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Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-miller11may11,0,7623252.story
Why the Gaza Pullout Matters
(Los Angeles Times) Aaron David Miller - Even the unilateral withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza will not rid Israel of the Palestinians. "Separation" cannot resolve the problem. This summer's withdrawal from Gaza is an historic moment in the search to define Israel's borders and identity. If it is followed up with a cessation of Palestinian violence from Gaza, by Israeli permission for Palestinians to move people and goods by land, sea and air, and by the delivery of international assistance, there's a chance for Gaza to be a bridge for a similar process on the West Bank that will perhaps over time lead to the possibility of two states living in peace and security. If not, then Israel's independence will continue to be chained to two Palestinian populations, in the territories and within Israel, which it cannot absorb, moderate, or shed. And this will surely over time fundamentally undermine - if not destroy - its character, identity, and viability as a secure, Jewish democratic state for all its citizens.