nice of her not to strip the citizenship of 20% of Israel’s population. Now that really IS generosity.