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Yadlin: Israel must forge its own borders

Israel must forge its own borders to ensure that it remains Jewish, democratic, secure and legitimate, former military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin said Monday.
Speaking at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism's World Summit, Yadlin said that Palestinians in both Gaza and Ramallah were not prepared to reach a negotiated agreement with Israel, but Israel must create its own path.
Placing the blame with the stalled process on Israel, the Palestinians and the United States, Yadlin also warned that the Palestinian issue was "in the freezer" but would inevitably come back out.
On the bright side, Israel succeeded in neutralizing terrorism as a strategic threat. "It didn't take 6 days, it didn't take 6 months, it took 6 years," he said, "But there is no terrorism from Judaea and Samaria."
Israel did not reach this stage by vanquishing terrorist capabilities, he noted, but changed their calculus and creating "accountability." Hezbollah, he said, hasn't fired a bullet at Israel since the 2006 Lebanon War, while Hamas in Gaza was actually going after the extremist groups who continue to fire at Israel.
The greatest strategic danger Israel now faces from terrorism is the possibility it will provoke a larger, unwanted conflict with countries such as Egypt, Yadlin said.