It is true that the Israel-Palestine conflict is being pushed out of the news because of the horrific situation in Iraq and the dismal state of the U.S. economy. When it does get mentioned, one might get the impression that peace is a-dawning. Uri Avnery dispels the fantasy
“In the Gaza Strip, from which Sharon is supposed to ‘disengage’, the Israeli army is in action every single day and night, killing from three to ten Palestinians every 24 hours. Houses are being destroyed wholesale. Some of the atrocities committed by the army have shocked the Israeli public. Not one single settler has been removed. On the contrary, new settlers have still been arriving. All this does not point to any real determination to implement the promised disengagement. Sharons actions on the West Bank, on the other hand, show a solid determination to implement his plan there. In the West Bank, the occupation has intensified.”