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Before [the Palestinians] very eyes we are possessing the land and the villages where they, and their ancestors, have lived… We are the generation of colonizers, and without the steel helmet and the gun barrel we cannot plant a tree and build a home. – Israeli Army Commander Moshe Dayan When we have settled the land, all the Arabs will be able to do about it will be to scurry around like drugged cockroaches in a bottle. – Israeli Army Chief of Staff Raphael Eitan, 1983

Iranian backed Hezbollah has wrested control of Lebanon from Syria with its new legitimacy as part of the Lebanese Govt. Hamas captured Gaza and is pressuring Abbas by force of Iranian arms. Well-informed intelligence sources report that the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan have now fallen to Hamas. King Abdullah is so distressed over the future of his Kingdom that he has become incapacitated. While Iran takes over the neighborhood, Haaretz chants the usual mantra calling for Israeli withdrawal "for peace". 1938 revisited.

Why does this writer repeat the old canard... "Israel must foster the confidence of the Pals." that the talks can make progress. So giving them Gaza meant nothing? Leaving Southern Lebanon, and the Sinai meant nothing? These measures ALL resulted in exposing Israel to Attacks and/or reduced security. How about some moves by the Pals. to bolster Israeli confidence that they desire peace? How about stopping those parades of little boys and girls dressed in suicide-bomber outfits ( complete with sticks of explosives). That could work as a confidence builder, eh?

he has got his version of the truth from zbigiew brzezinski brent scowcroft and a palestinian activist who taught obama the history of the region. and from this unpromising reference obama wants to tell us what to do.

This paper needs to find a new ideology. Change your name. Pretend to be relevant. Whomever is still taking this site at face value must be bored.

I'm starting to wonder wether haaretz hasn't been bought by petrodollars

I voiced the following opinion and am confused why Haaretz refused to publish it: "Now that acts of violence have almost entirely disappeared..." This is an interesting comment in this forum, because the implications are rather clear. If we are to assume as so many commentators have readily remarked that Israeli expansion within the West Bank, construction in East Jerusalem, closure of Gaza, rather stern rhetoric with regards to the North, and a variety of other "abuses" - then the Palestinians and Arab neighbors are as angry, if not more so, than ever before. -Cast Lead = success? -Separation barrier = success? One thing is for sure, terrorism, Muslim and Jewish, increases in effectiveness and in scope during serious peace efforts. Who will be willing to sacrifice? Who will be willing to throw their ego's away for the sake of something real? More than ideas are at stake. I hope that even journalism can understand that...

The majority of Israelis are content with the status quo. A malaise permeates Israel. Government actions run counter to traditional Jewish values, but the Palestinians are not violently reacting. As long as Netanyahu and Lieberman can exploit security fears, Israel will not voluntarily commit to a peace process. Israel needs a vision of a future where Israel has reconciled with its neighbors and there are collaborative efforts to advance the region. It then takes courage to pursue that vision, Israel's future is dependent on those factors, and the USA is attempting to help Israel realize such a vision.

The Palestinians are loosing an economic war of attrition, why stop now? Seize defeat from the jaws of victory? Recent attempts to undermine the resettler economy is proof enough that the Arabs realize the Jews are winning, Responsive countermoves need to be evaluated for their significance, and current moves indicate the Arabs are realizing, but not acknowledging, that their positions are untenable. Like the WWII Japanese, defeat and surrender does not come easily, and only at the very end, but have faith it will come. It took King Solomon to consolidate David's kingdom and it came many decades after Joshua and the Exodus, but it came. Patience, tactics, maneuvering and persistence, please. Otherwise you sacrifice the fate of Israeli grandchildren to being overwhelmed by Arab " religion" and "culture" as happened to the Sephardim reduced to dhimi status.

"Now that acts of violence have almost entirely disappeared..." This is an interesting comment in this forum, because the implications are rather clear. If we are to assume as so many commentators have readily remarked that Israeli expansion within the West Bank, construction in East Jerusalem, closure of Gaza, rather stern rhetoric with regards to the North, and a variety of other "abuses" - then the Palestinians and Arab neighbors are as angry, if not more so, than ever before. -Cast Lead = success? -Separation barrier = success? One thing is for sure, terrorism, Muslim and Jewish, increases in effectiveness and in scope during serious peace efforts. Who will be willing to sacrifice? Who will be willing to throw their ego's away for the sake of something real? More than ideas are at stake. I hope that even journalism can understand that...

As an observer of this conflict for over 25 years, I can tell you that the discourse in Israeli society has hit a tipping point. The same is true in the US' foreign policy. The time has come to resolve a conflict which foments global terror and threatens the demographic contiguity of the Jewish State. Unless a withdrawal to the Green Line, with negotiated modifications, is made, Israeli arabs will continue to grow in population, Palestinian arabs will continue to grow in population, and if the PA dissolves itself, the Jewish State will become rather a Semitic State. It is refreshing to see Jews inside and outside of Israel lobbying for a withdrawal and negotiated peace settlement without delay.

They have no intention of discussing substantive issues. What you will hear coming from netanyahu and his cronies is that the palestinians are being unreasonable and are working to make the talks fail. netanyahu may offer a few scrapes of what looks like increased autonomy for the designated Areas but their focus will be on Israel's security needs since they are talking up their position that the palestinians are not a reliable partner. Israel, including its silent majority who make the occupation possible, has decided on a course of: "we'll go it alone". They will become increasingly isolated, and like always, they will make certain the talks go nowhere and of course blame the Palestinians for objecting to Israel continuing to devour what they are deciding should belong to the palestinian state. netanyahu, you see, never meant that he accepted a two state solution. It is anethema to is ideology.

I thoroughly agree with this article but think someone should take a look at the "two sets of laws for two peoples" and understand no democracy can have such a situation, and one that does, isn't a true democracy.

Mike, and just who gets to pick this panel which will decide the fate of 10 million people. This is a life and death issue, not a dispute about auto repair done wrong. And how easy for you, in the US, to dictate to others. Let's put it this way. For Al Quaida, NYC is disputed territory. Let' get a panel from Europe, Africa and the Middle East to review the dispute. Perhaps the panel will give Staten Island to the Taliban.

Three arbitrators - majority opinion; sounds like the UN. This small slice of land called Israel is too small to support two countries, regardless of nationality. Unfortunately, the parties involved have chosen paths that make peace an impossible goal. Maybe if there is war, with the few survivors left responsible to bury their own, we can find our way back to a point in time where co-existence makes sense.

"Submit the whole dispute to binding arbitration" That was done already too. Twice. 1937 Peel Commission. Rejected by Arabs. 1947 UN partition. Again, rejected by Arabs. Whether it's negotiations or arbitration - one side has been rejecting compromise for over 70 years.

To get past the November elections, before unveiling his intended approach to a settlement. Meanwhile, these talks are likely to give a great deal of incite into the sincerity of Netanyahu's claim of being open to 2 state solution, and his intentions toward that end. Especially since, so far at least, he and his government have done virtually nothing that would suggest they have any intention of ending the status quo; and in fact, they seem to be in a considerable frenzy to intensify its degree. The more of this that goes on, the less political resistance there's gonna be when Obama announces a framework. The Israeli government has yet to understand that Israel no longer operates in the bubble it once did, wherein world knowledge of events, and Israel's activities, was largely limited to information released by Israel itself. That bubble no longer exists. That's why you have groups like JStreet, and now JCall, springing up among the once blindly supportive Diaspora. And don't doubt for second that this trend isn't going ripple, and that it isn't going to eventually make its way into the halls of Congress.

Netanyahu did not mean what he said at Bar Ilan university, Netanyahu is not interested in reaching final status agreement, Netanyahu dos not give a hoot about the Palestinians, and Netanyahu hsees no problem in trying to deceive the Americans. The proximity talks will go nowhere.

What's Haaretz's brilliant solution to Hamas, Hizbollah, to the weak corrupt Fatah to the terrorist among us to the realities we have faced all these years and have tried to solve? Kiss and make up or say goodbye to two states? That is it? Yes, One state called Israel, for Jews, and by Jews as intended.

Israel is strong because of the support and protection from the West. Aranbs are misearbly weak because of themselves and the West too. Negotiation succeed between equals. Mr. Abbas and Arab rulers are not entitled to make deals that would concede Arab and Muslim lands totally or partially. The ultimeate solution is in models like south africa, switzerland, lebanon and many others. It is in one multifaith country in Palestine. We will come to that after years of sufferings and inconclusive wars. This is the simple reality, but the arrogance and disdain of some try to ignore it.

The US are perhaps not the most honest brokers of a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, especially when successive US governments have used their veto to ensure the continuance of the Israeli occupation and settlement expansion. If Israel wants real peace, then the Arab peace initiative seems a much better option, with Israel withdrawing from occupied territories in return for recognition by all Arab states, and a guarantee of security.

What is a Jewish democratic state? Is it a democracy only for Jews? What is a Jew? What about moslems and christians who are Israeli citizens ?Are they part of the democracy How many so called jewish atheists are there in Israel? I have heard 80%. Is that true? I love Israel, but it becomes ever more confusing as to what it represents.

would most comprehend and agree with the fundamental arguments made with this editorial and supposedly 2/3 of the Israeli population, but it's the minority who don't subscribe to this editorial's viewpoint which matter.

This is so baby-like and immature, the proximity talks. This has been done before in a variety of ways and places. Camp David, Oslo, Camp David II, Wye, Geneva, Wye II. It's ridiculous already. It borders on the insane to keep doing the same thing the same way while expecting different results. Submit the whole dispute to binding arbitration. Each party picks an arbitrator. The two arbitrators pick a third arbitrator . The cases are argued before the panel of 3 arbitrators. The arbitrators decide. Majority opinion rules.