arrangments can be withdrawn at the drop of a hat like nasser banning israeli shipping from the straits of iran with US and Un guarantees proving worthless. Innternational guarantees are worthles. arabs have a tribal arrangement and enforceable truces are time limited as you can see with morsi of egypt who has turned mubarak's arangements on its head. Israel and no one else has to control its own security. Tom friedman is the arrogant one who wiht his masters in oriental studies and time spent drinking coffee in beirut feels he is the expert on peace like ross and kurtzer, 3 sheltered academics with little understanding of hard realities. israel should consider allies's opinions but ultimately do what is best for it and no one else. friedman's oslo has already cost iserael 2000 dead and 20 times that in wounded. Why doesn't he shut the hell up. When he does some miliitary service in israel, maybe then his views would carry more weight.

... to examine the likelihood that Egypt is facilitating the flow of arms to Gaza? It has grown increasingly clear that Egypt is incapable of policing the Sinai. We shall have to do it for them. Which will probably involve taking it back.

It was their use of violence and weapons that got them failures they've had until now, especially because all violence was initiated by them. Precedents abound by States that were demilitarized or ceased any form of violent aggression, and received peace in response. Post-WWII Japan is a perfect example. The author's claim that a militarized Pally State is an option if only they gave promises is myopic at best, deliberately retarded at worst. History is a very good guide to the inner-workings of Arab supremacy thinking, and Hamas doesn't hide their true intentions. If Hamas, Islamic Jihad, PRC, etc. were removed entirely from a future State, then the author might have any argument. Right now, the author seems too Left to see reality.

"It is extremely rare for a national state to be demilitarized." Costa Rica has no army and feels well, even between such neighbours as Nicaragua and Colombia.

An arab terrorist state in Judea and Samaria, demilitarized just like the arab terrorist state in Gaza. The only reason Judea and Samaria is no hamastan is that the Israeli security forces have a constant continuous presence in Judea and Samaria. Creation of an arab terrorist state in Judea and Samaria would bring iran next to Jerusalem and Gush Dan. Eventually israel and the Jews would be destroyed.

only someone more than brain dead could trust the palestinians and especially hamas to be forthright in having open border and abide by their word that weapons would not enter gaza. WHO COULD BE SO NAIVE AND STUPID

Who can be so naive and stupid you ask? An Israeli academic living in Washington!

Go back to wherever you came from - Germany, Poland, US, or Russia. You ran out of excuses. This is not 1918, and your Bible stories are not our concern.

The concept of statehood encompasses sovereignty. The proposal denies sovereignty, essential to statehood. Denial of sovereignty just means Israel ruling by remote.

Only an idiot would think any agreement with Hamas should be guaranteed by the presence of NATO troops. NATO forces have an unblemished record of running away , looking in the other direction and on occasions conniving with one of the warring parties . Unreliable , cowardly and ineffective are suitable adjectives for NATO troops

The situation couldn't be simpler. Israel's problems with Gaza began with Israel's lunatic retreat from Gaza. The solution is equally simple. Retake Gaza forever. Israeli retreats are the root cause of virtually ALL Israel's worst problems,.

And the Arabs should go back to Egypt and Syria and Lebanon. Their stories about being in the land forever are none of our concern.