Dear Shadowminister,

«Why is the 1967 line any less valid than the 1949 line? as only Egypt has signed a treaty with Israel.»

Good question.

By itself, the 1967 line is no better or worse than the 1949 line.
What matters is the spirit by which Israel reached these lines, what matters are the attitudes within Israel at the time.

As this is an internal Israeli affair, the actions and inactions of Arab countries are also irrelevant.

Undoubtedly Israel had to push back the attacking Arabs and destroy their armies, it had no other choice, but the spirit in which this was done was totally wrong and that bad spirit continues to hover over Israel, corrupting it from within, and this will not stop until Israel ceases to benefit from the fruits of that cursed war. Only that particular war.

Should Israel finally gain the wisdom to withdraw so it can begin the journey of its internal healing and should the Arabs be foolish enough to attack again (I hope they won't), and should Israel then be forced to defend itself, this time with the correct spirit, and should that would be the pure dictates of a wise military strategy, then I could see nothing wrong about Israel re-occupying these territories and beyond.

2021 was the deadliest year since 2014, Israel killed 319 Palestinians. In a 5-year record in house demolitions: 895 Palestinians lost their homes

"In 2021, Israeli security forces killed 313 Palestinians, including 71 minors: 236 in the Gaza Strip, 232 of them during Operation Guardian of the Walls; and 77 in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem). Three other Palestinians were killed either by armed settlers or by soldiers who were escorting them; another Palestinian minor was shot by an Israeli civilian and later by Border Police officers; and two Palestinians were killed by armed settlers."

http://www.btselem.org/press_releases/20220104_in_deadliest_year_since_2014_israel_killed_319_palestinians_in_opt

Y,

In all three attacks by the Arab states in 1948/67/73 the stated objective of the Arabs was genocide and the obliteration of Israel and its people. So what "spirit" would you find appropriate on the Israeli side?

SR's quote from the Hamas run website fails to mention that the majority of those killed were young armed Hamas militants trying to cross from Gaza to internationally recognised Israel with the intention of killing civilians.

Dear Shadowminister,

That the Arabs should have been stopped is not contested.

But once annihilating the Arab armies (in 1967), Israeli soldiers could safely return home. They did not, they are still there.

As a result of its 1967 victory, Israel changed its character, it lost its humility and became arrogant, proud of its military might which it glorified in vulgar songs. As Israeli society started to worship the army, it became violent and that violence was spread throughout its society, including domestic and on its roads.

An outside observer might think that the occupation was due to Jewish sentiments, but no, Israel's government at the time was atheistic socialist Labor (Mapai) that was cynical about religion (the Jewish-Messianic movement to settle the occupied territories that was led by the disciples of Rabbi Kook who perceived the state of Israel to be some mystical/supernatural entity, started much later, around 1975-1976). The true, unspoken, motive for the occupation was the greed of Moshe Dayan, then defense minister, to loot all the newly-available archaeological sites, filling his [illegal] private backyard archaeological collection with more exciting artifacts from the occupied territories.
http://jhsonline.org/index.php/jhs/article/view/5856

That bad spirit of false pride, glorifying violence, militarism and robbery, cannot be healed until Israel withdraws completely and stops enjoying the poisonous fruits of its 1967 war.

This has nothing to do with Arabs or Jews, it is a painful internal Israeli affair which Israel needs to address for its own good.

There is no point in arguing the rights and wrongs of Israel & Palistine.
Since Mohammad's time the Islamic policy has been to conquer all,
offer them Islam or death.
Where the army of Allah has gone the story is the same.
Today they arrive in Europe on tourist visas or as refugees, thousands
of young men that are taking over towns all over France and Germany.
Their leaders are not making bones about their aim, nothing less than
the establishment of the Islamic Europe.
The public in those countries simply did not believe the warnings.
That sentiment is changing but probably cannot be reversed now without
expulsion and civil war.

Think I am talking nonsense ? Then you need to look deeper than the
latest bit of lovey woke patting down.

I think I agree with Yuyustu. And I believe what we should do is add water. As Our contribution. If both sides had inexhaustable water much of the tension would subside?

And that water could come from several major deionisation dialysis desalination projects the UN could and should fund.

Those plants would be ideally powered by MSR thorium! To be more affordable than any other source save free from the sky, rainfall.

Isreal would need less land if it employed hydroponics and used underground projects and rooftop gardens. Both those alternatives would consume power! And no other power other than MSR would make such projects economically viable.

And that power and the facilities it provides could be extended across agreed borders as an act of reconciliation.

I believe there should be a truth and reconciliation commission based on the South African model? To get the C.R.A.P. out, exposed and formerly forgiven by all sides?

Should all the above be agreed to and more difficult than herding cats? I believe peace that lasts for thousands of years would prevail. And might if we just do what I've suggested without any strings or control attached! Just add water!
Alan B.