Accept the cease-fire

The recent Knesset decision opposing a major IDF invasion of Gaza was not made in vain. Even if the reasons to go ahead with such plans seem justified and public support is wide, the ministers along with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak know that the chances of a large operation achieving its goals are slim.  

If IDF soldiers were to enter the crowded refugee camps, they would be forced to contend with a society that is hostile and starving under a suffocating siege that has been in place for over a year, a society that thinks that it stands nothing to lose. Beyond the hundreds of casualties that both sides would suffer, an Israeli offensive would unite Palestinian society as a whole behind Hamas and the images of Israeli tanks chasing Palestinian children will once again return to TV screens worldwide.

Time is not on our side

At a time when the government of Israel is dragging its feet and essentially dissolving all efforts to reach a permanent agreement with the Palestinians, in international public opinion the idea of the division of the land into two states is becoming irrelevant. In its place is the vision of a bi-national state, which in practice would mean the end of Zionism.

This month, for the fourth year, 'Israel Apartheid Week' will take place in campuses across Canada, Europe and for the first time, in the US. This "week" is dedicated completely to portraying Israel as the South Africa of the 21st century. In the 'Hasbara' framework of Hillel Canada - which acts on campuses across the nation in order to promote Israel's stance and the position of the Jewish people in the student battle between Jews and non-Jews - I had the opportunity to attend Apartheid Week. I tried to pass on to the students an image of Israel other than the one associated with the conflict.

Concept failure in Gaza

The collapse of the border between Gaza and Egypt represents more than anything the collapse of the Israeli concept which holds that Hamas can be made to break through the suffocation and complete blockade of the people living inside the Strip.

After the unilateral disengagement from Gaza and the rise of Hamas, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority stood united to face this new political and military challenge and sought to oust Hamas from power and have it rejoin the PA under Mahmoud Abbas's leadership.

Israel's working assumption was that a complete blockade and making life intolerable inside Gaza would stir up general discontent and bring about Hamas's downfall. Israel's method - the closure of all crossings, the lack of basic necessities including fuel and electricity - sought to cause the Palestinian population living in Gaza to lose faith in the Hamas leadership and to sooner than later overthrow it.

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Building Bridges Peace Now General Secretary Yariv Oppenheimer lays out his visions on how to fulfill the Zionist dream.

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Hillel Green, Modi'in, Israel: Israel is not our land. It is land set aside by G-d as the home for the Jews. We are its guardians and car givers. It is now ours to give away. We merely occupy it under that wahtchful eye G-d. We must remebter that Israel was given to all Jews i.e. not the heredi, not the naqtionalists, not the traditional, not the orthodox, not the the masorti, not the reform, not the re-constructionists. Haman. Hitler, et. al did not care what kind of Jew you were. They considered us all Jews. So should we! w2e must remember that
David Washington, D.C.: Mr Oppenheimer writes, "the extreme right proved that the Israeli government understood only force and that the use of violent thuggish approaches were well worth it." A rather bold statement. Interesting that Mr. Oppenheimer promotes the use of force against Jewish settlers and consistently condemns it in response to Palestinian terrorism. Who is the bigger enemy Mr. Oppenheimer?
Miryam Alfandari Istanbul Turkey: Dear H.Gerez.OK, the Arabs intended too many times to throw the Israeli people into the sea and still, for SOME ONLY Tel-Aviv is occupied.BUT MAJORITY of BOTH people(Arabs and Jews) living in Israel in PRESENT time, WHO are serving in the wars and now living in this constant war of terror.BOTH have RIGHT to and WANT to live in a secure Peace which requires concessions from BOTH side.BOTH are ready to these concessions BECAUSE they can see, realise clearly better than me or/and you that these concessions are LESS DANGEROUS than the ongoing and near future situation for them. Consider it pease.