Arafat an enemy - a cease fire suggestion that came too late

[Drake Tungsten]

You don't have any idea how Israeli public opinion will react to a guerilla war in the West Bank. You think it will react negatively and use the US response to the Vietnam war as an example. This is stupid. There are huge differences between the US-Vietnam struggle and the Israel-Palestine struggle, differences large enough to make any comparison between the two laughable.

Do you think the Israelis really want to withdraw to the pre-1967 borders? If so, why haven't they done that very thing in the past 30 years? Maybe it's because they don't want a hostile enemy force controlling the high ground 10 miles from major Israeli population centers. That certainly seems logical to me. Do you really think that the Israeli public is so stupid as to forget about all of this if a guerrilla war heats up? If anything, I think a protracted struggle in the West Bank will just make the Israelis more desperate to hold on to that land. Better that the battles be fought in Rammalah than on the streets of Tel Aviv...

[Imran Siddiqui]

They will when faced with 50 years of massive terrorist bombings, every day, crusading for the occupation to stop. Military troops being targetted by bands of people.

Like I said, look at Lebanon, and don't think it is stupid to assume that Israelis will not tire of the constant guerrila fighting.

[Mark_Lipovrovskiy]

As sad as it is, if the thing would go on long enough - much less than 50 years - you'd see "Transfer"... Horrible, but true. If you want a take on the Israeli public opinion, well, in less than a year it moved from a mood that made Camp David possible to considering ethnic cleansing a viable option.
So much for anything.

[our_man]

I read the article in Newsweek, it was very informative on the situation in the ME. I still can't decide which side is more right (or more wrong) though. The Israelis had no right to build settlements on the West Bank, a fact that at least most of the Israelis on the board seem willing to admit. I can sympathize with the Palestinian predicament because the English did a similar thing to the Irish with regard to the plantations of the 16th and 17th centuries. What's done is done however.

But then I consider the events of the past two weeks. The Israelis backed off, yet the Palestinians continued to attack civilian targets culminating in the Passover massacre. This was incredibly stupid. If you're looking for peace you don't try and bait you enemies! I cannot imagine that the vast majority of the Palestinian people support these acts, but it's amazing how a few extremists can ruin everything.

I'm afraid that it seems to be a no-win situation for Israel. Sorry to sound so defeatist for all the Israeli posters but I can't see any way out. They should cut their losses and pull out of the Palestinian territories and make peace with the Arab countries. Dismantle the settlements. Make Jerusalem an international city administered by the UN owned by neither Palestine or Israel. If you don't the odds will continue to increase in the Palestinians favour. They're proliferating at an incredible rate - according to Newsweek they have 6.1 children per woman compared to Israel's 2.4. Israel simply won't have the population to control the territories with 10-15 years.

[Sirotnikov]

Imran, it took us 18 years to get tire of Lebanon, and that wasn't even an area we had plans for or gave holy symbolism to.

If the Palestinians are up for another 18-36 years ....

[Sirotnikov]

our_man, somberly, yes, you're right. Things are not looking good for us any path we choose.

I thought about taking the route you suggest, but then, nothing suggests that this peace will be true, lasting, or appease the palestinians & arabs.

I'm pretty sure that just as Arafat began setting more and more demands, including political ones, when Israel & America begged for a cease fire for the last two weeks, the Arab leaders will demand more of Israel.

[Gatekeeper]

Siro, Eli, et al.:

So, do you guys have any plans on immigrating to America (or elsewhere) should the worst possible scenario — the fall of Israel — become reality? Or will you stick it out to the end and, possibly, after the end?

Gatekeeper

[Eli]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
Siro, Eli, et al.:

So, do you guys have any plans on immigrating to America (or elsewhere) should the worst possible scenario — the fall of Israel — become reality? Or will you stick it out to the end and, possibly, after the end?

Gatekeeper

I will definetely be here in the end, as a regular soldier or reservist, depends on the timing. After the end, nothing will stay here.

[Az]

if there will come an end for Israel , I bet the ME will go out in a bang.

I'll immigrate to cyprus , after the end. if such an end exist.

[Eli]

Dal, did you hear something in Haifa? A guy I know pretty well claims he heard an explosion near that big mall there.

[Eli]

I have it confirmed. Tens of casualties in an explosion in a restaurant in Haifa.

[Az]

I swear , the time I get into the university , I am going to get a gun permit.

holy ****.

going to check up , are all of my friends ok.

[Eli]

There are killed, but the number is unclear yet.

25+ injured.

A wittness says the whole roof went down.

[Eli]

UNCONFIRMED



Some reports talk about very high numbers of killed. Maybe as high as 15.

[m_m_x]