The Truth About Israel's National Security

[Purveyor]

The Truth About Israel's National Security

Israel's historical experiences, coupled with decades of violent confrontations with Arab states and the Palestinians, have created a major psychological barrier embedded in the psyche of every Israeli, placing Israel's legitimate national security concerns at the center of its domestic and foreign policy. That said, no military might or even the expropriation of the entire West Bank will guarantee Israel's security, short of a sustainable Israeli-Palestinian peace.

The Netanyahu government's linking of national security to the so-called "defensive borders" is disingenuous and misleading, designed to provide a cover for his and his cabinet's continued intoxication with seizing Palestinian territories.

In the age of rockets and precision missile technology, territorial depth can no longer guarantee Israel's security, as Hamas has been able to rain thousands of rockets on Israel, some of which have reached Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

The current 'knife Intifada' also reveals the absurdity of the argument that borders, any border, can provide air tight security. It is the occupation and the continuing expansion of the settlements that are behind these violent outbursts, and as long as the occupation persists, Israel will not know a day of rest.

In December 2012, Gabi Ashkenazi, the former Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, reconfirmed the sentiments of many of his colleagues when he said: "Israel must recognize the limits of its power and cooperate with forces that support Israeli interests."

MORE...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alon-benmeir/the-truth-about-israels-n_b_9160656.html

[oberliner]

1. Wow - do you agree with his proposals?

That is definitely a step in the right direction.

Welcome to the two-state solution team.

[King_David]

2. Thanks for posting,

Good analysis...

[Little Tich]

3. I agree with the OP, but personally, I don't think it's ever going to happen.

Either way, the occupation is a huge drain on the Palestinian Economy, and a meaningful withdrawal, even if it's only partial, could help Palestine becoming economically viable. It all depends on what Israel is prepared to give up; access points, natural resources, settlements etc...

According to a UN report, "The economic costs of the Israeli occupation for the occupied Palestinian territory" the occupation is the biggest economical obstacle in the West Bank (Summary II):

Today these restrictions have deepened further and according to our estimations in 2010 they are almost equal to the value of the entire Palestinian economy. The total costs imposed by the Israeli occupation on the Palestinian economy which we have been able to measure was USD 6.897 billion in 2010, a staggering 84.9% of the total estimated Palestinian GDP. In other words, had the Palestinians not been subject to the Israeli occupation, their economy would have been almost double in size than it is today.

Source: http://www.un.org/depts/dpa/qpal/docs/2012Cairo/p2%20jad%20isaac%20e.pdf

However, the current or any possible future government would never do what's necessary for the creation of a Palestinian state, and all talk among Israeli politicians about withdrawal are only about isolating and restricting the Palestinian economy further, while at the same time continuing building settlements. I have no hope left whatsoever about the two-state solution - the measures detailed by Alon Ben-Meir are simply impossible to implement.

[shira]

4. Shocking, because I agree with the OP too, however....

For any such bilateral agreements to be made, Israeli withdrawals over a 5-8 year period implies that not only has Abbas' PA made peace with Israel and agreed to an end-of-conflict, but also that the PA really recognizes a Jewish state, even if they never have to admit it.

Abbas would quickly become another Sadat.

Sadly there's no way he could agree to this, even if he wanted to...

[azurnoir]

5. I agree with the article especially the part about the Gaza withdrawal

As a master tactician who uses fear to rally public support, Netanyahu is quick to point to the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza to suggest that the Palestinians cannot be trusted, as Hamas has been using the strip ever since as a launching pad for rockets, instead of building the foundation of their state.

Sadly, many Israelis bought into this dishonest argument, even though it may appear to be valid on the surface. Only when one carefully examines how the withdrawal from Gaza was conducted would one understand the absurdity of this argument.

The withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 was precipitous and unilateral. Then-Prime Minister Sharon knew that Hamas was by far more powerful than the security forces of the Palestinian Authority, and poised to take over. Sharon's main objective, however, was to rid Israel of the economic and security burdens that Gaza posed, and if his actions would divide the Palestinians, so much the better.