Letter: West Bank pullout is a poor option
Israeli soldiers and police stand guard outside the building, on the left, occupied by Israeli settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron. (Apr. 2, 2012) Credit: AP
West Although Jeffrey Goldberg correctly sees that Israel has no one to make peace with in the Palestinian camp, he naively suggests that Israel should do in the West Bank what it did in Gaza -- unilaterally withdraw in return for no promises of peace ["It's time to finish the Six-Day War," Opinion, June 6].
What Israel got in return from Gaza is a constant bombardment of rockets targeting civilian population centers, and an entire generation of Israeli children in places like Sderot, Ashqelon and Ashdod growing up with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Most Israelis and supporters of Israel would like to see nothing more than a two-state solution and real peace. Unilateral withdrawal, however, would result in continued bombardment, from both sides of Israel instead of just one. The presence of settlers is not the roadblock to peace, as it wasn't in Gaza, as we see years after their removal from there. The lack of desire for peace by corrupt and terrorist Palestinian leaders is.
No responsible government could advocate for unilateral withdrawal. Had unilateral withdrawal not been such a failure in Gaza, Goldberg's suggestion might be something to consider. The facts on the ground, however, prove it to be a dangerous, even suicidal pipe dream.
Alan Axelrod, Manhattan
