This Vicious Cycle Could Destroy Israel

I read a LOT of news every day, and I can't remember the last time I read such a good article.

It basically says that Israel needs to get out of the West Bank and Gaza in order to SURVIVE.

What do you think? Please read the article before responding, it's worth your while.

www.smh.com.au...

"Israel must get out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip as soon as possible, and evacuate most of the settlements. I have long advocated this, but it is now an urgent necessity. Otherwise, the Jewish state is in peril. Ideally, this withdrawal should be negotiated along the Clinton plan; but, if necessary, it should be done unilaterally. This can't happen too soon and the United States should be forcing it.

Why? First, because the Arab-Muslim world, which for so long has been able to ignore globalisation, modernisation and liberalisation, is realising that the vacation is over. There is not enough oil wealth any more to cushion these societies, nor to employ the region's rapidly expanding population.

Every Arab country is going to have to make a wrenching adjustment. Israel needs to get out of the way and reduce its nodes of friction with the Muslim world as it goes through this unstable and, at times humiliating, catch-up.

Second: three dangerous trends are converging around Israel. One is a massive population explosion across the Arab world. The second is the worst interpersonal violence ever between Israelis and Palestinians.

And the third is the flowering of Arab multimedia - from al-Jazeera to the internet. This Arab media boom is feeding the images of this Israeli-Palestinian violence to this Arab population explosion - radicalising it and melding in the heads of young Arabs and other Muslims the notion that the biggest threat to their future is JIA - "Jews, Israel and America".

Israel's withdrawal is not a cure-all. Israel will still be despised. But if it withdraws to an internationally recognised border, it will have the moral high ground, the strategic high ground and the demographic high ground to protect itself.

After Israel withdrew from Lebanon, the Hezbollah militia went on hating Israel and harassing the border - but it never tried to launch an invasion. Why? Hezbollah knew it would have no legitimacy - in the world or in Lebanon - for breaching that UN-approved border.....

...In sum, Israel should withdraw from the territories not because it is weak, but because it must remain strong; not because Israel is wrong, but because Zionism is a just cause that the occupation is undermining; not because the Arabs would warmly embrace a smaller Israel, but because a smaller Israel, in internationally recognised boundaries, will be much more defensible; not because it will eliminate Islamic or European anti-Semitism, but because it will reduce it by reducing the daily friction; not because it would mean giving into an American whim, but because nothing would strengthen US influence in the Muslim world, help win the war of ideas and therefore better protect Israel than this. "

Full article at link.

That would be great if it could be arranged, but probably won't happen. This is a 6000 year old pi$$ing contest, and when a viable plan is brought up, someone becomes the aggessor and kills it.

Personally, I'm about tired of this conflict.
Israel needs to uphold to what they agreed to do and the Palestinians need to uphold what they agreed to do.

IMHO, I'd give back the so-called and highly contested "occupied territories", bring the "wall" back within the lines, allow systematic freedoms for those Arabs and Palestinians within Israel and then wait for the next one, two, three, etc. continued suicide bombings to happen, cause they will, and then show the world just "who" cannot and did not want peace.......and then knock the living tar out of Arafat and those terrorist organization that continue to target Israel.

Yep, I agree, its time for Israel to do what they are supposed todo according to the latest binding agreements. Concentrate on doing those, once obtained and compliance is verified by the UN, wait, and see who really doesn't want peace or the Jews to have a nation...wait.....and once the suicide bombings continue, nail them to the wall, with no mercy and then wait to see who crys out in protest against what Israel rightly will have the rights to do.

Withdraw Israel.....destroy the settlements or abandon them but fulfill the requirements set forth by the latest binding agreement.....please.



regards
seekerof

That was the point in the news post. It said that after Isreal left Lebanon Hezbolla didn't continue the attacks because they could not be justified. So lets go for it and see if either or neither wants peace.

Israel's withdrawal is not a cure-all. Israel will still be despised

That line made this whole thread worth it

because a smaller Israel, in internationally recognised boundaries, will be much more defensible

Which boundaries are these? The ones pre-1967? Or the ones that the leader of the Palestinians has indicated he wants via his armband and various literature taught to children i.e. perhaps a jewish state underwater in the red sea, but not anywhere on land in the middle east. Straight from the horse's mouth fellas.

[Edited on 1-20-2004 by Djarums]

intrepid: You nailed it.

"After Israel withdrew from Lebanon, the Hezbollah militia went on hating Israel and harassing the border - but it never tried to launch an invasion. Why? Hezbollah knew it would have no legitimacy - in the world or in Lebanon - for breaching that UN-approved border....."

If Palestinian militant groups STILL attacked Israel after a withdrawal, at least Israel would have the moral high ground (not to mention legal).

Something they have NOT had for many years, and which they NEED to get back. They've been perceived as the aggressors for a long time, and it only adds to the problem.