Thoughts of home

While I am gallivanting across the globe, I still read Israeli papers to know what’s happening back home.

I saw this editorial, from the 3rd largest Israeli newspaper (and the only one worth reading) and thought I should share it with all of you, so that you know that there are other voices out there in the sea of violence and hatred.

"The occupation is still occupation - By Haaretz Editorial

The Lebanon war has not proved the unilateral withdrawal was a failure. Neither has it made occupation any more reasonable or moral.

The Qassam rocket fire from Gaza may have strengthened the position of those who demanded a withdrawal by agreement, but did not evoke a yearning to resettle there. The settlements in Gaza did not protect Israel from rocket fire or suicide attacks; they confined the IDF to missions that exhausted it and undermined the justness of its struggle.

The hasty withdrawal of reserve forces from Lebanon now proves there is no regret for the pullout six years ago from this region either. Perhaps the pullout wasn't carried out wisely, perhaps Israel missed a chance for peace with Syria, perhaps it failed to foresee Hezbollah's gaining strength, but nobody believes Israel should have stayed in Lebanon permanently.

The occupation of the territories is still a millstone on Israel's neck, paralyzing any attempt at normalization with the Arab states, even those who share interests with Israel against radical Islam. One cannot demand of the citizens of Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt to identify with Israel as long as it refuses to release its stranglehold on millions of Palestinians under its rule.

Conducting negotiations with the Palestinians' representatives is still an utmost Israeli interest. Palestinian politics are changing daily, but Israel is blind to this process. Only yesterday Israel captured and imprisoned the deputy Palestinian prime minister, and other cabinet and parliament members are still in Israeli prison. It is doubtful whether this behavior advances Israel's interests, or even the release of Gilad Shalit.

Israel should have encouraged the talks for setting up a national unity government between Fatah and Hamas, the prisoners' document, the Egyptian initiative to free women and veteran prisoners - to try to jump start some process, for fear that a political vacuum would turn Gaza into South Lebanon. The rocket fire should also be stopped by agreement. Military operations, grand and sophisticated as they may be, do not achieve the results that an agreement accepted by both sides can achieve.

The settlers of Eli, three of whose residents were killed in Lebanon, say the war proved the settlers right. This is a blatant lie, based on preaching to messianic militarism, worshiping eternal war against the Arabs with no willingness for concessions or dialogue. The settlements and the occupation are disastrous to Israel even if the settlers volunteer to the army and are killed, like soldiers from the rest of the population. The death of soldiers from Eli does nothing to justify their settlement there.

The funds that were invested in the settlements could have been used to prevent the home front towns in the Galilee from becoming poor, rundown neglected communities. The erosion of the army, due to fighting against Palestinian civilians for years, explains at least in part the IDF's weakness in the face of Hezbollah. The settlers must not be allowed to use the war in Lebanon to "launder" the settlement project, even if Olmert's government does not intend to carry out the realignment plan. Governments come and go, but the need to end the occupation remains. "