H.D.S. GREENWAY wants Israel to withdraw from the West Bank (“Israel’s modern tragedy,’’ Op-ed, Jan. 3). Polling data have documented that most Israelis would also like to do so. Unlike Greenway, however, they have to consider some difficult realities.
Hamas continues to advocate for Israel’s annihilation. Palestinian schools continue to teach their students that Israel is not a legitimate state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas continues to glorify terrorists who are best known for having murdered Israeli civilians. The Palestinians’ arsenal of rockets and other weapons continues to grow in quantity and sophistication.
Perhaps most important, since most of Israel’s population centers are in range of even light weapons fired from the West Bank, let alone the kind of missiles and rockets now being fired from Gaza, an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank would put virtually every Israeli citizen at risk.
