Israel should pull out of Palestinian territories - and then we’ll discuss peace
The Israeli Response
We've experienced the consequences of disengagement from Gaza.
Drawing from historical events like the 1979 Camp David Accords, we've seen that peace is possible when both parties are willing to negotiate.
In this instance, we reached an agreement with Egypt, withdrew our forces, and have maintained peace since then.
We hope that the Palestinians, when they are ready and have the right leadership, will be willing to make the necessary sacrifices for peace, just as the Israelis have done.
We withdrew from Sinai in the years 1980, 1981, and 1982. This area was three times the size of Israel, and we withdrew a third of it each year.
We have no plans to withdraw without a proper agreement in place. The situation in Gaza serves as a cautionary tale. The withdrawal ended disastrously, not just for the Jews, but also for the Palestinians.
As a historian, I believe we can use past events as a guide to navigate our way forward.
