this analysis is wrong simply because it's based on wrong assumptions: You never tried to live peacefully with the palestinians never ever. your objective is to have the land clean from arabs and that what u are trying to do since 100 years don't talk to me about women rights, democracy, love songs and those silly arguments because u know that there are jews who hate women rights and homosexuals than any muslim extremist in the world. by the way do u dare to drive your car in the streets of Tel Aviv with in the Shabbat Ridiculous,very Ridiculous, Look at the post in here body and u will know why u can't live in PEACE with the palestinians 1, 12,13,14,15,18,20 (I wish Miss Linda Rivera to have some comments also).

Ultra-Orthodox Jews who have similar beliefs may naturally retain them - as long as do not breach the law. When and if they breach the law they are treated accordingly. Have you ever heard of Ultra-Orthodox Jews blowing themselves in the midst of Israeli crowds? So I do not understand your joke though you have written HA! three times...What was your punch line?

As a Texan, I must clarify that the US didn't take any Texas land from Mexico, but rather Texas fought and won its own independence from Mexico and later joined the US. This April 21st is San Jacinto Day, remembering when Santa Ana surrendered to Sam Houston and Texas won its independence.

Your revisionist version of history is astoundingly flawed.

What has the Muslim Arabs done to deserve one inch of Judea/Samaria? What cultivation to mankind have they lately produced or contributed to, other than terror and mayhem? "The cities are the cities of the dead. The tombs tread the country. Inhabitants are scattered here and there to individual hundreds, but all the same surrounded by thousands of memorials, that testifies about past centuries numerous population and about the present unfertile. From millions has Syria’s inhabitants diminished to thousands and from thousands to hundreds and in some spots is merely some families left. If one walks to the inner part of the land, the ramblers dejected eyes is captivated by large plains that are cowered by one of the most fair flowers, the ground is in the hidden fertile, with hundreds of rich harvest, but there is no one that sows, no one that reaps, and on all sides the eye is meet by rocks and rubble from castles, palaces and old cities. Raptors hovers in silent attention over these deserted remains, wild predators camps by the ruins of a grand people. Jackals (a kind of fox) and wild dogs shrieks from the deeps of the ancient vaults and destroyed abodes. Now and then fly a couple of wild Arabs by on their horses over the plains or one catch sight of some of the despaired rural people empowerless in misery, a couple of old men and women, that with pitiful slowness collects the sparse crop of a poor harvest, where the men and youths has with force been driven away to serve as soldiers in slavery beneath cruel masters in Egypt or Turkey. The whole land seems to go to waste to Arabic robbing people and there innumerous moving tribes. Human life is unsafe and without protection; no one that sow, knows who will harvest his crop. And when it is harvested, one has arms by the side (or in the other hand, as mentioned before) and hurries with the work in such a haste, like one had stole the vintage from someone else’s properties. They must pay attention on every distant large cloud, fearing to see from there a robbing gangs glimmering gun or spear. Houses are with violence pillaged, and robbers make them for a while to their own domicile. This land, however where it is resided in the heart of the worlds best surroundings, by the end of the most famous sea, with ports that in old days controlled the most profitable trade between the east and the west. This land is now hardly inhabited, and on its plains and mountains the people lead a life full of feverish anxiety, without safety and protection." Palestine or the holy land, Folkvännen, (30 April, 1862) “Four years later, it was reported that ‘depopulation is even now advancing.’ And four years after that [1857], it was noted that in certain parts of the country ‘land is going out of cultivation and whole villages are rapidly disappearing … and the stationary population extirpated.’ Other historians, demographers, and travelers described the Arab population as ‘decreasing,’ and the land as ‘thinly populated,’ ‘unoccupied,’ and ‘almost abandoned now.’ The plain of Sharon, which the Jews of the first Aliyah later cultivated, was described by Reverend Samuel Manning in 1874 as a ’land without inhabitants’ that ‘might support immense population.’” Alan Dershowitz, The case for Israel, Did European Jews displace Palestinians? p27 (Wiley 2003) Whole translattions and references of scandinavian letters from travelers at my blog.

If you would invest more time and effort to build a just and lasting peace, you will not need such a miserable structure to hide behind. And just to remind you, if walls didn’t work 1000 years ago, do you think they will today? Stop constructing this monument to exemplify the racist aphartied Israel and tear down the Wall. Love, peace and coexistence.

FROM ARAB LANDS WHO WERE THROWN OUT. YOU ARE A HYPOCRITICAL MORON, THERE IS NO "OCCUPATION"; EXCEPT THAT OF ARABS OCCUPYING A JEWISH HOMELAND, JUDAISM WAS AROUND WAY BEFORE MUSLI MS CONQUERED THE MIDDLE EAST AND IT WILL BE THERE LONG AFTER!!!!!

before 1967 which is not far from today ,as a palastinian we have the same culture and realy we knew that the israili has a different one ,,but we have an easy life a safe life we were on our lands and the refugees from 1948 were between us the same culture but had no fields no houses the UN helped them as well as other palastinians help them ..the refugee in other arab country has the same culture but not the same security becouse they were not on their land they had restrected movement had no nationality can not buy a home or a shop can not be in goverment jobs ,had no election or mek in the parlament but there is not terror not becouse the same culture but becouse the palastinians know that they were not on their lands and asking with all the arabs of their lands and rights ...becouse of that the 1967 war arised and we all knew that the israili started it so it was for israil security not to change the palastinians culture ,,and after that it was the ocupation yes stillnow IT IS THE OCUPPATION and the fear is not from palastinian culture but that the palastinians seeking their rights ,,,these settelment is not to change palastinian culture nor for the security of israil it is for israil ediology it is on palastinian lands it is stealing of palastinians lands it is indivedual lands it is my land and my brother one it is stealing the one freedom we had no parlaman or men from us in israil keneset no one defened our rights or our property it is the OCUPATION WITH ALL ITS OFFENSIVE RESULTS when terror arise if you said it is a terror ,,,and this terror is not to change israil culture we do not aware of this ,,sure we have a different culture it is not what you named in this article hear in palastine mainly we have educated men and women the same as in israil yes our religion is the ISLAM which is a great religion it is from 1500 years ago ,,religion does not changed but people changed the feel of unjustice the enemy change our feelings and anger this terror is a defened of the palastinian rights it is an offensive mean and i think it is not from the islam or the culture it is the result of ocupation it is a human response to the unfare it is unfare response to unfare ocupation ,, this is the conflict and the wall will never change any one culture the same will not bring any security to palastinians nor to israil it is another form of strength it isnot more that what happen in jericko prison to take out the panty of palastinians but this wall is to take the lands and freedom of all the palastinians and if the ocupation is your culture ,if the might is your culture you do not deserve only the terror e and to live in fear which i believe it is UNFARE TO ALL HUMAN the same ocupation is unfare to all human

Palestinians are blowing themselves up, not because people are kissing in public or because people are watching television, but because they are fighting with Jews over the land, where their ancestors have also been living for centuries. There is no way the Palestinians can beat Israel in a conventional military war, so they are resorting to poor mans terrorism to accomplish a political objective - the destruction of the State of Israel. But at the end of the day, I'm sure the Israelis will be able to negotiate a deal with the Palestinians. As for the Ultra - Orthodox Jews, they follow the laws of the Torah, not secular laws, and overtime that will become a serious problem for the secular Jewish state. And that's why I said Lapid will have to put up another wall. My laughing is no joke for his dilemma.

Yair hits the nail bang on the head this time. I used to be one of those who thought the Palestinians can be negotiated with; that ultimately we could find a way to live with each other side by side in peace. But we so evidently cannot. Hence the only reasonable solution is to separate from themselves in every respect. Build the barrier, withdraw behind it, and let's both get on with our business on our respective side.

Ari, I dont think I could have put it any better. These people are clearly a threat to the Jewish people and we have every reason to dislike them.

Palestinian ancestors have NOT been living here for centuries as Richard and some other claim it, the major part of the present Arab population of Judea, Samaria and Gaza were immigrants who started coming there from other Arab countries at the turn of the last century when Jewish immigration created employment opportunities in Palestine. Unlike Jewish immigration that at times was extremely restricted Arabs could move freely accross both French and British mandate. As for the "occupation" weren't so-called palestinians "occupied" by Jordan resp. Egypt before 1967? Or was it just "a friendly occupation"? as far as I remember no Gazan has ever been granted Egyptian citizenship not to speak about employment, education and health care conditions in YESHA before 1967... Do not misunderstand me - I am in favor of leaving arabs to themselves (while providing all necessary security preconditions and guarantees for Israel - UNILATERALLY), because having been left alone they will be to destroy each other much better than ten Israeli armies.

You either ran from south africa, because you weren't willing to make a change, or you are not from here and think you know what went on during apartheid. Well you are the fool. The 'non-whites' in south africa proved to be good peace partners because there was a peaceful transition. They recognised the past was in the past. It can't be changed, but we can change the course of our future for the better. The black south africans did not call for equality in a black-run state, like the 'palestinians' call for equality in an islamic state. Here we have equality in an equal-opportunity state. The blacks did not teach their kids about martyrdom if they become suicide bombers. and before you think i am being racist, our 'black' government has approved the politcally correct term of calling people of colour 'black'. We can't call them African American South Africans because there is more to the world than north america.

That may be the case, but they are not preparing their kids to blow themselves up, nor are they telling other religions to get out of Israel entirely.

The state of Israel came into exitence in 1948. Before that, the area was called Palestine, and many more Arabs lived there than Jews. All population records indicate that. In 1922, according to the British census, there were 590,890 Arabs and only 83,794 Jews living in Palestine. From 638C.E. to 1948, the vast majority of the people living in Palestine were Arabs. It wasn't until after the War of Independence, did the population numbers favor Jews.

The left doesn't think they are just like them, or they wouldn't call for two states. They just don't believe you will get peace or more importantly justice, by shutting the Palestinians up in little prisons. Anyway, it is similar to the American delusion of WMD and it will collaps soon enough.

the British Census you mention took into consideration ONLY the so-called "British subjects", namely people with Palestinian passports whereby "guest workers" from the neighbouring Arab countries did not have such passports. And mind you I do not claim that Jews were a majority in Palestine in 1948, I claim that the vast majority of Arabs who call themselves "palestinians" have NOT lived there from time immemorial as you and they believe. And as far as time immemorial is concerned I strongly recommend you to read the book with the same title written by Jo-Anne Peters. She has a LOT of statistics and demographical data there which will certainly be nurturing for you.

The arabs started the 1967 war. Egypt, Syria and Jordan attacked Israel. Israel did not attack the surrounding arabs countries, the Israelis defended themselves. Secondly, if you say that acts of terror are a human response and not a result of Islam, you are also wrong. If your people are so religious and follow their religion, they must deal with their perception of oppression according to their religion, not according to savage human behaviour. Then the Israelis and 'palestinians' can talk.

Yair, your deep, thoughtful, dedicated approach to progressive liberalism is as touching as it is non-existant. How is it the 'extreme right wing fanatics' in the National Union propose a plan by which we live with our arab neighbors side by side, but you, the enlightened leftist, concludes its simply not possible and, essentially, takes the same position as Herut. The irony is killing me. Kol-Hachovod. Maybe in the next election you will run at the head of the Herut list and declare the party to be 'left wing.' Please don't take this as animosity. I would hug you if I met you, but your zig-zags are comically neurotic.

He made a few, FEW, good points, but for the most part it seems like Yair wrote this peice in 10 minutes. "I would add the internet, two-piece bathing suits, the poet John Donne, moderate Islam, gun control..." If he's speaking of the Palestinians, who are the 'moderate Muslims' that they hate?? Or is he speaking only of the 'terror' groups and not all Palestinians, but then is he saying those groups hate moderate Palestinians? I'm confused. "The left, for its part, has invented Palestinians who deep inside are just like us. We’ll just talk to them for a bit longer and before you know it, they’ll adopt liberal values, download U2 songs to their iPods" What the hell? I know many, many Palestinians that download music from Limewire just like my American friends, and some even have iPods too (those that can afford, of course), but most Palestinian teens love pop music, whether it's American, Egyptian, or other, the most watched TV network is an Arabic Music network 'Mazzika'. "This is the reason that terror organizations are so terrified by the convergence plan. It sends a clear message that we have decided to decide that our fate, despite all their efforts, is still in our hands." Wrong again. They hate your 'convergence plan' because with the plan you are decided THEIR borders as well as yours. Now wouldn't it make sense that they should be concerned when the issue is dealing with their own West Bank border? They're not mad because it shows 'your fate in your hands' lol, how did he come up with that one? "Shrinking Israel’s borders is far from being the magic bullet. It will reduce the threat but not obliterate it." Dude, look at a map. Removing the Wall or even withdrawing from settlements does not reduce Israel's borders one single inch. The wall is built mostly in the West Bank (to steal land it seems, otherwise why not the Green Line) and the settlements are all the West Bank, so removing both keeps Israel's borders exactly where they are internationally recognized at this moment. I think Yair slept in this morning and rushed with this column, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

If the Bristish census included only the British subjects, the Arabs were still a majority in Palestine. And did I say anything about time immemorial? I said from 638 C.E to 1948, minus the Christian Crusaders who didn't stay long, the majority of the people living in Palestine were Arabs. And from 638 C.E. to the 12th century, many Christians and Jews living there had converted to Islam. So it's a good possiblity that some of those Arabs that the IDF are shooting down, may in fact, have Jewish blood.

These people cannot be appeased, only beaten. I support complete and total separation of Israelis from Arabs until one century the Arab world civilizes. As for Palestinian "rights" - they have none. As for the Arabs who post on this website you and your nihilistic "nation" can go to Hell. Come to think of it is there any Islamic nation that is not already Hell? What are you going to do when you no longer have Israeli jobs, social services and utilities to support t you? YOU BLOCKS, YOU STONES, YOU WORSE THEN SENSELESS THINGS!

It's a good possibility that the possible converted jews that the IDF may be shooting down are would-be suicide bombers who have forgotten their roots and are killing their own blood, so they still deserve to be shot if it means saving a real Jewish life. And if muslims and arabs admit that Jews lived in the area simultaneously and even though Jews weren't the majority, why does it have to be that the land be ruled by muslims and not Jews? Arabs at the time of Israels independence were granted citizenship, for those who wanted it. I'd like to see the Palestinians giving Jews citizenship.

You say that most palestinians are moderate and it is the 'terrorists' who don't like democratisation and secularisation. Well you moderate palestinians voted the terrorists into power. If they are your leaders and your voice, then the majority of palestinians don't want secularisation, or this wouldn't have happened.

OK, that was my point. So he is calling all Palestinians then extremists who hate "moderate Islam." Who represents the moderate Islam in Gaza and the West Bank that he speaks of? His point is too obscure to make sense, either way you look at it.

"I'd like to see the Palestinians giving Jews citizenship." I'd like to see Jews that want Palestinian citizenship first, then we can talk about it.

Ari, you are just a hater..mimicking all the stupid rhetoric of fear..why is this so easy for so many? Can't you see or think without the fear and yeah, that assumed thing called arrogance....the idea that some of us are "superior"...hmmm...could it be just the replay of racism?

come here to palastin or go there to Iraqu or be in US YOU WILL NOT GO TO HELL THE HELL WILL FOLLOW you even if you enter your mamy abdomen you will be with your mamy in hell and i will be there looking for virgines or do you think only vergins in paradise ya juju ya hunny habibi elbubu

In his previous column, Yair did high culture. It was an embarrassing display. Now, Yair does "Convergence" (a.k.a. disengagement/expulsion/pogrom), to no better effect. Happily, I have developed a dance that shows the logical errors and absurdity of Convergence. I was motivated because Israeli dance is widely praised, and I thought that framing my point in these terms might be useful. No promises, but here goes: (Step 1) Denounce the Pals vigorously! Make a mean face! They're horrible! Untrustworthy! Incorrigible! (Step 2) PIVOT! Say that BECAUSE the Pals are so vile, you cannot negotiate with them, and THEREFORE you will "disengage," i.e. you will expel your Jewish neighbors and replace them with Pals! This way your new neighbors can lob bombs at you simply by walking to your house from next door! How does this bit of psychological manipulation work? First, you hate the Pals (within or over the Green Line). So, the manipulators get you going by having you denounce them openly. This makes you feel good and powerful, which is great for you, because you are tired, oh so tired. Second, you dislike and probably hate Jewish Jews. In truth, you especially loathe haredis, but you can't get at them, so, you settle for settlers. Thus, your hatred for Pals fires you up to destroy another hated group, settlers, who in turn are a proxy for Black Hats. You somehow feel this all makes sense. However, although you hate Pals and settlers, the reality is that they have nothing in common except for your hatred of them both. You have been duped into bringing bombers and murderers right next door. Good show.

Not you have anything to say, gimi, but could translate this into English?