I generally don't respond to people who address me as "Jews like you." It is not a dialogue, it is not civil, it is unnecessary strife between brothers, a form of sinat hinam. Shabbat shalom

#31 Galil. You claim you know why it's a good idea for Israel to trim her waist to 8 miles by ceding Judea and Samaria. Yet you won't tell us why because you claim my question lacks civility. If they gave out prizes for lame excuses, you'd be a winner. There is no rational answer to this simple question: How would Israel benefit from an 8 mile (15 minute tank ride) waist.? There is no sane reason to cede Judea and Samaria. That is obvious to anyone who glances at a map.

#27 Galil. Israel was created through our victory over invading Arab armies in 1948. Not through what you call "pragmatism", which is really appeasement. In fact, the American State Department urged Jews not to decare statehood in 1948 and threatened nascent Israel with a total boycott. "Pragmatists" like yourself would undoubtedly have obeyed the State Department, and other powerful parties, who made the same demand. Every remarkable Israe achieved has come through victory. Whether we talk about Israel's birth in 1948, our great victory in 1967, Entebbe etc. Not one good thing has ever come, or ever will come, through appeasement. Calling it "pragmatism" changes nothing.

"Ben Gurion said that 'in the Negev the Jewish people's fate will be decided'. said A.B.Y. Not at all! The fate of the Jewish people was already decided, w2e voted with our feet: WE, Jews, live primarily in the Diaspora, with over 1,000,000 Israelis among us. Only a minority lives in Israel, year after year more secular Israelis leave Israel, which will become a bigotted orthodox Judaist state

Robert, your take on Israel is itself bigoted. Yes, we have our share of benighted bigots, but we also have a good share of forward and open thinking people I'm not sure where you get your number 1 million secular Israelis living abroad, or how you know they all secular. Israelis leave for many reasons, and they come back for many reasons. I know, I'm married to a returned Israeli, and I personally know several dozen Israelis who made the return home.