About a month ago, we were driving on highway 60 in Jerusalem towards Pisgat Ze’ev, and we saw in the other direction that there were absolutely no cars coming from the other direction. I said to Adina that it is probably a חפץ חשוד (suspicious object - a suitcase or bag that might be a bomb was found, and they shut down the road until they can safely blow up the suspicious object). Then from the other direction (coming from the direction of Ramallah) four motorcycles come, followed by a bunch of very large armored SUVs, some limousines, more motorcycles and cars. So I said, “Look’s like it is Olmert or Rice coming back from talking with Abbas in Ramallah” to which Adina responded, “so I guess it really was a חפץ חשוד”.

A few days later we were on King David street in Yerushalayim, between the King David hotel and the David Citadel (Condoleeza’s favorite hangout spot) and the police stopped traffic for 10 minutes. I said “I bet it is Condoleeza again”. A few minutes later, a few police motorcycles led four armored SUVs away from the hotel. And when I checked the Internet later that night, it turned out the Condoleeza had been visiting once again.

Now she is back, trying to push a peace plan that nobody wants and that doesn’t stand a chance at succeeding win a Nobel Peace prize. According to the AP article that I read yesterday “During her four-day visit, [Rice] will bounce between Israel and the West Bank, seeking a consensus”. Although this sentence could conjure up images of Condoleeza on a pogo stick, bouncing her way up Route 60 into Ramallah, what it really means for those in the area is that she will leave her floor at the David Citadel (yes, she gets a whole floor at the nicest hotel every time she shows up), get into her limousine, and ride 15 minutes past the Old City and up Route 60 into Ramallah, escorted by the army, police and the Secret Service.

My wife left a few minutes to go to the supermarket. When she got to Route 60 (many miles away from any section of the road that would be touched by Rice’s motorcade), the army blocked all traffic from proceeding, since Rice’s motorcade would be passing within a few miles. Not only that, but she was told that Rice would be leaving Ramallah again at 2:45 today and that the roads would be shut down once more.

So on to my request: Condoleeza Rice, please leave and do not come back. Everyone here laughs at you and your ideas of the peaceful Palestinians with whom you would deign to make peace deals, and at your conceptions of “Road Maps” and “Confidence Building Measures”. All that your diplomacy will lead to is more blood shed (God forbid). The only thing that I can say for sure about your presence it that whenever you show up, I get caught in traffic (and I don’t like traffic). So please do us all a favor and go home.