Hear Ye, Hear Ye....Preparing for the New McPalestine!

Peace talks by proximity?

By Sherine Tadros
Al-Jazeera

"....George Mitchell, the US envoy, will shuttle between Ramallah and West Jerusalem (and back again), talking to the two sides separately for one week every month. The Palestinians and Israelis will be invited to the US for talks and be in constant contact (not with each other of course, but with the Americans).

The problem is, that’s exactly what Mitchell has been doing for over a year.

US-style re-branding

But the point of these talks may be less grandiose than achieving Middle East peace – the US administration’s aim may be simply to add some momentum to a process currently in regression.

It’s classic American re-branding. If people stop buying the McChicken Burger because it’s become stale and boring, you call it a Chicken Surprise, market it and it will start selling again. It’s still two buns, chicken breast and lettuce in the middle, but it has a different wrapper - and that’s what counts......"