"Kosovo, model for Palestine?"

Kosovo model for Texas?:)

So what's the plan? To bomb Israel endlessly for a few months, apply sanctions and demonise the people? Occupy the country with NATO troops and set up fake negotiations with a predetermined outcome? Break international law and ignore the UN while allowing the Palestinians to ethnically cleans half the Israelis and burn hundreds of synagogues and houses? And in the end split world opinion and pressure/bribe countries into recognition but not resolve anything!

Sounds like a great idea! Now I am all for a Palestinian state but what some are attempting to do in Kosovo is to give the Albanians a second state and based on comments from ethnic Albanians, they want about 6 states carved out of all the neighbouring land.

Kosovo is not a good example but if these people truly believe it then they should start by recognising South Ossentia and Abkhazia. A precedent has already started.

it's worst model i ever seen. why minorities have more rights than majority with albanian 95%?? what serbs done in kosovo and they have right more than us they destroyed all kosovo and now they are before us hmmmm i don't want for palestine this model its worst model. only full independence for palestine and kosovo will gain full independence we will change flag into albanian flag with some changes from albanian flag.

Kosovo and Palestine are completely different scenarios. This should be taken into account.

Unbelievable! So much for all that 'Kosovo is sui generis, Kosovo is unique' nonsense that has been peddled - albeit half-heartedly - by so many US and EU officials. The truth is slowly emerging.

However, who'd have thought that Washington would not only bolster the argument that Kosovo is a precedent, it would actually press the case that it might actually be a useful model for state creation. This is not going to do anything to allay the concerns of countries that have been resisting recognition. My bet is that they are hoping that they might win over a few Islamic countries. As we saw with the recent watered down OIC resolution, the problem is that most Islamic states appear to value territorial integrity over religious unity. My best is that this will only serve to strengthen their concerns.

I gotta love this. Rejecting Kosovo means rejecting Palestine.
That's why sooner or later 57 Muslim nations will recognize Kosovo. You cannot support Palestine and deny Kosvoo. It's just does not work.

W/o the US nothing can get fixed in Mid East. There will be no serious attempts to create Palestine if the entire 57 OIC members do not recognize Kosovo.

Greatest move from the US State Department.

If there was a MUTUAL AGREED solution for Kosovo. Then: yes.

Now we are talking about breaking international law.

'Kosovo' actually is no solution but a problem!

Let's solve this issue under the constraints of internatinal law!

If both sides want to split I am the last person to disagree with a split!

But no breaking of international law please!

It is going to be exactly so. Actually, Palestine with its undefined status will be a model for Kosovo(not vise versa as the proposal suggests) which already is to some extent. There is no much difference, at least I can hardly see any difference in between the two. Palestine is even in far better situation when it comes to recognitions. I am almost certain that Kosovo will never achieve that number.

But let's see. We Serbs can wait. Besides, we have nothing to loose by waiting, it cost us nothing.

In a year time Kosova is recognized by 60 states. It is a member state of IMF and World Bank.

The last budget of Kosova approved by UNNIK was 1.1bn$.

The first budget of independent Kosova is about 2.2bn$

To make it clear Macedonia that is independent since 1991 and is big as Kosova approved the record budget in her history for 2009 of 2.6bn$.

Kosova is undergoing a huge reform in local admin and has approved the most advanced laws for protection of all cultures living in Kosova.

Yes, Kosova can be a model.

So let me get this straight - Israelites (in the 40's) occupied Palestine territories, Albanians (in the 40's) occupied Serbian territories.

Fast forward 50 years: Israelites are expanding and wreaking havoc on the Palestenian population.

Fast forward 50 years: Albanians are expaninng and weaking havoc on the Serbian population.

Seems to me that the unprecedented, unique, unreplicable case of Kosovo should be used as a model for Israel, not Palestine...

"Kosovo, model for Palestine?"

It just shows how desperate the Americans are for some kind of solution in the Middle East if they want a Kosovo "solution" for Palestine. Nothing has been resolved in Kosovo. The divisions are deeper and the territory will be devided. If that's what they want for Palestine then go ahead.

I gotta love this. Rejecting Kosovo means rejecting Palestine.
That's why sooner or later 57 Muslim nations will recognize Kosovo. You cannot support Palestine and deny Kosvoo. It's just does not work.

W/o the US nothing can get fixed in Mid East. There will be no serious attempts to create Palestine if the entire 57 OIC members do not recognize Kosovo.

Greatest move from the US State Department.
(David(US), 18 June 2009 14:20)

I fully agree with you David. This is a perfect plan from State Department and Arab states have no choice but to go along.

stariVujadin

Good paralel.I tried to indicate the same several times ,maybe in a less politicaly correct way because B92 censored me each time.

There is no precedent, russian bully clearly pushed s. ossetia
just to claim "precedence".

For this reason no one has recognized that entity.

The Middle East and the Balkans have no connections. Iran, Palestine, etc can care less about Kosovo and vice versa. They are not the same type of people and they will fight for Palestine NOT Kosovo!

“Kosova is undergoing a huge reform in local admin and has approved the most advanced laws for protection of all cultures living in Kosova.
Yes, Kosova can be a model.
(ben, 18 June 2009 16:19)”

Well, perhaps in that respect (although of course, even in that respect, hopefully Ben concedes the actual practice is far behind the advanced laws re protection of cultures).

But what the State Dept and others have in mind is not so much that as the fact that Kosova is a state with emasculated independence from the outset (however much that is indeed preferable to being part of Serbia, of course). Its independence is “supervised” by all kinds of foreign, essentially soft colonial bodies. If you do something naughty, the ICO can even sack your MPs. You are not allowed to have a flag of your own choice. You cannot choose to join another country of the same nationality if your choose (regardless of whether that would be a good thing or not). You must have all kinds of foreign military and security forces running around for years to come. You are not allowed to have your own army like any other state in the Balkans (funny how Kosova can’t have one while Serbia can). And even the advanced laws for minorities include the right of one minority to have direct links with Belgrade and get funding from it, although, in the circumstances of the Serb minority after all that’s happened, I don’t object to that one.

That is the US/EU model for a Palestinian state: a piece of emasculated territory with no sovereignty. In fact, since Kosova is inside Europe, it will inevitably be allowed to have a little more over time, because inside Europe is too visible. Palestine, by contrast, will only be a Bantustan, if the kind of Palestinian “state” envisaged by the US Democrats and Israeli Labour comes to be (of course the US Republicans and Likud don’t even want that).

“That's why sooner or later 57 Muslim nations will recognize Kosovo. You cannot support Palestine and deny Kosvoo. It's just does not work”

Yes.

“There will be no serious attempts to create Palestine if the entire 57 OIC members do not recognize Kosovo”

Hmm. It may be more like the other way around in fact. One of the main reasons few Muslim or Arab states have recognised Kosova yet is precisely because they do not want to give that bargaining chip away when the US has never shown any good will towards Palestine (and hopefully Obama may represent a difference). In other words, if the US is prepared to finally actually put pressure on Israel to withdraw from the illegally occupied territories and allow a Palestinian state there, then sure they’ll happily recognise Kosova. It’s a package.

“So let me get this straight - Israelites (in the 40's) occupied Palestine territories, Albanians (in the 40's) occupied Serbian territories”

Why do you repeat such sheer nonsense? The 1940s? Check your demographic facts. Albanians have always been in Kosova, and Ottoman and even Serbian records will show you that Albanians were already the great majority of the population in 1912-13 when the Serbian army took it over from the Ottomans. Serbia’s claim to Kosova is based on Dusan, 1389 and all that, to justify ruling over a territory that in modern history has an indisputable Albanian majority, just as Israel’s claim to Palestine is based on ancient legends about Solomon and all that to justify ruling over a territory that in modern times is has an indisputable Palestinian Arab majority. The difference is that where Israel succeeded in throwing 800,000 Palestinians out in 1948, Serbia did not succeed in throwing 800,000 Albanians out in 1999.

albanian, ben,

You both seem to forget that Kosovo is still a part of Serbia.

There is no mutual agreed deal, so there is no Kosovo state!

Fortunately even the US has to obey international law!

Jews have a lot more say in what happens in the US than any US President has a say as to what happens in Israel.Anybody who does not understand this is uninformed to put it mildly.Jews will NEVER AGAIN bow to the wishes of anybody on this earth be it the present American president or the Dalai Lama.Obama is a good man but Rahm Emmanuel will be dictating the US policy towards Israel behind the scenes.Israel is as powerful as any country on this planet and will decide what is good for Israel.Period.

At least Palestine has its own flag while Kosovo doesn't.
(PJD, 19 June 2009 00:56)

The Palestinian flag was copied from the flag of the Arab Revolt.

FREE PALESTINE!
FREE KOSOVO!

Zoran,
The "second state" theory is rediculous. If Palestine emerges as an independent state thnat would be the 23th Arab state. In some ways Montenegro is a second Serbian state, and if Srpska ever gains independence it would be the third.
The problem for Israel is that if it preserves control over the emtire Former British Mandate of Palestine, no matter how many Jewish immigrants it attracts, in not so long future it would end up with an Arab majority. So instead of demanding a separate Palestinian state, the Arabs may start demanding a one person one vote solution. Like in South Africa that will eventually turn even the US public opinion against Israel. So if the Jewish state is to survive it will have to let the Palestinian territories go. The problem is that there seems to be no Israli leader brave enough to give back all territories acquired after 1967.

Why do you repeat such sheer nonsense? The 1940s?
(Dim Tuc, 18 June 2009 19:35)

It is a known fact that in the late 40's there was an influx of Albanian 'refugees' trying to escape Enver's regime in search of a better life in Serbia.

----------------------------

Serbia did not succeed in throwing 800,000 Albanians out in 1999.
(Dim Tuc, 18 June 2009 19:35)

You're 100% correct - NATO has to take credit for that.

yes its too good, kosovo's no precedent. oh wait let's just have one precendent and then no more. I'm glad to see us state dept. is getting pro-serbian like this, showing how absurd and dangerous previous kosovo policy was. really but what would americans like to take from israel? the territories or galilee? well thank god israel has pro-israel government, and soon we in serbia will have pro-serbia government too.

FREE PALESTINE!
FREE KOSOVO!
(Ian, UK, 19 June 2009 12:33)

FREE PALESTINE
FREE NORTH KOSOVO
FREE REPUBLIC OF SRBSKA
FREE KURDISTAN
FREE TAMIL ILAM
FREE SCOTLAND
FREE WALES
FREE KARABAKH
FREE OSSETIA
FREE ABKHAZIA

etc, etc...

At least Palestine has its own flag while Kosovo doesn't.

Looks like the Kosovo model has already been applied to Palestine. Both provinces hanging in limbo with no UN seat and no independence.

An independent Palestine is never,believe me,NEVER going to happen.
Why?Many say:"But Netanyahu in his speech accepted such an entity under conditions""
And the word "conditions" is the BIG if,they will claim that Palestinians still support terrorists,that they are launching grenades into Israeli territory etc. and prolong this process for indefinite time while continuing to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Why did he do this?
He doesn`t want to appear as a hardliner so he chose a charm offense to impress the Americans and gather their support for a possible strike on Iran.
And second,he wants to wait the Obama administration out hoping it will be ousted in 2012.Then the idea of a Palestinian state will be brushed off the table with a new Republican president in power.

Nonsense, Kosovo is a unique case and has nothing to do with Palestina and any other case.

The difference is that where Israel succeeded in throwing 800,000 Palestinians out in 1948, Serbia did not succeed in throwing 800,000 Albanians out in 1999.
(Dim Tuc, 18 June 2009 19:35)

another difference is that israel expelled those arabs as soon as it was created while it took serbia 87 years and nato starting a bombing campaign against it to try to throw out albanians out of kosovo. another difference is that israel did colonise palestine and continues to do it, while serbia did not create new settlements in kosovo (where serbs used to live next to albanians all the time as a minority). it's simply not the same situation. but then israel is a useful tool for "soft" (or perhaps not so soft) colonialism in the middle east, while serbia is a major obstacle for the same thing in the balkans.

let's not pretend that certain countries are going into these places with altruistic intentions. otherwise you are right about what is being offered to palestinians, but that's nothing new and i don't expect it to work.

D Popovic,

Indeed! I remember reading governer of Texas saying, just after the economic colapse, that Texas, being one of the riches states, should take this opportunity and become a country once and for all. The 'Lone Star' state has always mentained that it is a separate country, and I don't doubt it will eventually be that once again.

I knew it was only a matter of time before Kosovo was somehow tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...shameful.

The arab world understands that no matter what, without the US nothing can move forwards.

Arab leaders are moving ahead to recognize Kosovo because there is no chance in hell for to create an indepedent state of Palestine w/o recognizing Kosovo first.

You serbs keep bragging about things but forget that the Albanians are the most powerful and organized community in the US politics after Jews.

"You serbs keep bragging about things but forget that the Albanians are the most powerful and organized community in the US politics after Jews."

I have lived in the US for 12 years. I disagree with the above. Albanians in the US are nowhere near as organized as the Jewish community, not even close. Albanians are numerous in the US, some have been here many generations, some have waspy last names from Ellis Island, some are well established in business and government. Organized and monolithic they are not however. Nothing like AIPAC.

"You serbs keep bragging about things but forget that the Albanians are the most powerful and organized community in the US politics after Jews.
(genti, 20 June 2009 10:09) "

who´s bragging here, actually? =)

by the way, it is a historic fact that the Albanians have always sided with the losers.

you don´t seem to have a lucky hand in chosing your allies...

but I am fine with that too...

back to the article:
there will be no connection of southern Serbia and Palestine, since all that fuss about "sui generis" (which is nonsense anyway ) would crumble to pieces and the main supporters would get into severe difficulties in regard to their own weird legtimation of their also-weird foreign-policy.

so, at the end of the day, let´s just see what future brings...

I am quite confident.

it's worst model i ever seen. why minorities have more rights than majority with albanian 95%?? what serbs done in kosovo and they have right more than us they destroyed all kosovo and now they are before us hmmmm i don't want for palestine this model its worst model. only full independence for palestine and kosovo will gain full independence we will change flag into albanian flag with some changes from albanian flag.

So what's the plan? To bomb Israel endlessly for a few months, apply sanctions and demonise the people? Occupy the country with NATO troops and set up fake negotiations with a predetermined outcome? Break international law and ignore the UN while allowing the Palestinians to ethnically cleans half the Israelis and burn hundreds of synagogues and houses? And in the end split world opinion and pressure/bribe countries into recognition but not resolve anything!

Sounds like a great idea! Now I am all for a Palestinian state but what some are attempting to do in Kosovo is to give the Albanians a second state and based on comments from ethnic Albanians, they want about 6 states carved out of all the neighbouring land.

Kosovo is not a good example but if these people truly believe it then they should start by recognising South Ossentia and Abkhazia. A precedent has already started.

Kosovo model for Texas?:)

In a year time Kosova is recognized by 60 states. It is a member state of IMF and World Bank.

The last budget of Kosova approved by UNNIK was 1.1bn$.

The first budget of independent Kosova is about 2.2bn$

To make it clear Macedonia that is independent since 1991 and is big as Kosova approved the record budget in her history for 2009 of 2.6bn$.

Kosova is undergoing a huge reform in local admin and has approved the most advanced laws for protection of all cultures living in Kosova.

Yes, Kosova can be a model.

I gotta love this. Rejecting Kosovo means rejecting Palestine.
That's why sooner or later 57 Muslim nations will recognize Kosovo. You cannot support Palestine and deny Kosvoo. It's just does not work.

W/o the US nothing can get fixed in Mid East. There will be no serious attempts to create Palestine if the entire 57 OIC members do not recognize Kosovo.

Greatest move from the US State Department.
(David(US), 18 June 2009 14:20)

I fully agree with you David. This is a perfect plan from State Department and Arab states have no choice but to go along.

There is no precedent, russian bully clearly pushed s. ossetia
just to claim "precedence".

For this reason no one has recognized that entity.

If there was a MUTUAL AGREED solution for Kosovo. Then: yes.

Now we are talking about breaking international law.

'Kosovo' actually is no solution but a problem!

Let's solve this issue under the constraints of internatinal law!

If both sides want to split I am the last person to disagree with a split!

But no breaking of international law please!

I gotta love this. Rejecting Kosovo means rejecting Palestine.
That's why sooner or later 57 Muslim nations will recognize Kosovo. You cannot support Palestine and deny Kosvoo. It's just does not work.

W/o the US nothing can get fixed in Mid East. There will be no serious attempts to create Palestine if the entire 57 OIC members do not recognize Kosovo.

Greatest move from the US State Department.

It is going to be exactly so. Actually, Palestine with its undefined status will be a model for Kosovo(not vise versa as the proposal suggests) which already is to some extent. There is no much difference, at least I can hardly see any difference in between the two. Palestine is even in far better situation when it comes to recognitions. I am almost certain that Kosovo will never achieve that number.

But let's see. We Serbs can wait. Besides, we have nothing to loose by waiting, it cost us nothing.

So let me get this straight - Israelites (in the 40's) occupied Palestine territories, Albanians (in the 40's) occupied Serbian territories.

Fast forward 50 years: Israelites are expanding and wreaking havoc on the Palestenian population.

Fast forward 50 years: Albanians are expaninng and weaking havoc on the Serbian population.

Seems to me that the unprecedented, unique, unreplicable case of Kosovo should be used as a model for Israel, not Palestine...

Unbelievable! So much for all that 'Kosovo is sui generis, Kosovo is unique' nonsense that has been peddled - albeit half-heartedly - by so many US and EU officials. The truth is slowly emerging.

However, who'd have thought that Washington would not only bolster the argument that Kosovo is a precedent, it would actually press the case that it might actually be a useful model for state creation. This is not going to do anything to allay the concerns of countries that have been resisting recognition. My bet is that they are hoping that they might win over a few Islamic countries. As we saw with the recent watered down OIC resolution, the problem is that most Islamic states appear to value territorial integrity over religious unity. My best is that this will only serve to strengthen their concerns.

albanian, ben,

You both seem to forget that Kosovo is still a part of Serbia.

There is no mutual agreed deal, so there is no Kosovo state!

Fortunately even the US has to obey international law!

“Kosova is undergoing a huge reform in local admin and has approved the most advanced laws for protection of all cultures living in Kosova.
Yes, Kosova can be a model.
(ben, 18 June 2009 16:19)”

Well, perhaps in that respect (although of course, even in that respect, hopefully Ben concedes the actual practice is far behind the advanced laws re protection of cultures).

But what the State Dept and others have in mind is not so much that as the fact that Kosova is a state with emasculated independence from the outset (however much that is indeed preferable to being part of Serbia, of course). Its independence is “supervised” by all kinds of foreign, essentially soft colonial bodies. If you do something naughty, the ICO can even sack your MPs. You are not allowed to have a flag of your own choice. You cannot choose to join another country of the same nationality if your choose (regardless of whether that would be a good thing or not). You must have all kinds of foreign military and security forces running around for years to come. You are not allowed to have your own army like any other state in the Balkans (funny how Kosova can’t have one while Serbia can). And even the advanced laws for minorities include the right of one minority to have direct links with Belgrade and get funding from it, although, in the circumstances of the Serb minority after all that’s happened, I don’t object to that one.

That is the US/EU model for a Palestinian state: a piece of emasculated territory with no sovereignty. In fact, since Kosova is inside Europe, it will inevitably be allowed to have a little more over time, because inside Europe is too visible. Palestine, by contrast, will only be a Bantustan, if the kind of Palestinian “state” envisaged by the US Democrats and Israeli Labour comes to be (of course the US Republicans and Likud don’t even want that).

“That's why sooner or later 57 Muslim nations will recognize Kosovo. You cannot support Palestine and deny Kosvoo. It's just does not work”

Yes.

“There will be no serious attempts to create Palestine if the entire 57 OIC members do not recognize Kosovo”

Hmm. It may be more like the other way around in fact. One of the main reasons few Muslim or Arab states have recognised Kosova yet is precisely because they do not want to give that bargaining chip away when the US has never shown any good will towards Palestine (and hopefully Obama may represent a difference). In other words, if the US is prepared to finally actually put pressure on Israel to withdraw from the illegally occupied territories and allow a Palestinian state there, then sure they’ll happily recognise Kosova. It’s a package.

“So let me get this straight - Israelites (in the 40's) occupied Palestine territories, Albanians (in the 40's) occupied Serbian territories”

Why do you repeat such sheer nonsense? The 1940s? Check your demographic facts. Albanians have always been in Kosova, and Ottoman and even Serbian records will show you that Albanians were already the great majority of the population in 1912-13 when the Serbian army took it over from the Ottomans. Serbia’s claim to Kosova is based on Dusan, 1389 and all that, to justify ruling over a territory that in modern history has an indisputable Albanian majority, just as Israel’s claim to Palestine is based on ancient legends about Solomon and all that to justify ruling over a territory that in modern times is has an indisputable Palestinian Arab majority. The difference is that where Israel succeeded in throwing 800,000 Palestinians out in 1948, Serbia did not succeed in throwing 800,000 Albanians out in 1999.

"Kosovo, model for Palestine?"

It just shows how desperate the Americans are for some kind of solution in the Middle East if they want a Kosovo "solution" for Palestine. Nothing has been resolved in Kosovo. The divisions are deeper and the territory will be devided. If that's what they want for Palestine then go ahead.

At least Palestine has its own flag while Kosovo doesn't.

Kosovo and Palestine are completely different scenarios. This should be taken into account.

Why do you repeat such sheer nonsense? The 1940s?
(Dim Tuc, 18 June 2009 19:35)

It is a known fact that in the late 40's there was an influx of Albanian 'refugees' trying to escape Enver's regime in search of a better life in Serbia.

----------------------------

Serbia did not succeed in throwing 800,000 Albanians out in 1999.
(Dim Tuc, 18 June 2009 19:35)

You're 100% correct - NATO has to take credit for that.

FREE PALESTINE!
FREE KOSOVO!
(Ian, UK, 19 June 2009 12:33)

FREE PALESTINE
FREE NORTH KOSOVO
FREE REPUBLIC OF SRBSKA
FREE KURDISTAN
FREE TAMIL ILAM
FREE SCOTLAND
FREE WALES
FREE KARABAKH
FREE OSSETIA
FREE ABKHAZIA

etc, etc...

stariVujadin

Good paralel.I tried to indicate the same several times ,maybe in a less politicaly correct way because B92 censored me each time.

An independent Palestine is never,believe me,NEVER going to happen.
Why?Many say:"But Netanyahu in his speech accepted such an entity under conditions""
And the word "conditions" is the BIG if,they will claim that Palestinians still support terrorists,that they are launching grenades into Israeli territory etc. and prolong this process for indefinite time while continuing to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Why did he do this?
He doesn`t want to appear as a hardliner so he chose a charm offense to impress the Americans and gather their support for a possible strike on Iran.
And second,he wants to wait the Obama administration out hoping it will be ousted in 2012.Then the idea of a Palestinian state will be brushed off the table with a new Republican president in power.

The difference is that where Israel succeeded in throwing 800,000 Palestinians out in 1948, Serbia did not succeed in throwing 800,000 Albanians out in 1999.
(Dim Tuc, 18 June 2009 19:35)

another difference is that israel expelled those arabs as soon as it was created while it took serbia 87 years and nato starting a bombing campaign against it to try to throw out albanians out of kosovo. another difference is that israel did colonise palestine and continues to do it, while serbia did not create new settlements in kosovo (where serbs used to live next to albanians all the time as a minority). it's simply not the same situation. but then israel is a useful tool for "soft" (or perhaps not so soft) colonialism in the middle east, while serbia is a major obstacle for the same thing in the balkans.

let's not pretend that certain countries are going into these places with altruistic intentions. otherwise you are right about what is being offered to palestinians, but that's nothing new and i don't expect it to work.

The Middle East and the Balkans have no connections. Iran, Palestine, etc can care less about Kosovo and vice versa. They are not the same type of people and they will fight for Palestine NOT Kosovo!

yes its too good, kosovo's no precedent. oh wait let's just have one precendent and then no more. I'm glad to see us state dept. is getting pro-serbian like this, showing how absurd and dangerous previous kosovo policy was. really but what would americans like to take from israel? the territories or galilee? well thank god israel has pro-israel government, and soon we in serbia will have pro-serbia government too.

Looks like the Kosovo model has already been applied to Palestine. Both provinces hanging in limbo with no UN seat and no independence.

Nonsense, Kosovo is a unique case and has nothing to do with Palestina and any other case.

Jews have a lot more say in what happens in the US than any US President has a say as to what happens in Israel.Anybody who does not understand this is uninformed to put it mildly.Jews will NEVER AGAIN bow to the wishes of anybody on this earth be it the present American president or the Dalai Lama.Obama is a good man but Rahm Emmanuel will be dictating the US policy towards Israel behind the scenes.Israel is as powerful as any country on this planet and will decide what is good for Israel.Period.

At least Palestine has its own flag while Kosovo doesn't.
(PJD, 19 June 2009 00:56)

The Palestinian flag was copied from the flag of the Arab Revolt.

FREE PALESTINE!
FREE KOSOVO!

I knew it was only a matter of time before Kosovo was somehow tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...shameful.

D Popovic,

Indeed! I remember reading governer of Texas saying, just after the economic colapse, that Texas, being one of the riches states, should take this opportunity and become a country once and for all. The 'Lone Star' state has always mentained that it is a separate country, and I don't doubt it will eventually be that once again.

Zoran,
The "second state" theory is rediculous. If Palestine emerges as an independent state thnat would be the 23th Arab state. In some ways Montenegro is a second Serbian state, and if Srpska ever gains independence it would be the third.
The problem for Israel is that if it preserves control over the emtire Former British Mandate of Palestine, no matter how many Jewish immigrants it attracts, in not so long future it would end up with an Arab majority. So instead of demanding a separate Palestinian state, the Arabs may start demanding a one person one vote solution. Like in South Africa that will eventually turn even the US public opinion against Israel. So if the Jewish state is to survive it will have to let the Palestinian territories go. The problem is that there seems to be no Israli leader brave enough to give back all territories acquired after 1967.

"You serbs keep bragging about things but forget that the Albanians are the most powerful and organized community in the US politics after Jews.
(genti, 20 June 2009 10:09) "

who´s bragging here, actually? =)

by the way, it is a historic fact that the Albanians have always sided with the losers.

you don´t seem to have a lucky hand in chosing your allies...

but I am fine with that too...

back to the article:
there will be no connection of southern Serbia and Palestine, since all that fuss about "sui generis" (which is nonsense anyway ) would crumble to pieces and the main supporters would get into severe difficulties in regard to their own weird legtimation of their also-weird foreign-policy.

so, at the end of the day, let´s just see what future brings...

I am quite confident.

The arab world understands that no matter what, without the US nothing can move forwards.

Arab leaders are moving ahead to recognize Kosovo because there is no chance in hell for to create an indepedent state of Palestine w/o recognizing Kosovo first.

You serbs keep bragging about things but forget that the Albanians are the most powerful and organized community in the US politics after Jews.

"You serbs keep bragging about things but forget that the Albanians are the most powerful and organized community in the US politics after Jews."

I have lived in the US for 12 years. I disagree with the above. Albanians in the US are nowhere near as organized as the Jewish community, not even close. Albanians are numerous in the US, some have been here many generations, some have waspy last names from Ellis Island, some are well established in business and government. Organized and monolithic they are not however. Nothing like AIPAC.