and the Jews. But how long is it going to take before they begin to comprehend that you cannot nigotiate with terrorists? We all understand that the Jews want peace and will do anything for that peace. But I fear that it won't be long before that the terrorists will again begin killing and maiming their so called Jewish peace partners. Wake up Jews. You are not dealing with humans but with hate filled terrorists who lie through their teeth.

Only Israeli fools want to see a new terrorist state carved out of the sole tiny Homeland of the Jewish people. Only Jews with a death wish want to see Israel reduced to a 9 mile wide concentration camp.

If Israel frees pal murderers or even thinks of giving an inch of Israel's land, you should see a good Jewish shrink. What is a Jew if not Israel? Which Jew would hand over his inheritance, the small amount of land given by our G-d to the 12 tribes of Israel?? The past is a prolog, Israel pays for her mistakes, pal terror attacks, cafes, buses, kidnappings the Fogel family all whose throats were silt by pals, including an infant. Is this who you want as your next door neighbor? HELL NO ! KEEP BUILDING !!!!!!!

Dan Calic has performed a service because he clarifies a central issue. He talks of Israel giving up land, whereas an alternative view is that it is not Israel's to give up. Suicide bombings, murderous attacks on civilians, Palestinian charters requiring the elimination of Israel, etc. are to be condemned - correctly - and Israel has the right to defend itself. However, these are not at the core of the problem which is essentially a dispute between two peoples about land. Many believe they can simplify matters by negating the existence of the other. That is a waste of time, since the position of each side becomes more entrenched as a result. So, unless the matter is resolved by an all-out war with annexation (and maybe ethnic cleansing) on the part of Israel - or the elimination of Israel (and maybe ethnic cleansing) on the part of the Palestinians - there are only two possible outcomes: continuation of the status quo or a negotiated settlement. If the latter happens it will not be a result of the reconciliation of the two different ways of seeing the situation but a compromise to permit the two side to emerge with some gains and some losses to allow everyone to get on with their lives. If it is the former the region will continue to slide into the political and moral abyss.

from right wingers, who believe the Palestinians should thank us for allowing them to live. The Palestinians will get their homeland in Palestine because they are 50 % of this land, end of story. What we Israelis think about it is totally irrelevant. There will be no apartheid regime in which people live under oppression and with no basic human rights, as some Jewish right wingers fantasize. We are not doing the Palestinians a favor by ¨giving¨ them land, it was never our land under international law to begin with, nor is east Jerusalem.

Nir, you did not address any of Dan's specific points. This renders your rant meaningless.

You have got a nice Israeli (Hebrew) name, and I suppose you are an intelligent and honest guy too. I read with much attention your post, and I was somehow disturbed to read your following words: "We are not doing the Palestinians a favor by giving them land, it was never our land under international law to begin with, nor east Jerusalem". Well Nir, you write with such conviction, "under international law", and till today, I, personally, never succeeded to locate this famous article in International Law (the exact wording), that condemns Israel regarding the territories and east Jerusalem. I expect from you to quote this article, in a civilized answer, without slander or slurs I unfortunately often encounter in this column. Thanks in advance.

Doctors increasingly recognize Leftism as a severe psychiatrist illness that includes psychopathic arrogance, inability for logical thinking, blindness to reality and messianic faith in a self-invented narrative. The Arab-Jewish rivalry predates Islam. Arab-Israel conflict predates Israel and predates the territories. No map can be drawn that gives two viable states. No legitimate Arab leader has ever agreed or hinted at coexistence with Israel, and arguably Jews. The "Two states solution" was invented by the Israeli extreme-Left and has been unanimously rejected by all Arab leaders, yet Leftists honestly believe that Arabs want this solution.

As a Turkish guy I recommend not to negotiate with this terrorists. In my oppinion Israel should capture the gaza strip + Westbank at all. That would be the only solution and people (arabic too) would live in a safer way as they are living now. Don't forget, not every turk is your foe, I love Israel and I love Jewish people!

Dear FO. UN resolution no. 242 issued on the 22nd of November 1967, just after the six day war. I pasted you the relevant parts that deal with the occupied territories, but you can find the whole resolution on the internet : The preamble refers to the "inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East in which every State in the area can live in security." (i) Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;

Dan's points are simply wrong. " In Israel’s case the desire for peaceful coexistence has long been known. " If that were the case how can we explain 45 years of holding millions of people hostage with no basic human rights whatsoever ? Stealing private property ? Illegal settlements on private land ? Violation of dozens of international laws ? "It’s also worth mentioning they have never had suicide bombers murdering innocent Palestinian children" How about Baruch Goldstein ? Jack Teitel ? Eden Natan Zade ? Or the hundreds of innocent people killed by airstrikes "accidentally".. "Israel does not have a charter which requires the destruction of any other state." We have voted against a Palestinian state in the UN. The PLO on the other hand has recognized Israel

Condoning release is condoning murder of Jews. Until the clause that states Israel shall be eliminated etc is removed we are seen to be negotiating with murderers and condoning their acts. Tomorrow when these low lives are released they will be showered with glory and money to them and their families. They will be publicly praised as muslim heroes. Lets get real Abbass does not expect the negotiation to succeed. He and his brothers therefore want as many prisoners as possible released. What a joke and sign of weakness. Where are our human rights preconditions????

The Palestinians want Justice while Israel wants pacification of Palestinians living on islands surrounded by Israel and its army so the Palestinians cannot claim rights in Israel. Israel no longer needs bombs in marketplaces. They can now destroy with smart bombs. Zionism demands all of the Holy Land with the indigenous people expelled or made "hewers of wood.." The Arabs who are citizens of Israel are second class citizens with inferior services and access to land and Israel wants a resolution of the conflict only because they fear Palestinian's claims to right as indigenous people in their homeland.

The Palestinians are not saints but neither are we. We are two different people seeking national self determination between the river and the sea. Political separation and partition is the most rational alternative. And yes many of their foot soldiers are terrorists. However, so were ours. Between 1936 and 1947 the Irgun took credit for over 30 bombings and as many other violent attacks.

In the area currently covered by Israel, is it possible to have two viable states? Answer: no. Has there ever been any Arab leader that has agreed to coexist with Israel? Answer: no. As for your "answer". Judea and Samaria were designated to be part of Israel so all you are saying is what we all know: Jordanian capture of Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem in 1948 was illegal, and their liberation by Israel is justice. As we read in #12, you form your opinions by ignoring reality and inventing "facts" to make a narrative that you then believe in.

You wrote: "the problem is essentially a dispute between two peoples about land." So far as you are concerned, Dan Calic has not performed a service by clarifying a central issue. The problem is not essentially a dispute between two peoples about land, which leads me to ask you. Did you read this piece? Calic makes clear, this is NOT a dispute about land.

I appreciate very much your answer to my request. Dear Nir, i'm going to tell you some things I know, about Resolution 242, that you will be able to verify immediately on Internet about its authenticity. Well, the author of UNSC Resolution 242 was a certain Professor called Eugene Rostow. He was the Dean of the School of Law at the university of Yale. He started with a comprehensive study to understand the Israeli-Arab conflict and he came to the following conclusions: in case of a settlement of the conflict, Israel will have to withdraw from the Sinai Desert (still under military occupation) ,because the Sinai never was part to the "Jewish National Home" as allocated to the Jewish people by the League of Nations (The Mandate for Palestine). For the rest of the territories he stated that no international institution could require from Israel to withdraw. Why? Because the League of Nations gave the Jews, by an unanimous vote of all its 51 members, the irrevocable right to settle between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, a right that became International Law, and was reaffirmed by Article 80 of the United Nations Charter. I invite you to consult Prof.Rostow's articles e.g. The Future of Palestine, Resolved: are the settlements legal? and more... Don't hesitate, dear Nir, to get in touch with me again, if you like. It will be my pleasure.

only if the Palestinians recognise Israel, remove all hatred against Jews in school textbooks, give up plans for Jerusalem as their capital, one can hope for a start for peace. And what about Gaza? Hamas is excluded from peacetalks, not interested in peace, to the contrary only goal is to remove Israel (read their Charter). Therefore I predict that talks will fail. Shalom from Holland

I disagree with your premise. The use of terror, albeit a radical measure, does not necessarily make an organization (e.g., Irgun) a terrorist entity or a country a state sponsor of terrorism. For example, the United States (USAF) and England (RAF) firebombed / terror-bombed German cities in the final years of the second world war in response to German terror and atrocities. Nearly one million German civilians were incinerated by these Allied bombings. Was it terrorism? Yes. Are the United States and England state sponsors of terrorism? The Irgun used terrorism in response to Arab terrorism. The British imposed an immoral blockade, preventing desperate Jewish refugees (fleeing Nazi occupied Europe) entry into Palestine. England violated the terms of the Mandate. In essence they "conspired" with Germany in the Final Solution because Jews has no where to go. Does that make Begin a terrorist? I don't think so.

Since the goal of the Arabs is to destroy Israel, any peace proposal or process that ignores this reality is a meaningless waste of time or worse. Why not just get into the real issue: Does Israel want to be destroyed? If not, then the question should be when does the war actually start?

Although the majority of Israeli public opinion is for a comprehensive peace treaty with concessions, it is probable that the palestinian popular majority is for resistance with a cessation of major hostilities as in a Huodna, although some ie the more extreme elements are even only interested in a Tahadhiya. On that basis and with the UN and EU offering the palestinians some prospect of progress without any commitment the Kerry initiative is limited in its scope. Maybe the negotiation of an official Houdna from all parties. Also progress on general improvements in relations and cooperation in the fields of Economy and domestic politics is possible. However as long as the mindset of the palestinians surrounding countries ( in internal/external conflict or not ) and right wing Israelis oppose progress a comprehensive peace will remain elusive . Likewise so long as the palestinian economy and individual palestinian employment and livelihoods remain dependent on the foreign aid handouts from the west, there is little prospect of gambling on any change in the status quo. The upside doesn't exist and the political mindset exists neither.

Ramat Hasharon is not part of israel it belongs to the arabs. Nir you are an occupier of land that rightfully and under International law belongs to the arabs.

Too bad the arabs and their supporters already have their minds made up and don;t want to be confused by things like facts.

Did you actually read the article - and my response? Clearly not. Dan Calic writes about 'giving up' land, not gold bars, which he believes is Israel's. The Palestinians, on the other hand, believe it is already theirs. So, it's a dispute over .....land.

.... and everyone else. Jerusalem is the eternal and undivided capital of the Jewish State of Israel. That is NOT negotiable. The Arabs that fled before and during Israel's War of Independence did so voluntarily. They may not return. That, too, is NOT negotiable. Everyone seems to think that international law and convention does not apply to Israel. They seem to think that Israel should simply ignore six wars of Arab aggression, the failure of the ersatz "Palestinians" to negotiate (I would argue that there is nothing to negotiate; you lose a war that you start, you have to face the consequences, no matter how unpleasant -- just ask Germany, Italy and Japan) and that Israel should make concessions that no sovereign state on earth would even deign to consider. Bertram, I realize that you are a self-hating Jew, but you must realize that most Jews are pretty content being Jews. That's an argument that you will not win. Why not focus your attention closer to home? Why not work to coax the British government into restoring Wales to the Welsh; Cornwall to the Cornish; and Northern Ireland to the Irish. Give your life meaning and purpose. You, sir, are no Jew. Stop pretending. We've grown pretty sick of you here. I, for one, have doubts that you are even Jewish. I think you're probably some British lout who has nothing better to do with his time than excoriate the Jewish people and the Jewish State. Butt out of Israel's affairs, why don't you? They do not concern you. On the other hand -- you could focus your attention to the dismal state of former British colonies. That's a stain that you should want to work hard to remove. Now get lost. Get busy elsewhere. The British have far too much misery for which they are solely accountable. Clean up those messes, why don't you?

it is the simple truth that the arabs want israel, while israel wants peaceful coexistence with all of her neighbours, including the arab palestinians.

we much appreciate your support. most of us know that we should not negotiate with terrorists. unfortunately, israel is under enormous pressure from obama and europe. netanyahu does what he thinks is best for the country under present very difficult circumstances. we all know that the arabs will not make peace with the jewish state.

israel, the jews of the yishuv, hagannah, tzahal, are not terrorists. it is not bombings that make a person a terrorist. you are not a friend of the state of israel. you support the other side, however much you want to fool us.

And just when there was the beginnings of less name calling and more frank but reasoned disagreements. So to honor your return Sarah might I suggest that you: Dump the cant: expressions like self-hating Jews, erzatz Palestinians that add little to the conversation...use strings of intelligient words not slogan. Stop attacking the imputed motives of those you disagree with. You are not a mind reader and you cannot judge a person's moral compass or heart beyond their words and what they reveal in them of themselves. Don't question a person's identity - If I (for example) claim to be a connected life long zionist activist trust me that I am telling the truth, just as I trust you as to where you live,your religious affilitation, the links to the shoah ( a connection I share BTW) and your profession. Indeed if everthing you claim biographicaphically is true and all I claim biographically is also true. we have probably been in the same meeting rooms and places more that once and our linked-in connections overlaps. wait! OMG are you HER?! hmmm So Sarah, You are smart person - use your words not your epithets.