Comments on Bernard Avishai Dot Com: The 38% Solution

Avishai, Grossman understand humble Zionism.The hu...

2007-12-05T09:48:00.000-05:00

Avishai, Grossman understand humble Zionism.

The humble attitude must be established on both sides.

There is no chance for peace unless the Israelis and Palestinians switch to the non-violent mentality, and to an internal social justice.

Only two internally peaceful societies will be able to live side by side in peace.

Revolutionay Zionism and Militant Palestinianism are exclusionary behaviors.

As long the public is not immune to the political extremism, there will be no peace.

Bernard, I noticed there is a growing movement in ...

2007-12-05T04:03:00.000-05:00

Bernard, I noticed there is a growing movement in the Israeli public opinion towards a fatalist scenario where the peace process is an unstoppable fact due to forces that are bigger than local political views or terrorists action. the scenario does not end in peace rather in war that will be unavoidable after a very short period of peace. I was surprised to discover that both left and right people see this as a valid scenario . What worries me most is not that left and right people agree on something rather that as a culture we resort to fatalist scenarios - well just a thought, liked your blod.

This is some illusion about Ultra-Orthodox growth ...

2007-12-04T23:54:00.000-05:00

This is some illusion about Ultra-Orthodox growth – From 1970 until now in Israeli Knesset there were about 4 –6 deputies form Ultra-Orthodox parties. The same is going on in US too. In 1970 Orthodox were about 20% of American Jewry. Today - 21%. About 70% of settlers ready to move to Israel within the Green line.
There is another demographic fact – Israel inevitable becomes the Middle East country, with the Arab mentality, politics, and culture. State of Israel can remain Jewish, but it is going to be the Arab-Jewish.

That's the damned thing about democracy, isn't it?...

2007-12-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

That's the damned thing about democracy, isn't it? That people you don't like also have the right to vote. Maybe you want Israel to bring in a selective franchise like the US had 200 years ago when one had to own a certain amount of property in order to have the right to vote, except you could give the right to vote to those who are ideologically pure, (i.e. agree with you).

You lament that Israel's "elite" children are leaving. This is the same "elite" the destroyed the Israeli Army, bringing about the failure of the Lebanon II war, and has destroyed Israel's once admired education system and which now has kids who have among the poorest test scores in the Western World. If this is what the "elite" is giving us, I said "good riddance"!

Are you still a supporter of settling Palestinian ...

2007-12-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

Are you still a supporter of settling Palestinian refugees inside of Israel's pre-1967 borders?

I read your article advocating "tough love" to force Israel to accept that. If the Israelis continue, as they have for 50 years, refuse to budge on this issue, and America stands by them, would you be willing to drop this demand?