Comments on Coming outTypePad2004-06-21T05:30:12ZDavid Bognerhttps://www.treppenwitz.com/tag:typepad.com,2003:https://www.treppenwitz.com/2004/06/coming_out/comments/atom.xml/bernath commented on 'Coming out'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c581e53ef00e55051f88a88342004-06-24T01:38:27Z2008-02-14T04:32:42ZbernathYour response to Russell Gold was that Israel was not creating and equipping an army in Gaza. I am not...<p>Your response to Russell Gold was that Israel was not creating and equipping an army in Gaza. I am not sure about that. Sharon wants Egypt to control the security in Gaza. Egypt, the country that has allowed the smuggling tunnels to Gaza to exist. Egypt, which receives very high-tech military equipment from the US and which has not demonstrated that it does not want Israel to be eliminated eventually.</p>
<p>The only time that Israel has been able to attain some sort of peace with any of its neighbors has been after she roundly defeated her enemies militarily. There still are attacks from Lebanon, which was another case of Israel evacuating before militarily defeating her enemy. </p>mademoiselle a. commented on 'Coming out'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c581e53ef00e55051f69d88342004-06-22T08:18:41Z2008-02-14T04:32:27Zmademoiselle a.I think it's one of Israel's best known maladies - you won't have a real political discussion until you outed...<p>I think it's one of Israel's best known maladies - you won't have a real political discussion until you outed yourself as belonging to one or the other party/camp. One of the first questions [maybe after asking whether you prefer water or juice], and only then you'll get heard [or shouted, depending on wether you've just made a friend or a foe]. It always feels like I'm being given a branding on the forehead and put into a box - I guess it is the pigeonhole tactic you've mentioned. </p>Sarah commented on 'Coming out'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c581e53ef00e5503e6d4388332004-06-21T20:04:07Z2008-02-14T04:33:18ZSarahhttp://www.chayyeisarah.blogspot.comHey, David, welcome to the Centrist Pool! Come on in - the water's fine!<p>Hey, David, welcome to the Centrist Pool! Come on in - the water's fine!</p>David commented on 'Coming out'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c581e53ef00e55051f6c588342004-06-21T15:30:17Z2008-02-14T04:32:28ZDavidhttp://www.treppenwitz.comI appreciate your sharing your point of view. However, the entire area around Israel is what you would call a...<p>I appreciate your sharing your point of view. </p>
<p>However, the entire area around Israel is what you would call a 'safe haven' for those who want to kill us. I want them on the outside and us on the inside. This is what I meant by the term 'circling the wagons'. The present arrangement doesn't allow that.</p>Russell Gold commented on 'Coming out'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c581e53ef00e5503e68dd88332004-06-21T15:07:23Z2008-02-14T04:32:29ZRussell GoldCould you explain what advantage you see to a Gaza withdrawal? "Excising the cancer" sounds very nice, but Gaza and...<p>Could you explain what advantage you see to a Gaza withdrawal? "Excising the cancer" sounds very nice, but Gaza and the Palestinian Arabs in it would not simply disappear; they would instead gain a safe haven from which to launch further attacks on Israel. The presence of the IDF helps keep them off-balance enough to inhibit such attacks.<br />
Pulling out of Gaza would be like returning to the days when areas of Judea and Samaria were treated as inviolate by Israel, and thus served as very effective bases for terrorism. The fence around Gaza is only helpful if the Arabs don't have the freedom of movement needed to get around it.</p>David commented on 'Coming out'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c581e53ef00e5503e68a588332004-06-21T11:43:03Z2008-02-14T04:32:27ZDavidhttp://www.treppenwitz.comYou make an interesting point about the possible future results of a Gaza withdrawal. But unlike Oslo, this is simply...<p>You make an interesting point about the possible future results of a Gaza withdrawal. But unlike Oslo, this is simply redrawing the battle lines...not creating and equipping an enemy army.</p>
<p>Sure we risk looking weak like we did when we pulled out of south Lebanon... but I'd rather look weak from behind strong battle lines (i.e. borders), than look strong from a strategically vulnerable position.</p>Ben Chorin commented on 'Coming out'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c581e53ef00e5503e696288332004-06-21T11:24:44Z2008-02-14T04:32:33ZBen Chorinhttp://benchorin.blogspot.comDavid, Yes, the crazies egg each other on but most people are centrists. The symmetry between left/right crazies breaks down,...<p>David,<br />
Yes, the crazies egg each other on but most people are centrists. The symmetry between left/right crazies breaks down, though, in several places. First, the left has the whole world and the Israeli press on its side, so the right needs to shout to be heard. Second, the price that is paid when the left blows it is a high one.<br />
Besides that, even someone like me -- who holds philosophically centrist positions pretty much like yours -- might reasonably reach the conclusion that the Gaza withdrawal will bring only grief.</p>
<p>Ben <br />
<a href="http://benchorin.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">http://benchorin.blogspot.com</a></p>