And you need to live in an Arab country.

Stephen, what are you saying? I am sorry but I do not agree to your comment. yes I understand your frustration regarding the situation but your comment is rather fascist. I am an Israeli from Yemeni background and what are you saying is nationalistic and YOU don't even live in Israel, you do not struggle to commend peace with our neighbours every single day in Israel. All Israeli Arabs and Palestinians have the right to exist, we are not animals we humans. Yes we are fighting one another yes the conflict has not yet has been resolved, but I bet you any Israeli Jewish Arabs and Palis would like this situation to stop. We do not need war monger like yourself to add to the fire, we want real peace based on recognition and mutual respect co-existance side by side. you might over excited, take a deep breath and please THINK what are you saying.

B"H The Jews would face such hardships too in being transferred. That is why I am all for the Jews remaining a blessing for those living east of Israel's green line. Keep the Jews, and keep the Arabs. Frankly, the current status is very close to about the greatest level of "peace" that can be expected at this time. Aside from Jewish Aza that has been overrun by Hamas to expel its Arab residents, a shaky peace does exist east of the green line presently, and the Arabs and Jews are benefitting from it who cooperate with each other presently. Call it a Hunda with the Jews. The alternative is Hamas takeover, and neither Abbas nor Israel can afford that, making for a strange partnership based on mutual hate rather than mutual love. I can see how Israeli Arabs would not want to be exchanged now. It is the same reason I would not want the Jews exchanged now. Abbas is too shaky to be relied on to hold the fort. Who would want Hamas taking over everything? Under Hamas, Abbas would be murdered. He cannot afford it. Under Hamas, Israel would be attacked on three fronts, the south, the east, and it would be no surprise if Syria jumped in on the north. That is no cheep endevour. Israel has an economy to maintain, although militarily it would probably win. Politically, it would be difficult to explain that settlement is good again though at that point. Most of the cost ironically for Israel is political. Neither Israel nor Abbas can afford a Hamas takeover. So keep the Jews certainly until something stable gets setup Abbas side (if ever). And keep the Arabs in Israel in case Abbas falls through to Hamas. If I were an Arab, I would have no qualms with moving one place or another. My main concern, like myself being a Jew, is the kind of government that is set over me. That is what it boils down to. So keep the Jews in place to prevent a Hamas takeover and the ensuing Hamas Arab epulsion that is actively taking place in Gaza. Keep the Arabs in Israel to be available if the Jews are not permitted to settle lands vacated by Hamas. Jews would be happy to settle all areas, but an Arab hunda as well as the Jewish population has to face reality at some point in the relationship with the Holy Land of Israel. Quote: Thirdly, those raising the possibility of "exchanging land and its population" are doing so in order to undermine the legitimacy of Arab citizens and in order to convey the message that they are not equal citizens, but rather, that their citizenship is conditional, inferior, and meaningless.

No arab in his right mind would choose to live with other arabs !

Reciprocity is the concept that the Israeli Arabs need to be paying attention to. As long a Jews in the midst of the Arabs in the Judea and Samaria will continue to be treated in the most racist way possible - murdered on sight, no Israeli Arab can voice dissatisfaction with their threatment in Israel. Most of you are Israeli citizen in the name only. Your diligences are to the greater Arab cause and you belong in an Arab country like Jordan confederation with the West bank. Here is a dictionary definition: A mutual or cooperative interchange of favors or privileges, especially the exchange of rights or privileges of trade between nations.

Haider has written many wrong things and there is no logic in what he writes. For instance, Arabs have agreed to teach their children that Israel's existence is a tragedy, "nakba". Why should they not be happy to stay in their houses but be citizens of a non-tragic place? Also, Arabs are not equal citizens, they have extra rights. They are not required to serve in the army, despite constituting 20% of the population. The reason? They would rather let their Jew fellow citizens die then fight their Arab brothers. Haider has convinced me that Lieberman is right.

that Arabs in the Wadi Ara region would not want their area to come under the control of a Palestinian state. Is this an admission on their part of the well-known fact that Israeli Arabs have more rights than the Arabs of any Arab country? I believe that if the Wadi Ara region is to transferred to a future Palestinian state, then the residents there should, like all Israeli citizens, have the right to move to another Israeli city if they wish to avoid coming under Palestinian rule. However, in the event of a peaceful conclusion to the conflict, Israeli Arabs should eventually have to serve in the Israeli military (as should the ultra-orthodox Jews).

I am all for these negotiations and swapping Um El Fahm for Ma'ale Adumim when "Arab Israelis" won't pledge allegience to the State of Israel, won't partake in the national anthem and call yourselves Palestinians. Its time for two states for two peoples including ALL Palestinian Arabs.

You tell us all the time "we aren't Israelis, we're Palestinians" so why should Jewish Israelis treat you as anything but?

We do not want bloody revolt or civil war. Nor do we want to hurt arab people. Arab People live the stolen Jewish Land & live in dignity in any 22 arab countries!!!

Transfer is what happened to the Jews of Gush Katif and what is being proposed for the Jews of Judea & Samaria. Transfer is when people are uprooted from their homes and forced to move to another region or country. What is being discussed for the arabs of the triangle is not transfer-it is instead a chance to remain in their homes and have the opportunity to be re-united with their arab brothers. It's unclear why they aren't clamoring to be able to finally join with their brethren from whom they have been separated and they can look forward to being ruled by true arabs-fatah or hamas. Wouldn't that be far superior to being oppressed by the Zionists? Frankly I think that the arabs of Israel and Judea & Samaria would be far better off living with and being ruled by the jordanian king or the egyptian dictator or the doctor in damascus or even by the supreme king in their holiest site mecca. Why settle for their third holiest site Jerusalem when one can actually live in holy mecca?

I thought the Arabs in Israel wanted to vote in the Palestinian elections? Does anyone know if this is true? I think you see what I'm driving at ! A little help please. I simply don't remember the details. Thanks in advance Mark from Georgia

He's got a point though. Of course none of the arab citizens of Israel would want to live under the PA. That's easy to understand, beacause even though they might have to face occasional discrimination is Israel the general democracy there is still a lot better than in any arab country. On the other hand Israel has to decide if she realy means to be fully democtaric, not just a few steps ahead of the surrounding dictatorships and theocracies. Beacause then she has to treat ALL her citizens accordingly, however those citizens have an obligation toward their country az well, not just rights. That's for the author and the arab citizens to think about. You can't have it both ways.

For all the cries of Jewish racism Israeli Arabs prefer to be living in the Zionist Jewish state of Israel rather than under the tender hands of their Arab brethren. Israel should point this out to every person who attacks her for racism. Israel Arabs are begging to be in the Jewish state and consider it racism for them to be ruled by Arabs

1- do not be ridiculous Mr Sikkuy, there is no chance of "civil war." Do you really want to "fight" in order to stay in the Jewish State? Isn't your real dream to be part of a state that isn't Jewish? 2- A significant majority of Muslim Arabs in the triangle have argued that they are indeed Palestinians and that they are second class citizens in Israel. Then, belonging to a democratic and progressive entity such as a future Arab state in a significant part of the land of Israel is a sensible and logical solution to regain equal status, a just legal system, economic equality, educational opportunity, gender and religious freedom, human dignity, and identity cohesiveness. All important aspects of a modern society such as the one being advanced in Gaza under Hamas' leadership. 3- In order to achieve lasting peace, Jewish and Arab populations have to sacrifice some privileges. Jewish population in Israel is already sacrificing too much, such as its young people serving in the army, its civil population being under attack, including mass murdering by Arab terrorists, high taxes, which help support the welfare needs of many Arabs among others, and most of the historical sites where Jewish history and identity was forged, such as Hebron, Gaza, and multiple other places that were usurped by Arab invaders for centuries. 4- Arabs, particularly those in the triangle, have acknowledged that their agenda is to deny and destroy the Jewish State as such. You can't seat in two chairs at the same time... 5- In what unit of Tzahal have you served Mr. Sikkuy? or perhaps you didn't serve... Would you want your children to defend the State of Israel? If not, please do not play rhetorical games and do not insult the readers' intelligence.

This is all true, but if being Israeli is so important to Arab Israelis, why don't they do community service? Perhaps they should also NOT call themselves Paletinians. Israelis all have double identities: Jews are Jews and Israelis. Jewish being both a religion and an ethnic group. The Israeli Arabs are ethnicly Arab and are mostly Muslim with a Christian minority. Where does the 'Palestinian' identity fit? 'Palestinian' is the clash with 'Israeli' so if they choose to be Israeli the Palestinian lable must drop.

Those would be THE JEWS!!

While the ostrich has wings and feathers, they pretend to be birds and they may flap their wings with all their might, the ostrich will never fly. This is largely the same as the Palestinian government and people. They put on all the airs and appearances of a government and society but they have no ability of governing and behaving like rational people. They are incapable of taking responsibility for their actions. They blame all their failings on the Israelis and Zionists. All their efforts are devoted to terrorism and suicide for the last 100 years. The reality is that they NEVER EVER historical had a government in Israel at any time in history After all is said and done and all of their masquerading as members of the human society, their animalistic terrorist behaviour has landed them in their Gaza cage with us as Zookeepers and the UN custodians going in every so often with scraps of food and supplies to feed the animals. Maybe we should put up signs explaining how these animals migrated to Israel at different time periods as predators to steal the prosperity of others. They have ravaged all societies where ever they are located and are considered a paryiah throughout the Arab world and beyond. The primary obstacle of the "Transfer" principle is that there is no where to transfer them and no one wants them. And yes Ostriches also can be very violent and beligerent.

The author of this article has three basic errors in his argument. First, as an Arab referring to Jews as 'racists' is erroneous, because both Jews as well as Arabs are Semites who are both anthropologically classified as Western Asians by the way. Moreover, fairly recent genetic research conducted in Israel and in the United States has established that a large sample of DNA taken from Jews living in and outside of Israel is more similar to DNA taken from Arabs living in and around Israel than to any other human group worldwide. Second, the author erroneously refers to Arabs presently living in Israel as the ‘original’ population. The original population of the land is a mixture of two primary proto-Semitic peoples (Canaanites Hebrews) that began 'to mix' in the area about 5,000 years ago. The language they spoke and wrote was a form of Ancient Hebrew, which was spoken and definitely written before Arabic and definitely before Arab tribes from what is now Saudi Arabia began invading the Land of Israel a mere 1,300 years ago. This is documented from a number of sources including Arab and non-Arab as well as Jewish and non-Jewish sources. In addition to multiple references in the Old Testament (a great deal of which has been confirmed by archeology) and in the Quran (see for example, in the 21st verse in the 5th Surah known as the Al-Ma’idah Surah, what Muhammed says to his followers which is believed by true Muslims to be the word of Allah and obeyed in full without question), it is also documented in Ancient Egyptian sources as well as in Persian, Greek, Roman and early European sources. Therefore, the original human population is Jewish and not Arab, whose legal settlement in this area can definitely be questioned since the original Arab settlers occupied it by force (the 5th pillar of Islam know as Jihad); and to assert differently is to grossly, crudely and erroneously deny and rewrite history for shoddy political reasons. The author’s third (possible) error in his argument is that the proposed population exchange he is referring to is racist in addition to being a bad idea. Although there was violence that preceded it (primarily from Muslims toward Hindus which is fully document by British sources), there was a massive population exchange between Muslims living in the southern part of India with Hindus living in the northern part of India, thus, creating “Pakistan” as it is referred to today (since 1947). This was also not racist in light of the fact that both Indians and “Pakistanis” are from the same racial group anthropologically categorized as Southern Asians; and the violence between Hindu and Muslim Indians was radically reduced since partition in spite of flare-ups. Therefore, it wasn’t a racist act nor was it even a bad solution; in fact, it was a better solution than simply wallowing in a continuous blood bath. Based on the current geographic realities, a similar partition could be applied between the Jews and the Arab settlers to create a smaller but well-defined Israel as well a “Palestine” – and this would not be racist and even possibly even a good solution (at least better than the continuing the blood bath). All other solutions have not worked and have been met by Muslim violence and aggressive defensive action on the part of the Jews. Think about it… or continue to wallow in the blood bath if that is what you enjoy!

this is coming from a jew in a christian country tell me how ironic is that. if arabs only belong in arab nations what are you doning in a christian nation. peace is the answer ethier two nations both jew and arb or two nations one arab and the other jew its israeli decision

They are not settlers, but the NATIVE population. Secondly, if you want to stay in Israel you should serve in the IDF or national service. It should be a requirement for ALL citizens, including all Yeshiva students. Its racist for Arabs to think they should be able to live in Israel, receive all the benefits and not serve the state as well.

Though I fully agree with writer that it is not democratic nor morally correct to impose on part of the Arab population of Israel a citizenship change, it is very interesting to note just how these Israeli Arabs are happy to live in Israel and that they do not want to wish to leave the country. This should be noted in particular by all the Israel bashers who accuse Israel of not treating the Israeli Arabs as equals.

If you talk about "transfer" in Israel, you have to be clear whether your talking about Jews or Moslems. One could get you arrested and declared evil and twisted, the other could get you elected. If you talk about targeting civilians, if you mean Jewish civilians, that turns you into a freedom fighter, but talking about targeting armed Islamic fighters that have never been issued a uniform, well, that's pure evil. If you establish a Palestinian state, it's understood that the Jews have got to move out without any compensation. But a Jewish state that permits arabs to live there despite open and bloody agression, that's straight up apartheid racist nazism. Once again, left wing means never having to say you're sorry or wrong. And left wing means you don't have to let the facts or logic disturb what you know is the truth. Don't get me wrong. Not all Moslems are terrorists. But 95% of all terrorists are Moslem. What does that tell you about Islam?

Arabs you are not natural from Israel. Israel it's Historicaly the land of the Jews. History and archeology shows the truth. Palestine was never a real country. Palestine was the name that the roman empire gave to these region. Here was the kingdom Of Israel and Jehuda. You do not belong in here. And we are too full to keep you here when you are our enemies and always try to destroy us. Your statement it's ridiculos and comes only from your ignorance, racism and hate.

most arabs who live in the wadi ara region do not consider themselves israelis. in fact the majority of "israeli arabs" do not consider themselves israelis. they consider themselves "palestinians" who are living under occupation (israel). by giving the wadi ara region and a handful of other arab municipalities that are close to the border with the palestinian arabs to the palestinian authority, we are not forcing anyone away from their land or home. all what will change will be the government and its system via a simple border re-draw. instead of being part of israel, these arabs will now be part of the palestinian authority. after all,many of these arabs consider themselves palestinians anyway, so why not actually live under palestinian rule, abide by palestinian laws, have palestinian passport, etc. you can't ask israel to make territorial concessions for "peace" on the backs of the jews only. what many of israel's arabs are trying to do is dance on both weddings. they constantly criticize the existence of israel as a jewish state, completely failing to recognize the fact that they, the arabs, are the real settlers and not the jews, and some even went as far as to encourage and support jihad against israel. on the other hand, they understand that under the palestinian authority they will not see a steady form of government, no democracy, and certainly no social benefits and welfare that they enjoy in israel. let's be realistic, at least in israel they criticize the existence of the state with virtual impunity. try to criticize the palestinian president or the ruling hamas the same way they criticize israel. those who do the criticizing will be jailed and who knows what else. israel's arabs know the real truth.

How about doing some things like- 1. Volunteer to do national service 2. Publicly reject the treasonous ideas of Arab Knesset members 3. Tell the world that Israel is where you want to live because of the equal opportunities in health, education etc that you are afforded. 4.How about telling Jimmy Carter that he is full of s***? Meir Toronto

Arab Israeli citizenship is conditional.

you start and partake in 4 wars and multiple intifada's against "your" country all with the intent to destroy it and you wonder why 64% of Israelis would make this swap? Despite the fantasy that arabs are taught in school, there have been Jews living in Israel for 3000 years. Any attempt to deny that is... and as you said, "points to a lack of logic, malicious intent, and unwillingness to advance peace moves." Many wonder how you can live with someone who has stabbed you in the back several times, deny your obvious history and connection to a land, and then blame you for a plight that was created by oneself... Conveniently forgetting that this land was controlled by the Ottoman Empire and Jews constituted the majority in Jerusalem during that time (look it up for yourself, the OE did plenty of census'). Furthermore, the land was empty, full of nothing... then people settle the land and bring new technologies, make the land bloom, create a bustling economy and suddenly all the people looking to better their economic situation in the middle east descend on what is today Israel and try to take what they did not create. It's really pretty sad. The fact of it all remains that if the Arabs accepted the partition plan in 1948, odds are that we would have peace today and Palestinian youths would not be raised on lies like the holocaust being a myth and that the arabs had nothing to do with it... Of course completely omitting the fact that the grand mufti of Jerusalem was one of Hitler's best friends. The whole thing just sucks all around. So many pointless acts on both sides with a complete disregard for reality. How about all you extremists find an Island and fight over everything... the rest of us will live a better life together without you.