a very scary one as well. I hope Mashi-ach comes before that time so all lands that are a part of true Biblical Israel--Jordan, Syria, Gaza, a section of Sini penincula & Lebanon are all once again the real Erezt Yisro-ail that way it is suppose to be.

Ya Brauner, you said: "The year is 2106 and the lease is over. One hundred thousand Jews are living in the Golan. They have factories, farms and homes. This is were they go to school, shop and where tourists come to enjoy the view. " Abdullah: There is nothing wrong wiht this. Yo then said: Next year, according to the Ayalon Plan, Syria is taking back the land." Abdullah: Not neccesaritly. 1) A lease can be renogotiated. 2) More moderate syrian leadership (or possibly even a different political entity in lieu of syria) may exist. A century is a long time and change is guaranteed both in the worldview of Jews and Arabs in the ME and political realities. Things might actually be more favorable in this time. 3) The state of israel can go back on its lease on security grounds, if necessary!! That is a return to present situation. So it does look like a bold and brilliant idea in theory. Perhaps the same model can be used with Palsitinians.

All of you can say whatever you want but for me the Golan is home. I've been living here for over 25 years. For over 25 years I've enjoyed having a big yard and the best view in the country. But taking all that into account, I would give it up for peace, real peace. If we don't learn to live with our neighbours we have no future. Remember you make peace with your enemies, not with your friends.

What kind of idiot plsyd his cards before he has even been ellected if the man had any sense he wouldnt be anouncing to the world I am going to give Assad the Golan and in return he will give me a 99 year lease. When you have an enemy to fight millitarily or politcly you try to give the enemy as little information about your capabilities or goals as possible or you control the flow of information otherwise you give the advantage to the enemey. This idiot campaigns on the fact he intends to give up the Golan Assad can feel safe that if his man gets ellected then he will get the Golan. Why not say that Israel is willing to give Assad some but not all or tell Assad to go to hell he cant have anythting best of all say nothing. Te Golan is the last of the territorial issues that the Israeli public are concerned about there is peace there between the jews and their druze naighbors and there are no terror attacks carried out from the Golan so thats the last thing on the publics mind if Aylon wants to campaign on something make it the palestian front. Something does need to be done about that short of accepting the arabs plan and withdrawing fully to the pre 1967 borders Israel can afford to wait another 40 years before it worries about doing deals with Syria because Syria is a nothing Assads signature wont make him change his alliance witgh Iran and its allways going to be what Iran says goes not peace with Israel. Peace in the north should be with Lebanon that can be achived, it would weaken Syrias influence there and hizbollah. Lebanon has no close relationship with Iran and the Lebanese government is pro west peace can be achived on that front relativly easily a little American money and training of the Lebanese army peace could be bought. The time is not right to do any deals with Assad who changes his mind over what he wants frorm dsay to day. Israels politicians needs to stop acting weak for once stand up and say Israels interests first peace does not come at any price.

Gamla in the Golan Heights is a holy place for us Jews who have returned to our holy land after the fierce battle that took place in Gamla in 66 C.E. Giving this area to the Syrian occupier is unthinkable. We might as well give up Mesada or the Western Wall. Forget it ! Never.

What a truly moronic idea. Straight from the pages of the pinky left copy book. Definitely not a vote getter for totally obvious reasons. IT'S UNREALISTIC. STUPID. The Golan is not negotiable. PERIOD. At least Papa Jay and fartelstein will vote for you - in the USA. Enjoy your political impotence.

1) You neglect to mention that the French and Brits swapped the Golan for the land around Metula 2) Article 27 says "The consent of the Council of the League of Nations is required for any modification of the terms of this mandate" and though it took years, the League did approve the land swap. So the changed borders were approved by the League, and even if we don't like that, demanding that Golan is part of Israel also means that Metulla should be given to Lebanon. Are you for that?

Sooner or later, Israel will have to hand all of it back w/ swaps here and there. The sooner you religious wackos (both sides) accept this, the less lives are lost, the more firends you will make around the world, the more reduction of anti-semtism and a more safer future for your children.... This status quo will not last..dont be naive. I agree with #63, it is all worth it, for our future, for real peace.

Good idea but this assumes that Syrians actually do want peace. History has proven that Syria won't settle for anything less than the anihilation of Israel or a "peace arrangement" which insures the eventual Israel dissapearance off the face of the map. His association with Iran and Hezbollah the official hosting of chief terror moguls on its territory and the active logistic, political, financial, and intelligence support for terror proves that Syria will not accept this proposal, so why bother?

You declared war on Israel's existence 60years ago, long before the "occupation." You said the land should be part of Greater Syria and never demanded a nation while occupied by Jordan and Egypt. Until you decide you want peace, you have no grounds to complain about Israel defending itself. It's time for you to unconditionally end the war you unconditionally began.

Perhaps people who dismiss Ami Ayalon's plan out of hand should consider two things: (1) Here is a man who in addition to previously heading Israel's Internal Security Service was awarded the Israeli Army's medal for Valour ie: he is very aware of Israel's defence problems and (2) Leasing the Heights for 100 years from Syria means that Israel will still possess them as opposed to relinquishing them physically to Syria therefore Israel would still be able to protect Northern Israel from the Heights as it does to-day.

Dr. Alan, take two tablets and give me a call in the morning :)

I take it by your name (or alias) that you are a Romanian (also a Legionnaire?). But I digress. Historically and ethnically Basarabia belongs to Romania much more than the Golan heights belong to Syrians. I don't see it returned to Romania anytime soon! Syria is an entity defined by the French (the REAL Colonialists) and the Golan Heights were lost in a war initiated by the Syrians themselves. Does this sound logical to you that Israel should pay the price for that reckelss and cruel Syrian attack? Do you claim that this should go unpunished? This is NOT a "massive land grab" as you suggest. Rather it is the result of the "massive land grab" started by the Syrian-led Arabs on all fronts! It is though that they lost, isn't it? It is easy to criticize and state false claims from the comfort of your American exile. Learn your history before spilling your Legionnaire venom in an Israeli forum.

What a brave and amazing thing to say .... I truly believe that a couple of years of prosperity and security in the region will prove to the world (and our people) that jews and arabs can live together, and prosper (i still remember before the first intifada how good it was, few people on this site are even aware of that)...... if we leave this for extremists on both sides (as we have done until this moment) they will lead us all to our doom........i think that we are at a junction in this conflict, and it is time to fix the situation, and just end this misery for everyone.....if we have peace, it will not be shattered becasue we will not allow for that to happen, we all know what the alternative is, we've been there before!....no more nonsense about wiping-out Israel or the Palestinians.....that is not going to happen, simply becasue we will not allow it .....forget about what the news says, and crazy politicians and masked-men say..."it will not happen , and we will not allow it"......... it is time for common-sense and reason to prevail, it is ok to have your biases and allegiances, we all do! but lines have been crossed, and it is time to cool off and work this thing out...i truly believe in a brighter future, ......yet it feels so close yet so far away at the same time....... Arielush, you are welcome in nablus at any time , so is anyone who believes that the two people could live together...... Abdel,

where candidates for Prime Minister run on the best way to dissect their country. let's stop overthinking the "Peace Process" and apply our intelligence to areas we've neglected: Poverty, economic Growth maintain a defense force to protect its people.

Yeah right like Syria will agree to that... be real man!

According to your "logic," let's give the US back to the Indians, except for Texas and California. Those go to Mexico. Louisiana will have to be ceded to the French, Alaska to the Russians, who may or may not want to return it to the Inuits, get the Spanish out of all of SA, etc. etc Where, according to your world view, will it stop? I am a German immigrant to the US. I bought the plot of land on which I sit with my hard-earned money. I cleaned it up, built a house, grew a garden and pay taxes on it. IT'S MINE. I don't care what century it is, if you think for one minute that I'd give it up or agreed to pay rent, because the neighbor from whom I bought the land, now likes my garden, started to harass and threaten me or promised to leave me in peace in exchange for my land, you are mistaken. Israel was attacked. They captured the Golan, paid for it in blood, it's theirs, if they so choose. End of story. What the hell, if Israel can be threatened and bamboozled into paying rent on the Golan, maybe the same deal can be pulled for the rest of the country. After all and according to their neighbors, didn't they steal all of it???? There's a good American answer for that sort of thing: NUTS!

for succeeding to convince us that you are NULL.

Let the people living in the Golan vote on whether they want to be part of Israel or part of Syria. After WWII, the Saar - a German State bordering France and Luxembourg and where I grew up -was ceded to France by the Americans. Our money became the French franc, we learned to speak French, the kids went off to French universities, love in some cases conquered all, etc. etc. In general and as people, Germans and French never did get along too well, and by '58 the "Frogs" were as sick of the "Boches" as the Boches were of the Frogs. Face-saving solution: Referendum. France knew that those dice were loaded, but it made for a graceful exit and getting rid of these pains in the French rear. Of course, the "regular" Germans weren't too thrilled with this influx of contaminated Saarfranzosen, but since there was a lot of coal in the Saar, they overlooked little things, and everybody was happy. A few insults back and forth, but nothing serious. Most important of all, the Saar kids could now buy Elvis records legally and no longer had to smuggle them over the German - French border in their underwear :-) So, let the Golan people vote and have everybody live with it.

Why don't you capitulate right now and get it over with? This just proves that old saying that there are none so blind as those who will not see.

In Israel especialy once an individual goes from the millitary or inteligence services to politics they tend to forget reality and getting ellected and their place in the history books becomes number 1 priority. Barak the most decorated soilder in the IDF his plans were disasterous for Israels needs and because it was popular he pulled out of Lebanon unconditionly leaving no safegaurds in place to defend against future terror attacks. Livni was in the Mossad but she is ready to embrace the arab plan which would be disasterous for Israel and the arabs themselves never expeted it to be accepted but then they got a lame duck Olmert and now Livni who is even more left wing than he is and so they have smelt blood and are moving in for the kill with this plan. Politics clouds better judgement Israeli politicians could learn a few things from the arabs when they want something they will hold out for it as long as it takes they dont put their hands up and say the better man won in the end the way Israeli politicians do. Also since when did Assad agree to this leasing arangement .. its unlikley he will go for it because he wants his prize to present to the arab world and simply leaving them in Israeli hands leased or not doesnt give him that prize. You also dont go around campaigning on the fact your going to give up territory you want to win the game you play your casrds close to your chest you dont tell the enemy your tactics before there is even an ellection.

According to my world view, the ability of a nation to aggrandize itself through military conquest "stopped" in about 1945 with the rollback of the German, Italian and Japanese empires. That experience was a big lesson, to put it mildly. Since then, civilization has painfully tried to abandon the "might makes right" or "to the victor go the spoils" rules of earlier times. This is why the US and allies, having conquered the Axis countries, returned sovereignty within a matter of a few years. The Allies also "paid in blood" for their victory; but blood is not legal tender for a real-estate transaction. Speaking of real estate, try a little thought experiment: You have emigrated from Germany to Atlanta and have built a house an a plot bought from your neighbor. He is a surly, jealous jerk, and one day comes over and viciously attacks you. Surprise! You knock the stuffing out of him! You chase him and his family from his house and give the doorkey to your son, who moves in. "End of story," you say? You are, I assume, a law-abiding person in a nation of laws: how long do you think your son would be allowed to squat in this house? Do you really believe that you could tell the judge: "He tried to take my house, so I took his"? Would that argument fly in Georgia? Law aside, would you even consider that a moral argument?

you are nuts nitwit. That land belonged to our forefathers 5000 yrs ago and moses gave the ten commandments in the sinai. what you are talking about is something different. this is a altogether difffernent thing going on here. there was no formal palestine/palestinanians. they do not have a right to that land and G-d says so. He said so 5000 yeas ago, stick that in your pipe and smoke it

To begin with, Romania has laid no claim to Basarabia since it was occupied by the Soviets 50 years ago. To the contrary, Romania disclaimed the activities of Romanian nationalists in Basarabia during the Cold War period. And today Romania is not showing the slightest interest in reincorporating Moldova (ex-Basarabia). So your analogy with the Golan Heights is fatally flawed: there is no dispute over Moldova. As for the question of Israeli occupation of the Golan: rather than clutter the site with repetitive arguments, I recommend that you read the exchange between M. Hartley (who would appear to agree with you) and Wolfram (#5, 27, 80 and W's response). Finally, you appear to have an issue with the Legion. Would you take my word that we agree on that score? But blind name-calling can be both tedious and mistaken.

M. Hartley's idea of a popular referendum for the Golan is tantalizing and a refreshing example of creative thinking, so rare, alas! on this site. This would make for an extremely interesting and unpredictable vote. My ballpark guess is that the outcome would be very close, with the advantage to the Israelis. But that would depend a lot on the way in which the referendum were conducted. It would probably be unmatched for bribery, intimidation and violence by both sides. A third voting alternative to Israel or Syria should perhaps be offered: an independent Druze state (much as is being proposed for Kosovo). That would create a nice little country, end the Israeli-Syrian dispute and solve yet another Middle Eastern ethnic problem. Unfortunately, I don't believe that Syria will go for any of this.

Yes, Wolfram missed much in the way of logic, but your response is just as foolish. First, your view of god is not legally binding. Second, go read the Torah, you'll see where a Jewish King gave Jewish cities to a neighboring King to pay a debt, so the Torah says the land's not sacrosanct. Third, the Golan has nothing to do with the Pals, please go study. If you have no clue about either the Torah or current events, you shouldn't be posting.

'45 enshrined "military conquest" when the Yalta conference between the big three Allies agreed that because Russia occupied Poland it could not only control it but redraw the borders at its leisure. More importantly, until you admit it's not a war of Israeli aggression, but one declared and fought by Arabs, you'll continue to be off base. People who declare war and lose certainly deserve to lose land. Or are you saying that, as long as people attack Jews, aggression has no punishment?