The Israelis have expressed a willingness to abandon settlements and give up occupied territory if, and this is a huge if, peace and security are assured. If the Palestinian Authority could truly be trusted to prevent terrorist attacks on Israelis, they in turn could be persuaded to give up settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. After all, the Jewish religious extremists settling in the territories are a small minority in a mostly secular state, and the government can rein them in if the pay-off in enhanced security is worth it.

But recall that even before Israel had any settlements at all, in the pre-1967 days, Israel was still under near constant attack by Arabs bent on destroying Israel and driving the 'evil Jews' out of the Mid-East. Attitudes among most of Israel's neighbors have changed less since then than some would have you believe.

However unjust Israel's settlement policy may be, given all the massive crimes against humanity committed in so many other places in this world, does it really deserve the #1 billing as the most intolerant act of discrimination the UN should address in conference? That's a ridiculous notion, one only brought forward by the pure hatred of both the Jewish people and the Israeli state practiced by so many of the attending nations and NGO's.