I completely disagree with MK Burg's assessment of the state of Israeli society and Zionism. In my view both are alive and healthy. Most Israelis, and most Americans who are in Israel often, seem to be very optimistic about Israel's future. The pessimism comes from two corners: the left wing, who no longer has the influence it once had, and indeed very little influence at all; and American and other diaspora Jews who have not been to Israel lately and make their judgements based on what they see on CNN and the nightly news.
I agree with Avraham Burg on only one fundemental point: there must be a separation between Palestinians and Jews. This does not require "transfer", the mass expulsion that Burg talks about and National Union advocates, nor does it require adandoning all of Judea and Samaria.
Prime Minister Sharon has said that Israel cannot rule over 3.5 million Palestinians, and he even dared use the Palestinian's favorite word: occupation. That does not mean that Israel must succumb to terror.
I have long been an advocate of separation, or as then Prime Minister Ehud Barak put it, "Us here. Them there." However, that has never meant a retreat to 1967 borders. IMHO, those in Labour who advocate separation, including Mr. Burg, fail to realize that any unilateral redrawing of Israel's borders must be done in a way that will not be seen as weakness by the Arabs. Weakness, as President Bush said in his speech, invites more terrorism.
Similarly, the right doesn't get it either. They read the biblical promise and history and assume that the Jewish people have a G-d given right to Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Look at those biblical maps again. Most of Gaza isn't included, and staying there serves little purpose other than to create a flashpoint. Judea and Samaria, as well as parts of Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon were promised to the Jewish people, and will be Jewish when meshiach comes, not because we put up settlements next to Arab cities.
I believe Prime Minister Sharon must finish the security fence. It should take in settlements that were built for security reasons along the green line, major blocs of Jewish population, and all of Jerusalem. Unlike Mr. Burg I believe that the IDF can seriously damage the terrorists' ability to strike Israel. Once that is done and the fence is completed we can leave the Palestinians in their walled-in pseudo-state to do whatever they will so long as they do not threaten Israel. The IDF will, of course, deal with any threats.
Once the Palestinians are walled in and basically powerless perhaps they will see the value of compromise. In any case, Israel will no longer be ruling over them, nor will we be providing services to them as we do now. Whatever the fate of the Palestinian Arabs, it will be their own doing.
I must ask US admirer: Have you been to Israel lately? Have you lived in Israel? What is the basis of your agreement with MK Burg?
Sometimes I think I should give up my career and start a new, centrist political movement. Then I realize that nobody will listen to me anyway :)
That's a good route for the fence.