What people do not get is that a vast majority of palestinians will not consider "occupation" over until ALL of what is now Israel will be handed to them. That means after we will give them most of the West Bank, the attacks will continue at the same rate. No, actually the attacks will increase because 1) the arabs will think "We drove Zionists from the West Bank with rockets, so why can't we drive them out of Haifa with even more rockets?" Just look at how they view Israel's pullout from Gaza 2) Hamas will become much stronger as it will acquire more sophisticated weapons and get more funds from Iran I just can not believe that a lot of people do not see the situation the way I've described.

the author lost me on that paragraph. "For example, demanding that, at this juncture, Hamas recognize Israel's right to exist creates serious obstacles that can only forfeit any opportunity for a dialogue, even with moderate Palestinians with whom Israel should engage. Such a demand is not a prerequisite to the negotiations because Israel, if it wishes to negotiate at all, can negotiate with the Palestinian Authority’s President Mahmoud Abbas who has recognized Israel’s right to exist." the author is a weak jew...he thinks that requiring our neighbors to "recognize" us is unnecessary?? that should be the very minimum. and he still thinks that Abbas has any power or authority?? get real! go IDF, keep the terrorists on the run...keep money out of Hamas' hands....and teach the A-rabs yet another lesson.

An interesting article and on with which I agree in principle, i.e. that a normalization and coexistence must be achieved with the Palestinians. Everything apart from that though is simply wishful thinking and downright implausible. True, the rhetoric should change. There's no harm in saying that Israel wants to terminate the occupation, for security and demographic reasons. This, however, should be clear to everyone. After all, the Convergence will be done for the benefit of Israel, not the Palestinians. Collective punishment. While I disagree with certain tactics used at the makhsomim and expropriating land on the Palestinian side for the barrier, I have no problem with mass arrests or terrorist families' house demolitions. As far as dropping demands for recognition of Israel on the part of Khamas, the word is: NEVER. Israel cannot negotiate with someone who does not recognize its right to exist and circumventing Khamas by going directly to Abas only sweeps the problem under the rug. The separation has to occur, wheher throgh negotiation or by imposition on the Palestinians. good will can be built later, over time. It might never come but at least we won't be entangled with the Palestinians anymore.

After the IDF's successful raids on terrorists these last two days, Palestinians will think twice before they mess with Israel. The Hamas and PA are not getting the funds they need from international donors, and I would imagine that the Palestinians are getting pretty hungry right about now. So be patient. It's just a matter of time before they see the light.

no need for long long article to make that point. We all know that we'll be dealing with these people one way or another forever and ever and ever or until hell freezes over. Or are you still one of the gullibles who still believe in peace with Arabs.

As I have said to my students, having a PhD doesn't make you any less of a fool. When will the 'enlightened' intellectuals learn that one cannot give the beneit of the doubt to intractable enemies ? Chamberlain is alive and well ! By the way, at the risk of being labeled a religious fanatic, the Torah advised that one errs by showing mercy to an enemy !

I see the situation exactly as you described it in Post No. 2, above. Apparently, many Israeli voters also did likewise, although their votes were split among various political parties. I predict that Ehud Olmert will have a very tough time in cramming his "convergence" down our throats. And, who is going to pay for this "convergence?" Me?

You guys are retreating and dreaming that this will make you live in peace. This is unjustice, occuaption, the rule of the strong and it will fail. Living behind walls if the biggest sign of failure. Also for the first time, we succeeded in limiting the zionist dream and leave gaza and soon part fo the west bank. But this is a recipe for the continuation of the resistance against Israel a state that never managed and never will integrate the region because of the aparteid like policies.

Unfortunately, the palestinians are so brainwashed that they prefer to die rather that to recognize Israel. In an overview of Arab websites on the Galei Zahal this morning, it was noted that about 95% of bloggers and forum users express even more extremist views toward Israel since the financial aid the US has stopped. In an undeducated palestinian society slogans work perfectly well even on the empty stomach and this is what Arafat used and now Hamas.

Let us understand this clearly. No matter how you phrase it, the uprooting of Jewish communities and the withdrawal from the territories, will always be seen be the Arabs as a victory over the Jews. The Arabs will maintain that terrorism and violence pays off.

Richard, You are naive. Postings like #9 by ahmed from some imaginary place he calls "palestine" just prove my point.

Since the collective chose Hamas, hello, wake up!

Where do you see the "moderate" Arabs? Do you mean the "polite" Arabs who "only" advocate the destruction of Israel in Arabic while they pay lip-service about "peace" in English? You are correct that Israel has never been more powerful in military and economic terms than today. Why should Israel show "sensitivity" towards its enemies who dream about Israel's destruction? If the enemies of Israel possessed Israel's military strength they wouldn't hesitate a second to use it to destroy Israel. Your time outside of Israel seems to have transformed you into a devout Christian hypocrite but that is your problem and not mine. We in Israel have an obligation over past and future Jewish/Israeli generations to defend Israel and the Jewish people by all means and crush our enemies who relentlessly seek our destruction.

This prof binMeir is a foreigner and do not serve in IDF. Why shoud he publish editorial in an Israeli newspaper?

i see most of the palastinians see what happen today think of today most of the israilis see yesterday and tomorrow as if today is not present no ... as if tomorrow will be like today or today will be tomorrow bin maier say about today as it is ..becouse of that many here posting against the man ... as a man i mean myselfe i get rid of the horroble past to catche my day to get the choice of the future it is as indivedual expert and i hope that most palastinians to expert this and the israilis have their choice also about today

why do you say that ''you'' are going to pay? in ''Sugarland'' ( what a name!)? what is your concrete relationship with us? so you can lecture us

I must receive at least three e-mails per day begging for money for indigent Jews not having matzos for Pesach. I you will give me your e-mail address, I will forward these e-mails to you. Obviously, you do not like American Jews contributing to Israel.

B"H ...that elected Kadima? There is justice in this world, and there is mercy. But this is nonsense, this convergence plan. And the majority of Israel voted for it, to their own detriment! It is something unfortunately of the majority of the city Jews who voted this insane way. What can you say to someone who just keeps on drilling a hole in his own boat? Do you give him a pat of support on his shoulder the the American administration does, saying we will be supportive. Or do you tell him like Hamas does that there is a vision for a single state on the table, sans Israel, without letting Israel know that it is sinking its own boat? It that tough love? Do you blame it on the occupation, saying that the "occupation corrupts" because there is no sane explanation why a people would make such insane moves? I am not sure if the Arabs just cannot figure out Israel even more than there is anger. Their explanation also makes no sense whatsoever! I personally see Olmert going through with his convergence plan and Israel having to suffer the wrathful consequences unless there is Divine intervention of mercy. It sounds like a good time to move in. There is a lot of opportunity to make sense when there is a lot of nonsense to clear up. There is a minority of responsible people still living in Israel (is it on both sides?), and these people I think could do very well even under these circumstances. There is nothing like electing really bad government policy to weaken the government and get it off the citizen's shoulders. People are going to need to become individually more responsible on both sides because the collective is having trouble figuring this one out and seems in no position to "save" anyone individually here.

First of all i'm not a left wing nut. Neither am i in denial that probably no people or country in the world faces a tougher security situation than Israel. But, the professor has made some good points: 1.withdrawal in certain situations is a good idea: its a tactical withdrawal, sometimes you can't hold the land because of wotever reason, security, intl community etc. You can always say "look we are willing to give these maniacs some room, because we want peace." And moreover its true. 2.Collective punishment is bad deal, the humanitarian qn aside, its value as deterrent is questionale and causes nothing but propanganda for the enemy ("look what they are doing to us"). Of course some of you may rightly upbraid me for ' who cares for what the intl community thinks, we have to co-exist with these nutters'. Agreed but consider that isolationism harms Israel and i would say that all these things become a reflection of israeli policies. So you should balance security with pragmatism. 3. As for Hamas, and whether they can morph from a terror outfit to a proper civilain authority, I have serious doubts, and hence what are reasonable demands in such a situation is well anybody's guess. But again Israel shouldn't stop making gestures, if nothing else to show everyone that its serious about peace, even if it is on its own terms. FInally I agree with Ohmert, fix final borders, build your fence and let the nutcases live in a fools paradise if they think they can destroy israel.

Rix old chap, we pulled out of Gaza and look how they thanked us. Did it achieve anything? Are we better off? No, of course not. What we got in return was increased rocket fire on Israel and a victory for Hamas in their elections. Only Israel in its craving to be liked does such stupid things. Every military strategist that has spoken on the subject states that it was a great mistake to pull out of Gaza.