This ancient spiritual connection is nothing but greed and covet for real estate. It's the epitome of materialism. If you have no choice, then the outer circumstances will make the choice for you.

Amazing how Segal refuses to learn from anyone, regardless of their rank, experience or authority. Like his colleagues on the right, just keep parrotting their mantras. The right wing are singing the end of the Zionist dream because they, like the zealots of Jewish history, refuse to confront reality.

PS The Bible is not a real estate registry nor a document for property appraisal. If you insist, Abraham's eldest son lead the funeral rites, Ishmael not Isaac.

and with that they destroyed all their historical and religious connections to Israel. So of course they have lost all attachment because they lost all truth.

some Real estate,rocky hills.desert,svamps,the pioneers who cleared the swamps were not greedy,just fanatic in their love for their ancient-new homeland.

Like the famous mystery story where Sherlock Holmes solved the murder by what DIDN'T happen-the dogs DIDN'T bark- each of the shomerei completed the length of their service despite what they NOW proclaim were their misgivings. Contrast that with the "refuseniks" of the IAF who put their careers on the line to protest what, to them, were serious policy mistakes. The timing of the shomerei "awakenings" seriously undermines their credibility and suggests a wish for recognition as "intellectuals," an always diverting and very Jewish aspiration.

Recent discoveries indicate a lot of shared chromosomal markers between Jews and the Arabs of Israel.Also the Arabs are more modest generally than the TelAviv Night Cubs and the secular Jewish Marriages though both societies have a lot of marriage Failures .but there cannot be Right of Return for Holocaust Deniers neither to Judae and Samaria or Dan Gush.

who see Israel via some delusional ideological lens. Those of us who deal with it day in and day out, realize, there is no military solution and the Status Que not only not sustainable but harming our state, our future and our youth,

If these "gatekeepers" spoke like Zionists, they would retire to anonymity. As long as they spout extreme-Left BS, they are guaranteed very lucrative speaking engagements. It is love, love of money.

Is there a less wealthy place on Earth to occupy? Israel haters are too blind to see the absurdity of their ideological positions

There is definitely a kind of reverse Stockholm syndrome at work here. Or some kind of psychological deviance-- I think of higher -ups in the CIA who betrayed the US (Aldridge Ames, for one) or the recent Prisoner X, a very sad case but surely he was a poor candidate for the Mossad to begin with. Of course the filmmaker is known to be a flaming leftist, and for all we know he edited and doctored the film to project his I-hate-the-occuation thesis- how? By magnifying the image of the Shin Bet heads being in full of sympathy and empathy with Israel's sworn enemies.

Israeli leftists sincerely believe that Israel would be better off with a 9 mile waist. When people are so clearly lunatic and have such an obvious death wish; there is nothing one can say to them. Israel simply must assure leftists no longer have a chance to impose their lunacy on the sole tiny Homeland of Jews.

Only: your ideology is of the delusional, defiatist, anti Israel, leftist kind. Military solution are the only ones known to mankind. The rest is just signing of peace treaties by the vanquished ones. By the way, learn to read: I live here too.

Love thy neighbor as they self. It doesn't get any plainer than that. Issac had two sons, Jacob, & Esau the brothers should share their inheritance. I am sure their father would have wanted it that way. BTW both Issac, & Ishmale buried their father in Hebron, before you start quoting scripture you should read it to make certain you get the facts straight.

Strangely, I largely agree with your position. Nation-states are generally the outcomes of war and insurance. This should not be confused with moralistic, legalistic, historical and religious arguments which properly belong in everyday social relations, the courtroom, the history books and scriptural texts. The only caveat would be the case of war crimes. So, is the basis for Israel's existence one of military superiority or of moral / legal / historical / biblical legitimacy?

I don't know whether the premise is correct or not, whether I agree or not - it wasn't supported or developed in the article. This was more like a long talkback.

here& now because it was made possible by murder of 6 mil. plus the "World", in a moment of clarity, decided we deserved our tiny piece of property on this planet. Knowing that the Western civilization has it's roots in Judaism and Greek philosophy it seems only fitting, that we are acknowledged in a physical sense, especially after we've proved to be so resilient. I don't intend to loose sleep over highly moralistic circle-squaring when our "rights" are concerned, not unless each and EVERY other nation on this Earth starts doing it first: let's start with Germany, then USA, then France...so on. If we win over the Arab aggression then we will be in our full RIGHT! Since Islam accepts no other way, the "World" has to make sure that Islam is kept in eternal state of FEAR. Otherwise it will devour everything around it. Simple.

That is neither "love" nor moral choice, but a lack of reality and a fascination with power and moral ruthlessness. The reality is that there are about 23 mostly wealthy Arab states, but only one Jewish state. In addition, there are many more Islamic states, but only one Jewish state. All together, the Arab and Islamic world is very powerful. - So these "lovers" confuse compassion and understanding with bowing before the power and might of the Arab Islamic world. That happens usually to women who "fall" for rich men.

Talk about "confronting reality". How lunatic does an Israeli Jew have to be to champion a 9 mile wide Israel? Any child, of normal intelligence, can see that ceding Judea and Samaria is sure to lead to Israel's demise. You are the pathetic one, Eldar.

I applaud your search for straightforward answers so perhaps I could make a few points in response. You appear to justify Israel's existence on the basis of desert. I don't think there's a problem with that and it presumes others need to acknowledge that Israel deserves to exist (see the relevant UN resolution of 1949). For the reasons you state, I think you are right not to go down the 'rights' path. Your final comment appears to be about a security issue and not existential issue. It seems to rest on an empirical assessment of external threats. Again, no problem, but the two issues should not be conflated, otherwise. So, here is the question: is the West Bank under Israel's rule because of security issues or because it is regarded as part of Israel? If it is the first, then fine, but is then a case of occupation, the solution to which needs to be worked out in the course of negotiation. If it is the second, again fine, but then the land should be annexed along with its existing population with an acceptance of the consequences for citizenship in a modern democracy.

Keep up with the truth. Well done. You've explained it so well.

when a people/army have nowhere to run they will stand,fight & win! or die. the arabs have a giant continent to live in. the jews have a tiny sliver of land tween a sea a,river & a lake. nowhere to run/"return" to. my money is on the jews!!

you taking someone’s land so you can live in comfort while they go homeless...As the world knows you 'deserved it'...Why did you think you deserved it? What did you deserve? Another mans home? And now you have your 'rights' to protect..the rights the UN 'gave' you and the US taxpayer subsidizes... ...Don't lose sleep over any of it, you stole it fair and square and it's yours for now but it wont be forever.... You are more then a sad case for a human being.. TATA

The Arabs had the wb and e. Jerusalem before June 1967 but they went to war anyway to destroy Israel. Israel had no choice but self-defense resulting in Jordan's retreat across the river Jordan. Thus the 1949 armistice line between Israel and Jordan was destroyed by Jordan with Palestinian backing. Nevertheless, in July 1967 Israel offered the Arab states all of the territory just captured in return for peace. They Arbs replied: No negotiations with Israel, no peace withy Israel; no recognition of Israel. Now the PA wants everything back as if they had not tried to destroy Israel and failed. Surely the Intelligence services know all of this as well as the result of the Gaza withdfrawal. Land for peace? Sure but the Palesteinians refuse Isral's offers. That is the sad reality.

man "deserves" happiness/freedom or any of the things we take for granted in our deteriorating, Western society. All I said was, that there was a "moment" in History and we took it. It is up to us, Israelis to make it permanent through military combat and fighting antisemites like you and like-minded on the international arena. There is no point convincing you of anything, but if you think I've stolen anything: come and get it , punk!