Hold that line

The Jerusalem Post offers its editorial take on Sharon’s expected pullback. The Post reluctantly finds some merit in the idea of pulling back to a temporary border defined by the security fence. This would leave Israel holding about half the West Bank, and “the Palestinians would be faced with a choice: Make peace in exchange for a better deal than that marked by the security fence, or continue to fight and watch as the Green Line disappears as a potential border.”
The problem with this analysis, it seems to me, is that the Green Line will never disappear as a potential border. Israel can establish a de facto border at the security fence, but the Palestinians will continue their terror. This, in turn, will lead to new “peace processes” in which Israel will be under pressure to make new concessions, including a withdrawal to the Green Line. The correct policy, in my view, is no concessions until the Palestinians transform themselves into a true potential peace partner. This means, among other things, smashing the terrorist element.
It may be that no such transformation is possible in the foreseeable future. But if that’s true, it’s true whether or not Israel pulls back. And if there is any chance of a transformation, that chance is greatest in a scenario in which terrorism is not rewarded by giving up even an inch of ground.

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