As far as the checkpoint issue, it is something I beat myself up more than you can imagine. I was at a symposium that had Pat Lang on and during the Q&A and heated discussion period I got caught up in embellishments(whether out of goading or ego, I don't know) and found myself trapped into posting on his web site by his supporters. I feel deep seated shame and you can consider this a mea culpa and an apology.

In October when I was in Israel for the High Holy Days, the people I talked with felt that with Obama giving in to Netanyahu, the permanent colonization of the West Bank could be completed within 5 years. This has always been the Likud plan.

Is this kind of injustice going to be allowed? There are very few voices in Israel willing to take a stand against ghettoizing the Palestinians. In America with such prominent people as Obama, Friedman and Cohen admitting defeat of Peace and Justice, how will the Israeli onslaught be stopped?

Even in our own TPM community I see formerly moderate voices like bslev and armchair guerilla lately only concerned that no one say anything nasty about Israelis. When the Israeli "reservation" plan is complete, will they come to Israel's defense - it's not Israel's fault, it's just the Palestinians tough luck to be treated like animals in a pen.

Everyday I bow my head and pray to G-d to deliver my people from committing this atrocity. Yet every day it seems like Israel and my Jews move several more dumans in that direction. What is happening to the moral underpinnings of my people and my religion? May G-d have mercy on our souls.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1258027277862&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

The minute the Palestinian state is declared, Netanyahu will immediately put in place his annexation plan and present the world with a fate accompli. There will be much gnashing of teeth and wailing but no country will put troops on the ground to overturn Israel's land grab. Thus the conversation shifts to how to make the Palestinians more comfortable.

It's unfortunate but Bibi and the rest of the right wing in Israel have no intention of relinquishing Judea and Samaria. There is not a force on earth, not the UNSC, the EU, USA or arab world who is going to go to war with Israel over this land grab. Israel will be ostracized and boycotted but as during the 30's, 40's and 50's the Jewish diaspora will see to it that the negative impact is overcome.

It's really sad because the muslim world will not forget nor forgive this move by Israel. Mark my words, Israel will be nuked within 25 years and at least 6 million more will die.

Israel's problem in honestly dealing with Palestinians peace efforts is they NEVER put on the table an offer that is fair to both sides (the only kind of deal that has perpetuity). It's always - what is the least I can give and get away with. Israel holds all the cards and they are the ones who are going to have to set the ante.

During my travels around the West Bank this past month, I witnessed Israeli surveyors east of the settlement Mevo Dotan lending credence to the rumor that the military base east of Qabatiya will be expanded into a settlement. This will cut Jenin off from the rest of the West Bank. The same thing is rumored to be happening to the military bases outside Qedumim and Itamar which would cut Nablus off from everything else.

You can already see caravans strung along the hills east of Ariel making a continuous Israeli settlement hooking up with Eli and Shilo. Ramallah and Bethlehem are already virtual population islands with only a few more dunams of land needed to complete their enclosure.

I give it 5 years for Israel's plan of "reservations to be finished. How long do you believe the world will tolerate a permanent disenfranchisment of the Palestinians after a viable state of their own becomes impossible?

No one I talked to in the settlements is particularly worried about Iran, but they are grateful for diversion it creates for the settlements. Regardless of the public announcements about Iran as an existential threat, the settlers are convinced that sanctions will inhibit Iran so much that even if they develop atomic bombs their size and delivery capacity will be limited.(they joke about Iran would likely bomb Tel Aviv first so, nothing would be lost anyway) They also do not buy the fear that mutual deterence would not work with Iran. The settlers have one goal and that is to bring Judea and Samaria under Israel's permanent wing and they are gaining confidence every day that it will happen.

I hope someone in the US is watching and counting the 3,000 buildings that are supposed to be legally constructed. There is a tremendous amount of building going on and it sure did not look to be to be limited to 3000. By the way, the people in Ma'ale Adumim believe that some construction in the E-1 corridor will begin early in 2010. That will be Obama's big test because that will be the death knell on a viable Palestinian state. But the hints coming out of the Ministry of Housing and Construction to the settlers indicate that since Bibi is on a roll, he will keep on going.

The day of Palestinian "reservations" is drawing nearer and it does not seem like anyone can stop it.

One of the things that surprised me is I saw lots of construction equipement in Maskiot, deep in the Jordan Valley. The settlers there believe they are included in these 500 new building permits and are ready to built 20 permanent homes. There is no way Israel is going to keep Maskiot within it's borders if there is a peace agreement.

As far as I could tell, it's still Likud's plan to ultimately provide the Palestinians 5 reservations and building up Maskiot is an indication this plan is still being implemented.

The entire issue is what to do with excess income. Do I use it to buy a fancier car, boat or house? What does that do to enhance human existence? In my younger years compensation was a kind of scorecard against my peers. I measured my worth as a person by whether my income was higher than my peer competitors. As I grew older, and hopefully wiser, I cane to see that as a worthless yardstick. That is the reason I come to my position on taxes.