Your concerns are legitimate and well-founded (and I share them), so I’m not going to try to refute or address them here. These are becoming my “first principles” when it comes to the conflict, and I would be happy with any solution that addresses them:

- Israel and rump Palestine need to disentangle from one another, with Israeli civilians on one side of (the best possible for Israel) line, and Palestinians on the other.
- No hostile capabilities/intentions/threats permitted within Israel’s security envelope (Western Palestine and the Golan).
- No power vacuum within Israel’s security envelope. The IDF to maintain a monopoly over force in the area until power can be handed over to a credible, legitimate (Arab) authority.
- Pursue permanence, legitimacy and recognition for Israel’s new borders, from the world community, if not from its neighbours. (This can be achieved, in the same way the cease-fire lines of 1949 came to be.)

Thanks for the stimulating debate.

I enjoyed your latest article. Jüdische Selbsthass is a disease of minorities in the spotlight that I think will be with us indefinitely. We can only try to limit the harm it does.

Your concerns are legitimate and well-founded (and I share them), so I’m not going to try to refute or address them here. These are becoming my “first principles” when it comes to the conflict, and I would be happy with any solution that addresses them:

- Israel and rump Palestine need to disentangle from one another, with Israeli civilians on one side of (the best possible for Israel) line, and Palestinians on the other.
- No hostile capabilities/intentions/threats permitted within Israel’s security envelope (Western Palestine and the Golan).
- No power vacuum within Israel’s security envelope. The IDF to maintain a monopoly over force in the area until power can be handed over to a credible, legitimate (Arab) authority.
- Pursue permanence, legitimacy and recognition for Israel’s new borders, from the world community, if not from its neighbours. (This can be achieved, in the same way the cease-fire lines of 1949 came to be.)

Thanks for the stimulating debate.

I enjoyed your latest article. Jüdische Selbsthass is a disease of minorities in the spotlight that I think will be with us indefinitely. We can only try to limit the harm it does.

You say that “No power vacuum must be permitted to emerge in the West Bank.” Rest assured there will be no power vacuum: Hamas will assume control of any areas Israel leaves. And then BG airport, Petah Tikva, JM's Kikar Zion, and the cafes on Dizengoff will be completely exposed to their missiles.

And do you really think that the Jordanians and Egyptians would ever be willing even if they were able to assume military control of the area? You really think they would be motivated and happy to function as israel's 'defensive shield' (ah the irony…)'?

Maskil: Zahal is really the only entity able, willing and motivated to protect israeli Jews. Don't you think that in the utterly unlikely case that Egyptians assume a military presence in the area they will turn the a blind eye to weapons smuggling across the Jordan River as they do now in Gaza?

At minimum, you should include in your scenario (which will be completely unacceptable to any Arab at this point) Israel controlling the Jordan Valley. that would essentially be the Alon plan, and would block weapons smuggling. Again, such a unilateral plan would never ever be acceptable to any Palestinian when we see that the 'moderate' Abu Maazen just rejected a plan from Olmert that is more generous than even Barak offered, never mind yours.

kol tuv and thanks for your earlier compliment,

uzi

PS: my latest piece can be found here…http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1127159.html

Power should only be devolved to a stable West Bank authority, or an Egyptian or Jordanian or combined authority.”