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Last update - 09:47 17/09/2006 The great escape By Daniel Gavron There is something obsessive about our current compulsion to tinker with the framework of our governing bodies: a state commission of inquiry, a restructuring of our governance, the merging of the Prime Minister's Office and the Defense Ministry, the creation of a war room, the mobilization of our best minds and talents - all these are being put forward in the hope that they will provide the magic formula for solving our national problems in the wake of the recent war. Furthermore, hardly anyone is asking whether the recent conflict should have been launched at all. Everyone wants to investigate how it was conducted, to zero in on the lack of food, water and other equipment to focus on the last two days, to concentrate on the lack of preparedness, to apportion blame or at least assign responsibility. Above all, we must prepare for the "next round." And now, from the so-called "left," the latest "hit": Ladies and gentlemen, following its triumphant appearance in southern Lebanon, we have the honor to present the deployment of an International Force in Gaza and the West Bank! Let the soldiers of France and Italy defend us from terrorist attacks; let the troops of Turkey and Indonesia govern the Palestinians; let everybody else carry out our tasks. Advertisement In short, we are prepared to do anything that enables us to avoid dealing with our existential problem. Once again we Israelis are determined to escape from the most important question that faces us: the relationship between Jews and Arabs in the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. The appeal to others to pull our chestnuts out of the fire, the flight from responsibility, the refusal to make decisions is a repudiation of our national self-respect. It is obvious that we ourselves should confront the Palestinians face-to-face and solve the problem - or at least embark on a long-term process toward a solution. Unfortunately, however, we are determined to go on evading the issue. We never miss an opportunity to trumpet our view that there are no grounds for negotiations with the Palestinians. We are prepared to consider anything that will save us from direct contact with them. A wall or an international force can do the job - or better still - a wall and an international force. As regards our own Palestinians, the Arab citizens of Israel, we Jews can simply ignore their existence. If we shut our eyes, maybe they will disappear. That is the meaning of the continuing refusal to implement the recommendations of the Or Commission. It is tedious to restate this time after time, but sadly it has to be pointed out yet again: Two peoples inhabit this land, we have lived here in the past, and we will continue to live here in the future. We have to work out some way of living together. We have to work out a formula for sharing our territory. We have to establish a means of cooperating to preserve our environment. We have to find a way to govern our population. We all know that basically there are three possible solutions to the problem. I am on record as proposing the creation of a single, democratic, multicultural state for Jews, Arabs and others, but I am keenly aware that only a tiny minority supports this aspiration. I think it will eventually happen, but I realize it may take a few more generations. I am utterly opposed to the opposite proposal, which we may call "the Land of Israel Solution." The establishment of a Jewish state in Israel and the territories, while leaving a large proportion of the population effectively disenfranchised, seems to be immoral and difficult to implement, although even that would be an attempt to settle the problem. Meanwhile, I have no objection to the two-state solution, but even that will not implement itself. It has to be negotiated with the other side. There is no way of evading this issue. There is simply no alternative. Nobody is going to do it for us. We have to take our fate into our own hands. That is the consequence of self-determination. That is the significance of national sovereignty. That is the meaning of Zionism. Daniel Gavron is writing a book on Jewish-Arab cooperation and coexistence projects. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Gilad, forgive us On Rosh Hashanah, Noam Shalit says abduction happened 'on Olmert's watch.' Rosh Hashanah wishes Obama calls to achieve 'peace, security for Israel' on the Jewish High holiday.   1.   THE JEWISH STATE SOLUTION IS THE ONLY PLAN 10:01  |  MEIR WEINSTEIN 17/09/06   2.   Silly man - Israel prefers war forever 10:12  |  Clickfool 17/09/06   3.   diet- left illusions 10:21  |  FOX 17/09/06   4.   The only way to peace- us here and them there 10:26  |  Shechem Hebron 17/09/06   5.   I happen to agree with the author: he is right 10:31  |  Khalid 17/09/06   6.   oil and water 10:32  |  sweis Melbourne 17/09/06   7.   Clickclown the revisionist 10:33  |  FOX 17/09/06   8.   Is Israel the real problem ? 10:48  |  Zev 17/09/06   9.   No any great escape . 10:52  |  Vital 17/09/06   10.   There`s not much choice 10:53  |  Sam 17/09/06   11.   Do The Numbers 11:00  |  Johnny Weintraub 17/09/06   12.   Re #2 `diet-left illusions` 11:02  |  Colin Wright 17/09/06   13.   Gavron doesn`t want to move to Ramallah but invites Ramallah to 11:07  |  Absolute Sweden 17/09/06   14.   ! EDUCATE ME PLEASE CLICKFOOL WHAT LAND IS STOLEN? 11:16  |  paul harris 17/09/06   15.   I agree with clickfool # 1 11:18  |  nabeela 17/09/06   16.   shechem Hebron 11:22  |  Shecehm al Khalil 17/09/06   17.   -"But it takes two to tango" etc.Why headline only 1 party. 11:25  |  PETER SM 17/09/06   18.   Where Israeli establishment is living? 11:28  |  Lebanese 17/09/06   19.   For Fox 11:31  |  Clickfool 17/09/06   20.   zev.. no7 11:35  |  ravi 17/09/06   21.   Israel=Iraq=Lebanon? 11:39  |  FOX 17/09/06   22.   clickfool, shooting blanks 11:45  |  FOX 17/09/06   23.   Utopia 11:54  |  Salam 17/09/06   24.   To Clickfool 11:56  |  Niall 17/09/06   25.   Paradise vs. Reality 12:01  |  FOX 17/09/06   26.   Don`t talk during work! 12:04  |  Dan 17/09/06   27.   One state solution is the only solution 12:06  |  zeev 17/09/06   28.   Simple solution: Arabs accept Israel as a Jewish nation 12:07  |  Moshe 17/09/06   29.   Part II Reality 12:08  |  FOX 17/09/06   30.   WAR is a viable SOLUTION!!!! 12:16  |  Tim 17/09/06   31.   Daniel , the prize was given to bradley , you late 12:18  |  Joseph E . 17/09/06   32.   clickfool "third rate politocos who steer the state" 12:18  |  harzion 17/09/06   33.   clickfool and politocos 12:21  |  harzion 17/09/06   34.   There is no solution 12:33  |  Jack 17/09/06   35.   Gavron is right 12:43  |  Amoz 17/09/06   36.   Schesem Hebron 13:05  |  Justine 17/09/06   37.   The Policy of the Ostrich 13:06  |  Karim 17/09/06   38.   #19, @Tim 13:09  |  Dan 17/09/06   39.   Totally agree 13:12  |  Tom 17/09/06   40.   To moshe #18 13:28  |  imad 17/09/06   41.   Sharing with Khalid? 13:29  |  FOX 17/09/06   42.   ONE SANE VOICE 13:30  |  NEUTERED OBSERVER 17/09/06   43.   ZEEV you forgot Isiah.Your quoting from Yassin etc now 13:33  |  PETER SM 17/09/06   44.   Danny, it`s acquiescing to American politicos 13:33  |  d.dor 17/09/06   45.   Tom spinning in Tel Aviv 13:39  |  FOX 17/09/06   46.   Israel is destroying all options except the 1 state solution 13:44  |  Palestinian Prince 17/09/06   47.   Clickfool and house ownership in Sussex 14:02  |  Eve Bairstow 17/09/06   48.   Why talk to Clickclown? 14:05  |  Curious 17/09/06   49.   The illusion or denyal started a very long time ago 14:06  |  Jeroen 17/09/06   50.   YEA YEA WE WANT PEACE WE WANT PEACE 14:11  |  NIMROD 17/09/06   51.   YEA YEA WE WANT PEACE WE WANT PEACE 14:25  |  NIMROD 17/09/06   52.   WHAT DOES G-D`S WORD SAY ABOUT THIS SUBJECT ?? 14:28  |  Bill. 17/09/06   53.   to Imad no 40 / otherwise.... 14:33  |  Tina from spain 17/09/06   54.   YEA YEA WE WANT PEACE WE WANT PEACE 14:35  |  NIMROD 17/09/06   55.   I`ll Second that Emotion 14:48  |  The Other Alan 17/09/06   56.   In favor of a multicultural state? 14:49  |  Isaac 17/09/06   57.   Arabs destroy churches and synagogues, don`t they? 14:52  |  Alon 17/09/06   58.   Re "WHAT DOES G-D`S WORD SAY ABOUT THIS SUBJECT ??" 15:14  |  The Other Alan 17/09/06   59.   Decency is a good policy - Gavron is decency 15:26  |  BP 17/09/06   60.   Unfortunately 15:32  |  Kapule David Mabuta 17/09/06   61.   #47 Curious: Speak sincerely and I will respond 15:47  |  Clickfool 17/09/06   62.   existential 15:58  |  izaak 17/09/06   63.   Tiny minority 16:12  |  Sara 17/09/06   64.   Clickfool . the arabs do not want peace!! 16:20  |  Infidel 17/09/06   65.   Bairstow Eves estate agency you meant? 16:29  |  Gaza Boy 17/09/06   66.   What have the palestinians ever done for peace 16:31  |  Jabadini 17/09/06   67.   How to address Islam grievance that it does not rule World 16:34  |  B 17/09/06   68.   humanity allowed 6000years to experiment 16:40  |  yahn goodey 17/09/06   69.   #47 Bairstow on house ownership 16:43  |  The Other Alan 17/09/06   70.   The Author Is Right 16:44  |  Jane 17/09/06   71.   The Great Escape - well thought out... 16:49  |  KT 17/09/06   72.   Israel`s warmongering section needs education 17:16  |  honestywithoutmercy 17/09/06   73.   To FOX: You have embraced the towering myth 17:19  |  Kol ha-Nevi`im 17/09/06   74.   For Jews and Muslims to have peace in Israel 17:20  |  Pat 17/09/06   75.   To Daniel Gavron 17:30  |  Maureen 17/09/06   76.   #70 - To Jane -- the author is wrong. 17:31  |  Pat 17/09/06   77.   Where have you been the last 15 years. 17:35  |  Alfred Brodner 17/09/06   78.   #73 - To Kol ha-Nevi`im - the Partition Plan 17:37  |  Pat 17/09/06   79.   Re: FOX and his revisionist history 17:44  |  Kol ha-Nevi`im 17/09/06   80.   Do jews know how to leave with others? 17:52  |  Call me the doubter 17/09/06   81.   negotiation 17:53  |  Daniel Bentley 17/09/06   82.   about clickfool 17:54  |  citizen zero 17/09/06   83.   #73: A bit cheeky, aren`t you? 17:59  |  Shlomo 17/09/06   84.   To citizen zero about Clicky the Fool 18:10  |  Jeroen 17/09/06   85.   #46 Palestinian Prince 18:13  |  Sam 17/09/06   86.   to Niall # 24 18:20  |  Yahia 17/09/06   87.   To Naill # 24 18:21  |  Yahia 17/09/06   88.   to doubter 18:29  |  citizen zero 17/09/06   89.   To tina From spain 18:39  |  imad 17/09/06   90.   To all responders 18:42  |  GY 17/09/06   91.   The Arabs want peace 18:59  |  Zev 17/09/06   92.   To doubter & GY 19:02  |  imad 17/09/06   93.   To Kol from Fox 19:05  |  FOX 17/09/06   94.   Fox 19:12  |  Danite 17/09/06   95.   Amos Oz... 19:13  |  Alana Sobelman 17/09/06   96.   Imad - The Arabs want peace 19:24  |  Sam 17/09/06   97.   To 82. Cover up 19:24  |  Altalena 17/09/06   98.   #14 to paul harris 19:25  |  maoriboy 17/09/06   99.   Peace not possible with the islamists!!! 19:32  |  Ben Uziel 17/09/06   100.   #27 to zeev...right on 19:35  |  maoriboy 17/09/06   101.   maoriboy 19:44  |  danite 17/09/06   102.   Pat-Sometimes It Is the Least of Two Evils 19:52  |  Jane 17/09/06   103.   Take a hike - Preferably to any Muslim Country 19:54  |  Tod Zuckerman 17/09/06   104.   For Curious - post #61 was fake Clickfool 19:56  |  Clickfool 17/09/06   105.   Haaretz: you`ve proven me right! 19:57  |  Yaakov K. 17/09/06   106.   The great escape 20:20  |  Maureen Ann 17/09/06   107.   Speeling wrong, conclusion right 20:21  |  Yaakov K. 17/09/06   108.   @ 67 Islam 20:42  |  Maureen 17/09/06   109.   Haaretz: Translation of "cojones" 20:48  |  Yaakov K. 17/09/06   110.   Gavrons and anti-Gavron Israelis 20:56  |  BP 17/09/06   111.   To ALTALENA on Clickfool 21:18  |  NEUTERED OBSERVER 17/09/06   112.   To : Shechem Hebron 21:20  |  Abir 17/09/06   113.   Living with the Arabs//// 21:21  |  Joe 17/09/06   114.   paul harris 14 21:27  |  potaboc 17/09/06   115.   Vital information for Neutered Observer 21:29  |  Clickfool 17/09/06   116.   Orphans of the storm 21:41  |  jason 17/09/06   117.   For Clickfool 21:46  |  Aby 17/09/06   118.   Nothing is ever enough 21:48  |  John 17/09/06   119.   vital information for clickfool 21:49  |  citizen zero 17/09/06   120.   #84 To jeroen regarding C---FOOL 21:57  |  Alfred Brodner 17/09/06   121.   #115 Hey C---FOOL THEY might be after you, 22:04  |  Alfred Brodner 17/09/06   122.   Notice he doesn`t demand Arabs learn to accept Jews 22:06  |  David Teich 17/09/06   123.   For Alfred Brodner 22:48  |  Clickfool 17/09/06   124.   #113: Wishful thinking, Joe! TOUGH! Ain`t gonna happen! 23:08  |  Yaakov K. 17/09/06   125.   #114 potobac has the usuaDIFFICULTY DEALING WITH FACT 23:13  |  paul harris 1 17/09/06   126.   #122 - David Teich - I agree! 23:15  |  Pat 17/09/06   127.   #102 - Jane -- Even Abbas` group inflicted suicide attacks 23:18  |  Pat 17/09/06   128.   The only soution is to deport Arabs to Arabia! 23:38  |  anti-terror 17/09/06   129.   why Israel? 23:50  |  Twogunz 17/09/06   130.   To 111. Who is who ? 00:09  |  Altalena 18/09/06   131.   the great escape 00:26  |  Matt 18/09/06   132.   #2 British Anti-Semites 00:52  |  Henryk 18/09/06   133.   #123 My acknowledgement: F.U 00:53  |  Henryk 18/09/06   134.   #120 100% agreement with your statement 00:57  |  Henryk 18/09/06   135.   Daniel Gavron`s arab counterpart 00:59  |  peter 18/09/06   136.   potaboc and his nation`s many sins 01:02  |  fagin 18/09/06   137.   Fox 02:48  |  John 18/09/06   138.   Gavron Is Correct 03:13  |  Ed 18/09/06   139.   to haaretz 03:14  |  akoushla 18/09/06   140.   Status quo intolerable?? to whom? 03:19  |  Voice of Reason 18/09/06   141.   Not just Israel 03:36  |  T A Sheppard 18/09/06   142.   the laws of home ownership in Sussex (cont) 03:38  |  Eve Bairstow 18/09/06   143.   Muslims don`t compromize 03:55  |  Boris 18/09/06   144.   Not Just Israel (T A Sheppard) 04:31  |  Spec Ops 18/09/06   145.   Massacre at Tel Hai 05:13  |  Trumpeldor 18/09/06   146.   All of the land is stolen 05:18  |  Amin Nusseibeh 18/09/06   147.   To Johny Weintraub#11 06:18  |  Otto Rand 18/09/06   148.   moshe 28 06:25  |  potaboc 18/09/06   149.   TO TRUMPLEDOR \ TEL HAI 06:32  |  ISMAIL- HAKKI 18/09/06   150.   Wise words to Clickfool oppositors 06:59  |  ISMAIL - HAKKI 18/09/06   151.   The problem of envy 07:11  |  Brigitte Meier 18/09/06   152.   Shechem Hebron 07:50  |  Indian 18/09/06   153.   Ms. Meier and the problem of envy 07:55  |  Voice of Reason 18/09/06   154.   #140 Voice of Reason and the status quo 08:03  |  Johnboy 18/09/06   155.   Zev 08:08  |  Indian 18/09/06   156.   Jewish Israel 08:09  |  Johnson 18/09/06   157.   What will Arabs do to get along with the Jews 08:15  |  Johnson 18/09/06   158.   The Road to Peace 08:26  |  Johnson 18/09/06   159.   Of you cant beat them, threaten or abuse them 08:46  |  Aussie RA 18/09/06   160.   The great self- delusion of the Left repeated ad infinitum 09:09  |  Shalom Freedman 18/09/06   161.   Message for Henryk #132 09:26  |  Clickfool 18/09/06   162.   #152 Johnson and the "passivity" of Israel 09:39  |  Johnboy 18/09/06   163.   fox lies 10:03  |  john davies 18/09/06   164.   clickfool: 10:05  |  Jasmine Murphy 18/09/06   165.   Colin Wright 10:10  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/09/06   166.   Twogunz 10:12  |  beees 18/09/06   167.   Palestinian Prince: Contiguity 10:18  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/09/06   168.   #145 Trumpeldor & Tel Hai lies 10:23  |  John Davies 18/09/06   169.   Daniel Garvon you are so right! 10:23  |  Dutch 18/09/06   170.   Clickfool, Thank you 10:38  |  Dutch 18/09/06   171.   For Jasmine Murphy 11:13  |  Clickfool 18/09/06   172.   The Great Escape 21:15  |  P. J. Casey 18/09/06   173.   The Great Escape 22:51  |  Harold 18/09/06   174.   One Global Community 03:33  |  Roger Drowne EC 19/09/06   175.   Citizenship versus religion 03:35  |  Ahmad Kashmiry 19/09/06   176.   #151: "If the state ceases to be Zionist"? 11:51  |  Yaakov K. 19/09/06   177.   The great escape 07:28  |  sah2009 30/09/08

Read & React Prof. Sternhell: Supporters of occupation are not Zionist Responses: 136 Discontented Fatah politicos consider launching third intifada Responses: 81 Olmert: Israel must quit East Jerusalem and Golan Responses: 274 Gershom Gorenberg: The settlement movement began in self-deception Responses: 34 More Headlines 11:17 Report: Syrian FM met with Rice in NY last week 05:09 Israel slams fresh Arab move to isolate it at IAEA 14:00 McCain camp: Claim that Palin endorsed Hamas is 'libel' 19:44 ANALYSIS / Olmert's epiphany is too little, too late 14:29 Israel cuts purchases of U.S. cluster bombs in favor of Israeli-made brand 12:46 A charged matter / Will Israeli inventor's electric car be the smooth ride it claims to be? 13:45 Jewish World / 'I am warmly disposed toward Reform and Conservative Jewry 13:33 Gaffes and brimstone, as McCain, Obama proxies spar in Jerusalem 09:49 Haaretz.com: The year in review 09:48 Stocks nosedive after $700 billion bailout plan rejected 09:51 Olmert: Israel must quit East Jerusalem and Golan 11:14 Jewish World / Taking the New Year to find beauty in Judaism and life 11:42 At least 100 killed in stampede at Hindu temple in India Previous Editions Select Day 29 sep 28 sep 26 sep 25 sep 24 sep 23 sep 22 sep 21 sep 19 sep 18 sep 17 sep 16 sep

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