I agree that at some point there may/should be a pullback to permanent borders (whatever they will be) but talking about it in this way at this time seems to me very risky and unhelpful. No I don’t question Barak’s Israeli patriotism as another poster did, not at all, of course not. And I do realize that in some obvious ways he knows infinitely more than I ever can about a lot of the details and dynamics of these matters. However, in the current period with the Obama clowns turning up the pressures on Israel I happen to think it’s exactly the wrong time for Israel to be emphasizing any future pullback(s) rather than insisting upon the permanent conditions of security for Israel which are in some serious peril.
No doubt Barak thinks this is the way forward right now and I don’t question his patriotism, I question his short-term judgment call for this instance. I do think Israel in the short term needs to show it will not be pressured or bullied by anyone, not the USA or anyone else. That’s why this strikes me as exactly the wrong message to the Palestinians and the world at this moment, when there is a US administration of dubious value (to put it mildly). Just my 2 cents but I know I’m not expert in anything related to these subjects.
Why now, why not? Israel has offered to withdraw twice, at Camp David and in 2008. Were they to use those rejected peace settlements as the basis of a unilateral withdraw, it would preempt any plan the US might be planning at the UN, wouldn't it. Likely on better territorial terms. They'll have to decide what to do with the Arab sections of East Jerusalem, but whatever the decision, the decision will have been made, the lines drawn. I suspect Sharon would have done this by now.