THE DAY AFTER

The day after the “disengagement”, we must concentrate on “mending the rift within our people” and “solving the social problem” - this is the theme of a brain-washing campaign that has already started.

But, of course, this is nonsense.

After the Gaza withdrawal, we must concentrate, at once, on the main national task: achieving peace with the Palestinian people and the entire Arab world.

Because, when there is no peace, there will be war: a third intifada that will kill even more people on both sides than the second one.

Such a war will make the “social problem” even more dangerous and will widen the “rift within our people” even more.

 It will devour the resources that are needed for “solving the social problem”.

 It will prevent a “mending of the rift”, because peace will necessitate the evacuation of the West Bank settlements - the very same settlements that the Sharon government, with the participation of the Labor Party, are enlarging now at a frantic pace.

The struggle for peace will be hard.

It will be a confrontation between the State of Israel and the State of the Settlers.

It will be a confrontation between the democratic Israel and a nationalist-messianic Israel.

It will be a struggle for our future.

GUSH SHALOM

Large ad published in Haaretz, August 5, 2005