You identify yourself as a "Likud supporter" in supporting return of Gaza. Plenty of Likud oppose returning Gaza including Netanyahu.
The "pointless conflict" comment presupposes that returning Gaza or anything else will stop the conflict. That decision is not in the hands of Israelis nor am I so naive that I believe the Palestinians will be satisfied with any form of two state solution including return up to 1967 borders.
It is just a form of appeasement perceived by Arabs as weakness.
In my view rather than needing protection which many Left leaning Israelis oppose, the Israelis who live in Gaza and the West Bank are a first line of defense. Even if one removes religious reasons from the equation, for strategic reasons they are crucial.
Funny, Finance Minister Netanyahu has voted in favor of the Prime Minister's disengagement plan every time it has come to a vote. That's not terribly strong opposition, is it?
The "pointless conflict" comment presupposes that returning Gaza or anything else will stop the conflict.
It will not. It will, however, save many Jewish lives by making attacks like the one we saw in Gush Katif yesterday impossible. Only one attack by Palestinians who infiltrated Israel proper from Gaza has succeeded: the Ashdod port bombing. The fence and the IDF along it can block 99%+ of Palestinian attempts at mass murder inside Israel.
That decision is not in the hands of Israelis
I disagree. We can make it nearly impossible for the Palestinians to inflict significant harm on us if we control their borders and fence them in.
It is just a form of appeasement
I disagree. It is withdrawal, but to a defensible line. The settlements in Gaza are not defensible.
Even if one removes religious reasons from the equation
Irrelevant. There are NO religious reasons for staying in Gaza.
for strategic reasons they are crucial.
I think quite the contrary. It is precisely for strategic reasons that they must go.