Disengagement a Very Bad Plan (October 15, 2004):
After thinking it over for months, I have come to the conclusion that it is a disastrous plan. Pulling out without an agreement just makes things worse, and it will convince the Palestinians that violence works, just like the withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000 may have encouraged the Intifada that started a few months later.
The far-right settlers oppose the disengagement plan because they want Israel to keep control over Gaza and the West Bank. I oppose the disengagement plan for the exact opposite reason - because I want to leave the territories, but in a safe and secure manner. If we leave unilaterally, Hamas will take over. Nobody will be able to stop their terrorist activities and we'll end up having to send our military there.
Lose-Lose Situation (March 31, 2005):
The sane voices who are against disengagement for practical reasons are not being heard. The fanatics who, mostly for religious reasons more than nationalistic reasons, oppose ever giving any land to the Palestinians have completely hijacked the whole anti-unilateral pullout discourse. People like me, who believe that we should give up lands for the future State of Palestine but only through negotiation, are silent. We don't want to align ourselves with the "Complete Land of Israel" folks in any way. We're cowards.
Yes, I was a coward. What did I do against the disastrous disengagement plan? Nothing. I only wrote about it in a blog with a very limited readership (and that's an understatement).
Tags: Israel, Israeli Politics, Politics, Disengagement, Gaza
What a tragic post. I can certainly connect with you on this issue - too often moderate Americans are completely shut out of any political discourse.
ReplyDeleteI remember Jon Stewart once said something to the effect of:
There is no moderate battlecry. How could we possibly do it?! Shout 'BE REASONABLE!' ?