I hadn't really paid much attention to them, mainly because I have been trying to focus on things other than the 2008 election, which is already drowning out far more important issues.
But after reading Giuliani's essay in the latest Foreign Affairs, I now understand just how dangerous he could be as President. Here one can really see the former Mayor's strategy: he is nothing short of the arch-neoconservative of the Republican field. No wonder he chose Normam Podhoretz to run his campaign. Without even getting into his talk of using nuclear weapons against Iran, let us consider his views on the Israel/Palestine issue. He goes so far as to oppose the creation of a Palestinian state, a view that is so radical that it makes George W. Bush's foreign policy seem moderate by comparison.
Too much emphasis has been placed on brokering negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians -- negotiations that bring up the same issues again and again. It is not in the interest of the United States, at a time when it is being threatened by Islamist terrorists, to assist the creation of another state that will support terrorism. Palestinian statehood will have to be earned through sustained good governance, a clear commitment to fighting terrorism, and a willingness to live in peace with Israel. America's commitment to Israel's security is a permanent feature of our foreign policy.
