Rabbi, we are here only by the grace of God. Idon't believe he will forsake us. We are at the brink of our survival again. This cold cruel world seems to put us into this shell over and over again. We have only one thing to do, defend ourselves until they stop.

Get ready for the avalanche of the defeatist T. Friedman types talking points.

Why is it always Israel that is pushed to make bold moves? Why not Palestinian Arabs to make bold moves? This whole article is a regurgitation of the old lefty slogans - give our enemies something and they will love you. Wake up already. It's not 1993 Oslo.

Palestinians will not accept a Mickey Mouse state or anything short of their full rights as sanctioned by international law. This includes Jerusalem, Right of Return, and the right of Self Defense.

d. hartman and people like him do not have a clear idea what they are talking about, have you ever seeing in world history country, which won all the wars and now in peace time loosing its state. there are no palestinians - just palestinian arabs who are puppets of arab countries, which found new way to defeat israel without war. it is israel who has to dictate conditions for peace, or establishment of ani state on her territory.

Stop the B.S.. We are fighting for our existence. The other side wants nothing less then everything. They are pure evil cloaked in many forms. I am past the point of looking for the good in the Palestinian leadership, because it doesn't exist. What neighborly sacrifices have they made lately that we can dream that we can coexist with them if we gave into their demands. The answer is none. In the words of Doris Day "Que Sera Sera. Whatever will be will be." Stop worrying. Be happy. We have to watch out for number one Eretz Yisrael and the jewish people. The fear of antisemitism is not a reason to make short sighted decisions. In G-d we trust!

take a look around. You are in a raging sea of discontent. There can be no negotiating. It's been tried and tried again for decades. When you say it's time for Israel to make bold moves, it's simply code for capitulation. If you are to survive the IDF must become IOF. The EVIL that stalks you cannot be talked down, it can only be defeated.

Notice how carefully the appeasers try to create a sense of URGENCY. Israel's demographics are moving into a greater Jewish majority. The Arabs are aging and having fewer children. The Jewish population is growing ever younger AND having more babies. The Israeli economy is one of the strongest in the west. And, very soon two HUGE natural gas fields will be opening up off shore of Haifa. Each year more and more IDF candidates express a desire to enlist in the COMBAT arms instead of the support arms. So each and every day Israel is growing stronger. And support for Israel is increasing in the USA. Those are the reasons the Israel haters are doing their best to force the tiny democracy to accept Auschwitz borders NOW. It is precisely because time IS on the side of Israel.

that after the UN vote the first thing that will happen will be a mutual defense pact between the PA and Iran. So the time to strike Iran and deflate its influence is now.

Concessions and appeasement has been tried and failed peace at any cost is a recipie for disaster.a recipie for war.

You can't make peace with those you want to destroy you . Take the time to listen to Hamas before you start preaching about all the concessions Israel needs to make.

A Palestinian state, living next to Israel, when coupled with the other Arab states surrounding Israel will be the death knell for the Jewish state. Israel will never win politically in a world which hates Jews. Sadly the only way for Israel to complete the Zionist dream ( which by the way had nothing to do with a Palestinian state ) is to gain a military victory over the country that is vermenting most of the current hatred of israel: Iran. Unless Israel is able to take on and defeat the area's bully life for Israel will not last the next 50 years.

I grew up as a Conservative Jew in America. In a nutshell, it is a philosophy of Judaism where we don't have to act like Jews as long as we think like Jews. There is nothing wrong with that inherently, however when you check their longevity, you'll find that the majority of their children leave Judaism and intermarry. Conservative Judaism -- and its mindset is irrelevant in Israel. The Rabbi needs to go back to America. Let us build a nation here where we act like Jews with pride.

this must be a very very bad article...and it is. What kind of rubbish talk is this coming from a so called "rabbi"! Disgusting!

I don't object to Palestinians returning to their Palestinian state but not to Israel.

About 10 hours ago I sent a talkback which you did not publish. I conformed to all your criteria, so it must be that politically and factually it did not suite you.

The Afrikaaners in South Africa were also told by their clergy that "God had given them the country" "...... you don't believe he will forsake us" I ASK YOU WHEN LAST DID HE HELP US AVOID A NATIONAL TRAGEDY? In the past 2000 years our people have suffered countless pogoms and expulsions and finally the shoah. Time is not on our side. The Western world is becoming more Islamised. In a decade or two the few friends we have will be far fewer (if any remain at all) South Africa was stronger than the ANC and all her Black neighbors, but was forced to relinquish power by decades of international boycotts.

Logically we should not pursue a plan that will leave us off worse than we are now. At the moment though, that is the only type of plan that will satisfy the Palestinians. They see Israel as solely to blame for the problems caused by their aggression in '48 and '67. They want to be sure that all we have achieve since '48 is erased, by a complete return to the '48 armistice boundaries followed by flooding our country with third generation refugees. Better an obstructionist government than one that surrenders our future for transient acclaim.

Time, God, world are on our side .

I am sorry rabbi but the 'Jewish' state has gone too far down the road to becoming a fascist theocratic state. They are not interested in 'peace' except on their own narrow and humilitaing terms. They believe in magical thinking, that somehow, something will appear that will absolve them of the consequences of their actions. They do not wish to contemplate their responsibilities, merrely to blame the 'other' for all of their ills. Frankly, rabbi, You are partially responsible for this mess. Teaching eternal vicitmization, and religious and ethnic rights as being superior to humanity as a whole has led to the cliff which most Jews, like lemmings, are willing to leap from.

How clever, he os asking the palestianins to wait forever , so the Israelis end their endless tendency to argue while more settlements , and more diplacmnets of the palestianinas .This is the reality of israeli plan , you offered nothing except pontificating on how to undermine the palestians rights incrementally.

What "full rights?" The ersatz "Palestinians" have exercised their "full rights" in six wars and seven decades of terror. The ersatz "Palestinians" have also exercised their "full rights" on the three occasions that they rejected a two-state solution -- including, most recently, one which would have awarded you 90% of the West Bank and East Jerusalem as a capital. You chose to start the second intifada instead. That's another exercise of the "full rights" of the ersatz "Palestinians." Here's a news flash: The ersatz "Palestinians" are not interested in peaceful co-existence with Israel. You are interested in supplanting Israel. That is never going to happen. Forget Jerusalem. Forget "Right of Return." Forget Judea and Samaria. We're going to send you home to Jordan. Israel can exercise its full rights, too.

No, time is not on Israe's side, and it never was, and nothing else is on the side of Israel - ONLY jews are on their own side. Be as tough as a rock and do not give up nothing - then all will goy our way.

You have said it right.

The time has come to face the facts.Forget about all the philosophy aboutthe mistakes made by the Arabs in '48 and after the war in '67. You don't want Israel to change anthing. Please read what I said earlier( #19) This is not something personal against you, but understand that if Israel does not withdraw from Ariel and other settlements far from the 67 borders there will be no Israel!!! I worry every day what will happen to my children and grandchildren. I have lived here since 1962, and believe me " Little Israel" defended what bibi calls 'indefensible borders" far better than "Big Israel " did in 73 !

The author is 100% wrong. Time is totally on Israel's side. That is why our enemies are so frantic. They know what the author doesn't. That time is running out for them. Soon all of Judea and Samaria will be massively settled by Jews, as it should be. Soon Israel will have massive amounts of gas available. Israel's future is bright as the stars. Our foes know the bell tolls for them.

The signers of israel's declaration of independence would be proud of your midrash on what has happened to our dream and your positive message that all is still not lost. BG lives, Rabin lives and hope is everlasting that a free people in their own land can with strength and courage seek accommodation with is neighbors. Kol hakavod Rabbi Hartman!!