The right's strategy of phases

A great diplomat without a clear agenda, a part reacting ( speaking loudly ) to attract US & other countries attention ....

Whatever state that is , it will not include Abbas as a resident ! Palestinians will never live at peace within the borders of Israel. This is , of course, of their own volition and determination. Even if they should give lip service to the existence of a Jewish state called Israel , they will never accept it.

Gaza is the best example why Israel must not give the pals zip.

Most Western Countries, whilst separating religion and State, express some form of belief, closely associated with Christianity. In the UK the 21 most senior Anglican Bishops automatically sit in the House of Lords. Israel can be a wholly democratic country that is predominantly Jewish and Secular, where minorities thrive. Like everyone else the Jews are entitled to self determination. Just let the Palestinians get on with their own lives. Leave them to it. The threat from them is a gross exaggeration to mask some of Israel’s own ineptitude. As for the Jihadis, their threat to the World, is a mildly dangerous joke. They haven’t organized a decent Society anywhere in their own World.

The author of the article is wrong when he tries to imply that a State for the Jews as envisionned by the Zionist forefathers could be anywhere in the world (what utter nonsense is that!) and should not depend on the historical links (if not "rights") between the Jewish people and Ertez Israel. We, Israelis, may be divided on the nature of the best political regime for our State and on the definitions of its "defensible boundaries" but we are not on the full legitimacy of the sovereign rights of a Jewish State (like there is a French republique or an American or a British state)

Abbas said on Monday that he will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state, Good the more Abbas doesnt accept a Jewish State the more he loses and then we can say ,the world will say we dont accept a Palestinian terrorist state either

Its not only about, its about the TORAH of G-D. Tell me mr/mrs leftist. What right do you have to the land of Israel? Why dont you go to Europe or wherever else if YOU dont beleive in G-D and the G-D given right to Israel. Their is only 2 choices- Hamas or Kahane. You choose, buy don't aspect something else.

This is a great article and it points out how important it is for Israel to ratify a constitution that is very similar to that of the US. The only difference is that it can include Israel as a natural homeland for the Jewish People. It must allow for religious pluralism and civil rights for all major streams of Judaism but separated from political influence and power. This will only happen when the apathetic Israel public wakes up to the realization that their country is being hijacked by back-room politicking fanatics.

This is a great article and it points out how important it is for Israel to ratify a constitution that is very similar to that of the US. The only difference is that it can include Israel as a natural homeland for the Jewish People. It must allow for religious pluralism and civil rights for all major streams of Judaism but separated from political influence and power. This will only happen when the apathetic Israel public wakes up to the realization that their country is being hijacked by back-room politicking fanatics.

Congratulations, Shaul Erieli. Of course, Israel must be a Jewish State, forever. But it doesn't mind She has to be a Fundamentalist or Intolerant State, like many others. On the contrary, She must never renounce to her Fathers's Democratic principles. Your true friends, like me, do hope so. Luiz Felipe Haddad, Brazil.

In 1948, Jews in Palestine owned 6% of the land. Arabs owned the other 94%. In 1948, David Ben Gurion had a plan devised to Ethnically Cleanse the Arab population from the land of Palestine - "Plan Dalet". The UN allocated 55% of the land of Palestine to the new country of Israel. Not to the Jews or Arabs but to the new country. By mid 1948, Ben Gurion had Ethnically Cleansed the majority of Arabs and now sat on 78% of Palestine. This means that Ben Gurion and his army, made up of terrorist organisations, had stolen over 72% of the land from it's Arab owners. No compensation has been offered or given. 531 villages that were Ethnically Cleansed. I believe that the responders to this post will know that this happened but will deny it. A bit like Armadinijad denies the holocaust. I urge all fair and open minded people to Google Plan Dalet and read Ilan Pappes book - The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine. This is the Genesis of the troubles. Without a resolution, there can be mno peace.

The dicotomy "Jewish historical right" versus "family of nations, international law, human , civil, rights" is simplistic and misleading. All Nations in the Family are anchored in Historical Claims, which on the aggregate, structure the Pan Human rights Claim, from which steem the Civil material and immaterial rights of people. To claim that a Jewish adherence to International Law, must entail the Rejection of Historical Rights is simply to put the Jewish Nation OUTSIDE the Family of Nations, that is to deprive it of the fundamental human rights. I agree however that the the Own and the Fellow Humans, Historical Claims must be harmonized to enable peaceful coexistence and cooperation. A good way to start is to establish a consensus a common denominator of Individual Human rights within each entity......Does a Palestinian in Gaza who wants to interact with Israeli adversary in f.ex. economic matters enjoy equal rights to chose to do so, compared to an Israeli in an analoguous position? Sylvia Sztern-SempreLovingM.G.

Israelis need to give up any belief that a god belief or a holy book entitles them to rule a specific plot of land. Building one's nation on such fictions will only serve to get in the way of a truly workable peace. The state should leave religion and its practice to private citizens, and take its hand out of conversion, marriage, burial, and Jewish identity. Israel must be a state of all its citizens, not just the ones who adhere to a particular (narrow) stream of a particular religion.

The zionism of ben gurion, Herzl, Jabotinsky , the founding fathers and the early pioneers was about reinventing Jewish life in our own land with a secular nationalist definition of Jewishness and the belief that Arabs can live as equal citizens of the Jewish state --read only the declaration of independence of Israel and the first basic laws. The Haredi and settler mindset is as antithetical to this form of zionism as that of Hamas or the Northern Arab League. One writer once described the land fetishism of the settlers by describing them as "Canaanites who don tfilin" -- most apt. The author of this article is spot on!

The real question whether we should give up Jerusalem, and turn Israel into a secular state, with no preference to Judaism whatsoever. In this regard there is a parameter not depending upon us the Jews. It is the fact that Jews are not considered as equal in Christian nations. If you are an Austrian visiting France, the Hotel reception doesn't throw your passport on the floor. If you are a German visiting the UK, people don't tell you you are a Christ Killer (both personal experiences). The formal religion in Sweden up to the year 2000 was based on Martin Luther who wrote the book (translated from German) "Von den Jüden und iren Lügen" . Why do you think Jews run away from Malmo? Tthe Palestinian minority in Malmo simply does what Swedes would like to do themselves but cannot - this is why Sweden supports them. And antisemitism existed before 67', and before 47'. So Europe at least still doesn't treat Jews the same as other peoples. People there still think we killed the son of God, and act accordingly (the Holocaust). They don't know Jesus was a Jew killed by the Romans. A first hand experience: a "well informed" British Christian to me Jesus was a Christian living in the Vatican and murdered by Jews who lived there "like today", apparently this is what she learned at school. We know the history since our exile. I think it is yet too soon now to give up those historical symbols which gave us the psychological strength to build Israel in the last 60 years. If my grand-children will visit Paris and say they are Jews, and the French will ask "what is the Jewish religion?", and treat them with the same cordiality as anybody else, then the time will come to re-discuss this again - maybe.

prior to 67 there was neither occupation nor palestinian state . Judea &Samaria are not a distant colony but lies on our doorstep. Adding historical arguments to security -based considerations does not weaken our position. Areas inhabited by arabs should come under their control but other areas are fully negotiable.

There were the crusaders, the muslims, today there is the arabs & the jews we are all fighting for the same piece of real estate and obviously think its worth fighting and dying over. This land is not just your average western country in Israel you have religion involved. This is the Promised Land. The US, Europe etc there its the people first and the land doesn't matter except in a national sense. In the Promised Land you have different religious groups all wanting it and willing to fight & die for it. The jews were originally offered a state in Uganda but they rejected the offer said its Israel or nowhere. The palestinians also want alot more than 22% Abbas has always stayed true to Arafats philosophy that 2 states is about getting a foothold to eventually liberating the all Palestine ( Israel ). 2 states will not bring real or lasting peace. Israel also can never be a state on the traditional western model. As long as we actually want this country to be a JEWISH STATE it can never be just another country thats going to be just like America or Europe. There will always be discriminitory laws like the Law of Return which gives an automatic right for jews to move here but whilst non jews are welcome to apply for citizenship they can be rejected they have no right to move to Israel. All the symbols of state, the working week callender & national holidays are representative of 1 sector of society. Everything about Israel will always say THE JEWS ARE IN CHARGE HERE. ... Israel would never be admitted to an organization like the EU because religion grants you certain rights so lets not try and pretend we can ever be a traditional secular westernizsed country lets just make the current system work. The arabs in Israel need to come to terms with that fact Israel is a JEWISH STATE officially recognize it on the record this is not and never will be some kind of binational state its a jewish one and if its not a jewish state it has no reason to even exist because the whole reason for its founding was to create a jewish state nothing more. I also don't think Israel should apologize for its chosen national identity rather than deciding to be some kind of non religious state for all like Europe & US its what we wanted and what we got.

"We expect as well the contributions of intellectuals and researchers from around the world." Aharon Barak. The former chief justice then quotes the declaration of independence. "In the Land of Israel the Jewish people arose. Here its spiritual, religious and political character was forged, here it lived a life of national independence, here it created its national and universal cultural treasures and bequeathed to the entire world the eternal Book of Books." It seems that Israel is founded upon fear. Thus is the state being destroyed--by fear.

Jews are a minority, and cannot rule over the majority indefinitely. Tricks such as "divide and rule", or import/export of race, will not work forever. CIA reports Israel will fall within 20 years. Jews will not have to decide anything, the birth rate has already decided for them.

All of Palestine is Islamic waqf and handing us part of the land will not get you off the hook. It will only bring us closer to our goal of liberating all of Palestine. Jews will either have to return to Europe or live as "dhimmi" minority under Islamic rule.

a truly democratic country. When the government interferes in the individual's right to believe or not believe, to observe or not observe Torah, this is a form of dictatorship. Therefore, in all matters pertaining to religion, Israel is a dictatorship and not a democracy.

...a laudable job of describing "where the rubber hits the road."

I beg to differ - I want a free country made of and for the jewsih people. Where judaism is religion and not law. Any other view makes israel no better than the rest of the islam based country where fanaticism and extremism is the rule That is not the country Israel should be - Israel sees itself as part of the Western World without enacting the necessary separation of religion and state,

The answer to the question lie within the perception of reality. Should even the most dedicated Zionists expect that the Jewish State will continue to flourish for generations, (if it does not what is the point?), when the whole world is quickening the pace of its ostracism of Israel? If our onetime allies should chose to aid the Palestinians instead of Israel, not this generation, but in some future generation, will the kind of country the present government is attempting to fashion have the moral and ethical authority to oppose them?

"In order to realize the goals of Zionism, we must relinquish 22 percent of the Land of Israel."// And look fairly and squarely at the Right of Return issue..... Which means also looking fairly and squarely at the Law of Return.... and thinking about whether in that case, Zionism was not already achieved in 1948 and whether we should not now be working on a democracy on the lines of the Christian democracies elsewhere in the world.... Hmmm

Countries do not recognize each other as Zionist, socialist, capitalist, etc. They recognize each other de jure or de facto.

"we must relinquish 22 percent of the Land of Israel." Just a clarification, do you mean 78% of the land must go to Israelis, and Palestinians get 22%? I thought Palestinians far outnumber Israelis. Is something wrong?

doesn't sound applicable to the Jewish community somehow....but otherwise a great article with very accurate assertions.

doesn't sound applicable to the Jewish community somehow....but otherwise a great article with very accurate assertions.