There is no occupation. Israel is not in the posession of the Arab lands. Instead of a futile "please, let's sign a peace deal" motto - all the efforts should be made to encourage the Arab population to leave. Absence of a peace deal with Syria is fine... Having millions of hostile residents within the country is not.

Sadly all options are: Surrender, Appeasement, Collaboration, and Scapegoating the Jews.

self delusion will not help Israel

you will soon wake up ans realize that you are wrong regarding the "occupation". Jews deserve to live in their land. Palestinians can go go Jordon. there never was historically a Palestine state?

Was the one of the greatest moral victory of all time arriving after the jews of poland were gassed to death two million . Stalin was one of the greatest executioners of all time the estimate is twenty million civilian deaths . The golan heights ought be internationalized with a huge us-nato nuclear missile base.

wrong "experts". Your mindset is cast in varying shades of leftism, that's the problem. Free yourself up. Start with the Golan. We are going to keep it and we need to keep it. As my own expert (high-ranking IDF man) told me, if we gave it back in return for a peace treaty, the treaty would be reneged the next day. Besides, we paid too high a price for it in terms of suffering, injuries and deaths. Go back up to the Golan, look around, and then write what you see. Already, we have grapes growing for wine, agriculture and an arts centre. It is underpopulated, however. When we make up our minds to keep and populate it, the Syrian Druze will become Israeli loyalists just as their brothers in Israel have done. And one more thing, Sever, you're wrong, it's of strategic benefit and a strategic necessity. Hopes this helps while your mind has been opened by current events.

As you reflect about about being wrong about Syria, you might as well reflect about Israels rule of the west bank. There is no doubt that its a ticking time bomb and sooner or later its going to need to be swept out. Now before you say Im crazy,, it wont be long before you say " he told us so" wait till fatah and hamas and totally unified and blowing up buses in jerusalem again, and you will see what I mean. There is no peace with the devil and there is no peace like a strong fence. Like in the Golan, or the Jordan River Valley. Dont say no one told you so.

A journalist can make serious mistakes. The difference is that journalist owned up to them. Would that others were so candid.

he was wrong. I commend you for this, Mr. Plocker. However, such wrongness have cost Israel their lives. Many others like you still abound. With Sharon it is too late. From now on, I will expect articles that will make you truly great. I hope many leftist will have the guts to cure themselves and change things around for Israel.

Is water still wet? Who will join you next? Hillary for saying Assad was a reformer? John Kerry? Thomas Friedman? Gabi Ashkenazi who couldn't wait to give up the Golan? Who's next I wonder?

Also, remember Assad's arrogant words when Mubarak fell. He said he is safer in Syria, because he did not make peace with Israel. This comment of his, was a Freudian slip. He let out that he is not interested in peace, even with the Golan. And it also reflects the hatred for Israel.

The question is whether the Israeli gov and people will recognize this historic chance and embrace the Arab street or whether the nation will remain behind the wall of fear.

the primary falacy of this guy is that he claims the riots and revolution taking place in the Arab world is one of democratization when in fact it is Islamification. The problem is he is still fixated on giving up land to anyone, just giving up land and that is the danger. This sir is our land.

The problem with that idea is that the 'Arab street' is totally against peace with Israel. We now see the true colors of our neighbors, as if there was any doubt about it beforehand. There is only a small minority who is willing to accept the existence of the State of Israel. Israelis want to live in peace.

Thank you for your heart felt change of view. Do you consider Abbas to be a dictator as well? If no, why ? Stan

Written by a real man

This admission deserves credit for candor & honesty. Unlike many Leftists, Ploczer does admit his error & should be acknowledged. Several years ago when Farid Ghadry, a Syrian exile democracy activist & head of the Syrian Reform Party, his host was Likud MK Yuval Steinitz. Meretz & the Left shunned him, claiming that peace was more important than democracy. But only a democracy can make real peace.

I wonder ...has the upheavals in Egypt, now Syria... perhaps in a few months , ...in Jordan, really alerted the Peace Now, the Freidmans of the world... Clinton ...Obama ??? Do any of these good intentioned Bunglers understand what has happened ? With respect to Israel: DO THEY REALLY CARE ? moshe

This is not some pro-democracy uprising - this is fueled by the Muslim Brotherhood. In the end, it is the choice of the syrian citizens but make no mistake: the choice is dictator or radical Islamist regime.

I love it when a committed lefty comes to their senses. Maybe there is hope for Obama yet? Naaah! Welcome home Plocker!

about almost everything,

Sever Plocker, thank you for the precious advice, we the Palestinians will take your advice into consideration.

If Assad is toppled we will probably have the old story of we have to support the moderate and encourage democracy and that means give the Golan to Syria based on any conditions that Syria makes and what Israel wants doesn't matter. We saw it with Abbas, the moderate who we must support and who can do no wrong. Israel's left will probably be pushing the government harder to give up the Golan than ever before. I hope that the author of this article will remember what he has written in this article the next time the demands to give up the Golan begin.

Very few leftists admitted they were wrong about Arafat/PLO/Oslo. They still go on about 2 state solution. And let's be clear what will happen to the west bank if it becomes a palestine state: an inlfux of millions of Palestinian refugees, including all the terror groups in the world. Gaza will seem like an oasis of calm if you compare this to the new west bank. One other fallacy of the Israeli mindset. On the one hand, they say "we are strong, the IDF can handle this and that". That's what was said before Oslo, even by leftists like AmozOz. But when the betrayal beocmes clear like the 2nd intifada, and the Gaza missiles, the IDF is impotent; the Government is in paralysis. And international opinion dictates what measures can be taken. So i you want a Gaza/Lebanon/Iran type west bank, then go for the palestinian state.