First, the borders. What are the borders of the state of Israel today? The late Golda Meir said that the borders are everywhere the boots of Israeli soldiers are hitting the ground. This definition probably needs to be amended to include areas that the Israeli army, air force and navy control. So while Mrs. Meir’s Israel today would stretch east to the Jordan River and northeast to include Syria’s Golan Heights, one can argue that the Gaza Strip (even though it is free of the boots of Israeli soldiers) and some sections of southern Lebanon are also under Israel’s military control.

I doubt that Israel will celebrate 100 years with its military and air force controlling these borders. Giving up on its occupation of the West Bank, lifting the siege on Gaza and returning the Golan to Syria are necessary for Israel’s long-term survival.

Israel also has yet to decide exactly what is its nature, to ratify a constitution and become a state for its citizens. If Israel insists on being a Jewish state (without even deciding who is a Jew) then this would make its ability to survive forty more years very difficult. Naturally, that can’t continue with the expansionist Jewish settlement activities going on in Palestine, or even in the Galilee area, which is crowded and overpopulated with Palestinian citizens of Israel.