A Fatah-controlled independant Palestinian state presents exactly the same problems as you detail for a Hamas entity in the West Bank. The whole idea of a 2-state solution at present is an enormous security risk.

Bibi should never ever agreed to recognize the arab state. They have one in jordan. Not an inch of land to these deadbeats. No more negotiations. Let jordan take these arabs. They should have been kicked out in 1967 and now we pay the price. Its not too late. Build, Build and Build, push these arabs back to jordan.

It is ridiculous to pretend Fatah is better than Hamas. Both are genocidal Jew and Israel hating terrorist organizations whose goal is to destroy Israel and mass murder Jews. The only difference is that Hamas is more honest. It says so in every language. However, Fatah says so mainly in Arabic. The only victory I wish for Hamas is over Fatah.

It doesn't make a difference which terrorist organization is in power- Fatah or Hamas (to us any way)both wish to destroy us. 2. is right. We should have took care of the prblemin 1967..now we are paying the price. Or better yet not caved in to Internaitonal pressure in 1948- we did and so let Syria, Egypt and Jordan (which sits on 77% of Israeli's land) occupy parts of ISrael that we only liberated in 1967. During the occupation, they moved many more Arabs into our territories. SOLUTION: Neutralize all terrorists and deport the Arab Muslim settlers back to their countries. This can be done in at least two stages. FIrst we officaly once and for all annex Judea and Samaria give them (in Judea and Samaria) temporary residency (not citizenship)..they already ready receive millions of dollars/billions of shekels from us. Then within 3 yeasr they need to leave. This is the most moral thing to do as Judea and Samaria is legally according to INTL LAW iSRAEL AS well as historically, and practically (continued Jewish presence-except during the 19 year Arab occupation). Arab Muslims hold 99.9% of ME. The remaining small portion of our land from Jordan river to sea is only 0.1% of land in the ME. This would be ethical for all parties involved.

Terry You are of course right. But there is only so much you can deal with in a single Op-Ed. This article focuses on why a Hamas-ruled "West Bank" would not entail any advantages for Israel and why proposing it is a bad idea. What polices should be instituted by Israel vis-à-vis the "West Bank" is the subject of another article - see for example RETHINKING PALESTINE http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3863043,00.html

thats a fact! Sooner or later we will do this in America!

Not with Obama as your president !!

Unless and until Israel and the democratic West apprehend that Islam is an inherently conquering, expansionist / supremacist religious tradition - whose current power has been massively enhanced largely by U.S. petrodollars - we will never get a handle on the threat. It did not begin with Obama - a Muslim-born president with deep sympathies for the world of Islam. Former President George W. Bush failed to define the enemy after the 9/11 Muslim-terror attacks on New York and Washington. Instead Bush rushed headlong to assure the American people that Islam is a religion of peace that's been hijacked by a few "terrorists" who are "traitors" to their faith. Not so. Bush then preceded to establish yet another Muslim-terror state. This one in Israel's Biblical and historic heartland. Bush made the establishment of a Muslim-enemy state in Israel a "formal goal of U.S. policy." Obama, according to his deeply held anti-Israel convictions, is pursuing this wrong-headed U.S. policy with a passion. American foreign policy vis-a-vis Islam and the Middle East could, in the years to come, prove fatal.

Deciding who leads the Palestinians is really none of our business. The real question is whether it is worth Israeli lives to protect one gang of terrorists (PA) from another tougher gang of terrorists (Hamas). How would you like to get a letter from the IDF telling you that your son died heroically defending Abbas.

That there is even a debate on the insanity of allowing Hamas control of Judea and Samaria is terrifying. They're replaying the tapes of the insanity of the left who told us that if we just unilaterally vacate Gaza and uproot all the Jews, that will surely bring us peace and the international community will stop pressuring Israel. AND THEY STILL DON'T LEARN! THEY STILL DON'T GET IT. Can't you all see that to even propose this, you have to be stark, raving mad and suicidal to boot?

I wonder if the Palestinian negotiator reads the "Israeli" media,, if so , Do you really think with this form of thinking We can have Peace ?! I'm not talking about the talkbacks but about the majority of "Israeli" opinion writers!!

The biggest mistake was to let these puppets in , in the first place , they have given more trouble than the PLO has in a few years than the last 50 years. SO if you think through judaisms crystal ball or glasses, which is the stupid mistake. Obviously Radical brotherhood guys dressed in green and black hoods. My view was always that israels leaders made a vast error in judgment at the time due to frustration or otherwise. As we know the PLO or now the Authority are really one, split into sections. Hamas on the other hand are the most devious group of islamic mystic terrorists who fully beleive that there beliefs are how the region consist and how there thinking is a power over jews and there own people, to only use arab black magic as a way to supersede judaism and import more brother hood elements like a lego set untill they have built there own temple, this is not a great story to tell for the region, it is un-acceptable, they need to be kicked out. Ideollogy of this kind is the enemy itself this mentall arab thinking is how 3 million arabs get brain washed into subversity, is this what you want from the people next door. Do Hamas teach anyone in Gaza anything remotely that can bear fruit - NO They DO NOT>>>>< on this side of the coin all you get is diabolical mad people joining hands and telling the world you are now living with the insane asylem next door, is this who jews want to live next to, HURRY UP AND ERADICATE HAMAS BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, Not one jew on this earth should have to even contemplate dealing with insane mentalities of death ideology and terroristic lifestyles as the norm of the day and shovelled down our throats by way of terror blackmail tactics, it is not what Israel is all about and should never stand next to, as jews we denounce this type of human defect as we should, as it is the sick alter ego of true life - Being Jewish.

I've said it before and will continue to say it. For that matter follow this equation: hamas = fatah = PA = terrorstinians = moslem brotherhood = hizb'allah = taliban (. . .) = Israel = no Jews Everyone of those groups want to dismantle Israel and put all people under the sword by way of "convert or die".

That should read: hamas = fatah = PA = terrorstinians = moslem brotherhood = hizb'allah = taliban (. . .) = no Israel = no Jews. I need a proof reader as well as a spell checker. All those organizations want to do away with Israel.

Firstly, a significant portion of Israeli Arabs are not anti-Israeli and the most fanatical anti-Israelis are Jewish Israelis. Secondly, lets assume you push them to Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon. How does this solve the problem? So they fire rockets from a village with a different name.

Haniyeh at odds with Pretty Boy Mashaal fighting for dominance Zahar a loose canon Haniyeh and Pretty Boy Mashaal both in the pocket of Ahmadinejad With all this infighting, treachery, corruption is there any wonder why they just cant get their act together? Like little children they revel in limelight of flotillas, threats and empty grandiose gestures but its all hot air Yet - over the past three months or so somethimng seems top be stirring in Gaza West Palestine. Secretly people there are stirring to in their own ways undermine the Hamas grip on power and Hamas are worried. SWiil they listen to the mood music and join the negotiations or stick their heads in the sand?

Yes if Hamas fires at Israel, Israel would fire back. But this time no world pressure would stop them. That's not say, the same blame Israel crowd, wouldn't be out there, and running to the UN. Israel would just ignore it, this time around. No Arab countries will come to the aid of the Palestinians. Hamas would cause the West Bank to be destroyed again. Israel would just have to take the heat. So what? Did you forget what followed Cast Lead, attacks by Hamas dropped by over 90%. This would be the message at every attack by Hamas. Believe me, they will get the message. The only problem I see is this, when there are no negotiations, according to Palestinian polling about 40% want and prefer violent Jihad against Israel. But for how long? Are the people really willing to give up all the economic gains they have made in the last 10 years? Yes it is a gamble, but nothing has worked so far, right? We are still at the same place now as we were 1 year ago. What is the difference between now and time period between 1948-1967. When there were NO SETTLEMENTS. When this fabricated reason couldn't be used as an excuse, because no Settlements existed. There was no "occupied" land. Yet things were as they are now. With no peace, little negotiation, and Israel under constant civilian attack. So let the Arabs have Hamas take the lead, when they fail, and they will fail. Why? Because the IDF can annihilate the West Bank anytime it wants. With Hamas as the only authority, who will blame Israel. The same leftists, antisemitic, and Pollyanna that do now. Who cares about them, they will never change anyway.

Columnist Martin Sherman has a long memory, and common sense enough that he may shortly have to find a very good psychiatrist to help'him deal with insane Jews, having short memories about those who kill Jews. Those who pull the trigger are Jew killers. Those who hand them the bullets are the moderates who we hope some day to share Jewish land with. Good job Martin Sherman!!

Thank you for a well written article. However, I can't help thinking that there is less charade with Hamas,as is often pointed out. The PA & Israel are both subject to the dictatorial demands of the present US regime. The underlying question is why does one want to fix something that works reasonably well i.e. maintaining the status quo? As a Jewish settler, I can fairly say that most 'do' want peace, but expecting us to be uprooted in the process doesn't equate to peace in any shape or form. We see Arab workers on a daily basis getting a living from our building needs. We speak to them and generally have a fairly good rapport. Each side just wishes to get by as peacefully as possible. Enter all the outsiders into the mix and what do we get? Endless problems! Believe me, local solutions discussed by stable level headed people could quickly fix the majority of problems we get here. However, that would mean taking a cold hard look at the difference between automous power safeguarded by careful security precautions, as opposed to heavy handed rulership regardless of the name it comes under. I personally favor Hotlevy's approach offering Israeli citizenship to local Arabs. At least that can always be revoked upon engaging in terrorist activities, whereby they can be dumped off in Gaza by the next passing 'peace flotilla'.