It is a nice idea but one has only to look at the difference between Gush Katif and Amona to understand the difference between Sharon's approach and Olmert's "head busting" personality. The physical tearing apart of the country is nothing compared to what Olmert will do the country spiritually.

Yes, the country has made a clear decision. Unfortunately, it is the wrong one so expect hundreds more to die.

1. Where is the money going to come from for all this. I'll tell you where it's not coming from, Washington or American Jewry. Second, If you remove 100,00 plus Jews how is the army going to hang together. Its my understanding that religous soldiers are now the backbone of the combat units. It was one thing to get out of Gaza, everybody could see that it was a bridge too far and Philistine territory besides. This is going to require total mobilization. Next, if the settlements are destroyed does the army leave also. And if the army leaves will not Hamas and Iran have the ability to operate unencumbered on the high ground overlooking the coast. And if you give up all claim to the land and go behind the fence how can the army stay. What happens when the state of Palestine is declared, recognized by the world and the UN and signs a mutual defense treaty with Iran. Not to mention Hezbollah to the north. This was a vote for socialism, skyrocketing government spending and military retreat.

If you live in Jersusalem or Tel Aviv or in the Yesha lands, you are all settlers. The citizens that lived in the Gush and Amona were no less of a citizen than you living in Tel Aviv. Because the area is more populated than the other lands, does that give the citizen a higher status? NO, IF YOUR AN ISRAELI YOU ARE A SETTLER. One and all, and for Israel to last in the future, we have to stick together. The ones that teach their children to explode or that Jews drink the blood of the arab children, are the enemies, we will NEVER have peace. Peace with an enemy is only an illusion, only short term, in the end, one side wins all, and Israel will be the victor if we stand united against the enemy.

As much as I would appreciate having our "state media" refrain from provoking psychopaths like Mr.SS from threatening to "eliminate me" I have no intention of being a tool in fighting against the Hareidim, Shas or Israeli Arabs. And of course I take issue with those who claim that the 28/120 of the 0.6 of the population is the majority. Most majorities are greater than 51% in the mathematics I was taught. So the author is both mathematically and morally challenged.

As a person of the left, I agree that the national religious camp has much to contribute and with their triumphalism and haughtiness now in submission (a big if) they are a true partner in creating a tolerant, compassionate and yes even peaceful Israel. Let them make a true second aliyah and rejoin the consensus!

While some Israelis felt comfortable enough not to vote at all, for the settlers the stakes could not be any higher. Their very own homes and farms are threatened. These settlers went door to door, made phone calls, demonstrations, newspaper ads, billboards... and still failed to persuade the general public to vote Right Wing. Instead of withdrawing, let the settlers defend themselves.

First of all let me state emphatically there is no mandate in spite of your false mathematics. May I remind you Kadimah got only 28 seats not the 32 not the 36 not the 38 not the 40 and not the 42 that these so called polls predicted. Historically proven when the largest party attempts to rule with coalitions with less then 40 seats they are an unstable Government and may last 18 months at the very most. Check out Barak's Gov. And if you include Liebermans party in the equation your not considering theyre formula of 'exchange of populace and cities' they propose giving arab towns in the triangle in exchange for settlements. Labour neither half of Kadimah would accept that formula let alone Meretz. So the maths of Kad 28 + Lab 20 + Mer 4 = 52. Now if you want to include the 10 of Hamas sympathisers (arab parties) you may have 62 but that hardly constitutes a mandate from those who wish to preserve a Jewish State, which is still the voice of the people. Oh you can always obtain 6 from UTJ for the right price from the renowned political whores of government. But that still wont give you a Jewish majority. Bottom line there is no mandate. If Kadimah got say 42 then perhaps you may claim there is a mandate. So not only there is no mandate but whatever Gov is formed wont last the distance let alone Judea Samaria surrender happening.

It's great that a leftist voices concern about the fate of Israelis expelled from their homes in Yesha. It's crazy, though, that he should advocate more expulsions and still talk about building bridges to Orange Israel. I look forward to the day when Feiglin becomes PM. Lucky for the leftists that he will treat them much better than they deserve. He doesn't quote Shakespeare, but he might (from memory): Polonius: I will treat them after their deserts. Hamlet: God's bodikins, much better. Treat them after your own honor and dignity. The less they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty. Bring them in.

The only reason Olmert won was because of economic reasons not because of a mandate. There was no border that was preposed. You blame and vilify the settlers yet it was the labor goverment that put them there. You say talk with the settlers. OK but not about the economics of withdrawal but what are the settlement red lines for any unilateral withdrawal. Anything less than that could cause a Civil War

I'm Israeli and I'm not a settler. I don't live on disputed land. I live in Talpiot Mizrah; armon hanatziv neighborhood to be exact.

If 28 seats is a mandate what would the writer consider 44 seats that kadima was suppose to get? Labor,shas and the pensioner's parties were socio economic issues primarily. Tip; If you want to write an opinion article that is your right. if you want to be taken seriously, think before you write.

I suggest you review 4th grade math - 28 out of 120 is not a clear mandate, nor is 48 - so just because you want Olmert to succeed in this national suicide does not mean that he has a mandate. Moreover, he has no money and no plans for the people he will boot out of their homes -considering how poorly the people of Gush Katif were cared for - the next expulsion will leave more people in worse shape - people start packing - this is the beginning of the end!!

no dont worry its not the beginning of the end unless you refer to the beginning of the end of the ruling elites and their bolshevik ways. As always things have to get alot worse before they get better. Israel will face its biggest threats and wars soon enough to make clear once and for all that all the lies and brainwashing fed on israel people are all lies from lowlife opportunists. When the people of Israel will collectively pay a heavy price for following all these evil ibeciles their attitudes will finally change and see that Israel has to function differently if she is to survive. and all those that mislead Israel for so many years will finally be hunted down one by one and dragged before a peoples court made accountable for all theyre treachary. That cant happen until citizens face slaughter and extinction and that is the times we are now entering, ironically it is for own good. The next 1-5 yrs will be the worst Israel has ever experienced and its aftermath will forge a new nation with all the correct values. Pray you survive it by opening your eyes and realise the truths we all live in. #13, talpiot mizrach as well as armon hanatziv are on lands that were liberated in '67, dont you know where the borders were? So yes you are a settler as well as those living in Ramat Aviv even if they dont realise it. However we are all settlers justfiably living on our own land but settlers nevertheless. So dont dirty the word settler for you dirty all including yourself.

First of all don't call me dirty in any way shape or form! I'm not a settler and I have not dirty the word settler. and I wholeheartly still disagree with you. I am very aware of my neighborhoods history. The word settler makes me feel like the land does'nt belong to us. So that's why I don't want to be called a settler; the land is our and that's it.

mandate? who knows? power -yes! with the pensioners on the inside of a government and the parties representing the Arab CITIZENS of Israel on the outside the government has the political clout (68 votes) to pursue its stated political agenda -- negotiations first, unilateralism if all else fails. In addition, the NU-NRP would be well served joining an informal social coalition in the knesset with Labor/Shas/pensioners/meretz/Arabs. After all the Torah doesn't differentiate between the mitzvot of settling the land and those pertaining to social justice. Indeed the neviim (prophets) more than hint that those who deny the old, the orphans and the poor lose their legitimacy on the land.

THE SELF DESTRUCT DOUBLE STANDARD by Yoram Ettinger, January 20, 2006 Illegal Arab construction has become a norm, led by the Palestinian Authority (many PA officials reside in illegal homes), bankrolled by Saudi petrodollars and observed by the wide-closed eyes of Israel. Illegal construction has become an effective means to challenge Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem, to undermine major infrastructure and housing projects in the Negev and Galilee, to limit the freedom/security of Jewish movement along major transportation arteries, to facilitate terrorism and to exacerbate crime. Over 1,000 illegal houses are built annually – by Jerusalem Arabs – since 1997. Only 30-40 are demolished by the authorities. About 10,000 illegal houses are built, annually, by "Green Line" Arabs in the Galilee, Negev, "Triangle", Lod and Ramleh. About 100 are demolished. Since 1967, there has been more Arab residential (largely illegal) construction in Jerusalem than Jewish construction in the capital of the Jewish State. But, Israel is enforcing the law in an iron-fist manner when it comes to a few scores of Jewish houses throughout Judea & Samaria and Hebron (built on a Jewish-registered property, which was ravaged by Arabs in 1929). Legal and governance impotence have characterized Israel's battle against illegal Arab construction, which threatens Israel's sovereignty and the rule of law in Jerusalem and all over the country. Palestinian documents, found at the PLO's "Orient House", highlight illegal construction as a key instrument in the campaign to erode the Jewish character of Jerusalem. According to the documents, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has enticed illegal construction in Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods of Shoafat, Beit Haninah and A-Zaim, in order to prevent continuity between the Jewish neighborhoods of French Hill and Pisgat Ze'ev, and to avert the unification of Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adoumim. Illegal construction is raging along Highway 443, the critical road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, with the aim to transform it into an Arab road, threatening the security of Jewish transportation. While a 1999 Palestinian document anticipated that Israel was determined "to demolish 400-500 illegal houses in Beit Haninah and Shoafat", a 2000 document notified the PA that "no need to worry", since Israel would only demolish a few houses, and illegal construction could proceed with full speed ahead. For instance, illegal construction in the Jerusalem Arab neighborhood of Silwan has been a platform for intensified terrorism and felony. Forging real estate titles has proliferated in the Arab sector, robbing state-owned land as well as privately owned Arab land, fueling extortion, protection, gang-wars and the importation of illegal Arab residents from Hebron and other towns to Jerusalem – a fertile ground for terrorism.

Is ignorance a requirement to write for YNET?

Try 29 (Kadima) + 20 (Labor) + 7 (Pensioners) + 5 ( Meretz) = 61 Now thats more than half (without the Arabs)and thats what I call a mandate.... Your settlements are a thing of the past. I suggest you come to terms with the new reality--- Most of Israel opposes new settlements over the green line.... I know its hard to accept but thats life. Have a good one

There certainly was a mandate, but it wasn't given to Kadima. More voters voted for increased social welfare than for Kadima's diplomatic plan, and every zionist party Kadima could form a coalition with - incuiding labor and meretz - are opposed to unilateral moves. In other words, touting Kadima's narrow win that amounts to 23% of the vote as a mandate for its diplomatic plan is pure spin. Sure, the Arabs will back them, but in the end, that's still in the mid 30th percentile. Without forcing other parties into diplomatic concessions (far from a garuntee) Kadima can't muster anywhere near the votes they need for their plan. They might succeed, but calling it a mandate would be the worst sort of intellectual dishonesty.

Read Joel Chapter 3 It is not our land to "divide". God has given it to the Jewish people. Who do we think we are to divide His inheritance.

In 1948, Egypt invaded Gaza, ethnically cleansing ALL Jews. In 1948, Jordan invaded Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem, ethnically cleansing ALL Jews. Jordan destroyed 58 synagogues in Jerusalem. The Jewish land, homes, properties & businesses stolen from the Jews in the 1948 Islamic invasion must never be forgotten. The return to Jewish ownership of these stolen assets MUST be an urgent human rights issue brought up constantly in homes, schools, social activities, cultural events and synagogues.