Shin Bet chiefs: end the occupation: "Perry said the only way forward is for Israel to take unilateral steps, such as withdrawing from the Gaza Strip. Doing so, he said, could help draw the Palestinians to peace talks... The four said that Israel needs to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza Strip even if it entails an inevitable clash with the settlers. Ayalon said that he expects that only 10 percent of the more than 220,000 settlers would resist an evacuation of settlements. "We have to be capable of facing such a number," he said."

It is remarkable how the militaristic and virtually fascist views of a Sharon can so easily dominate a nation but the factual, reasonable and sound views of a Chomsky or Avnery are marginalised, with virtually no representation in either the official opposition or in fact from any members of parliament whatever. It is an immense failure of democracy. One might conclude that authoritarianism, militarism, racism and fascism are the default positions, even in what are nominally termed 'democracies': the easy, natural, popular and successful positions; while peace, justice and true democracy are incredibly difficult, virtually unsighted. If Israel ever withdraws from the occupied territories it may only be because the occupation is a manifest military failure, not because anyone was convinced by arguments of fact, truth, reason and justice that occupation is not in anybody's interest.

Shin Bet chiefs: end the occupation: "Perry said the only way forward is for Israel to take unilateral steps, such as withdrawing from the Gaza Strip. Doing so, he said, could help draw the Palestinians to peace talks... The four said that Israel needs to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza Strip even if it entails an inevitable clash with the settlers. Ayalon said that he expects that only 10 percent of the more than 220,000 settlers would resist an evacuation of settlements. "We have to be capable of facing such a number," he said."

It is remarkable how the militaristic and virtually fascist views of a Sharon can so easily dominate a nation but the factual, reasonable and sound views of a Chomsky or Avnery are marginalised, with virtually no representation in either the official opposition or in fact from any members of parliament whatever. It is an immense failure of democracy. One might conclude that authoritarianism, militarism, racism and fascism are the default positions, even in what are nominally termed 'democracies': the easy, natural, popular and successful positions; while peace, justice and true democracy are incredibly difficult, virtually unsighted. If Israel ever withdraws from the occupied territories it may only be because the occupation is a manifest military failure, not because anyone was convinced by arguments of fact, truth, reason and justice that occupation is not in anybody's interest.