More precisely: He says it, but in a muffled way, not in a catchy sound byte, his trademark. And the truth is this: As long as it depends on Netanyahu, Israel plans to stay in Gaza for the next generation.
After the terrible failure of the 19-year experiment of relying on sensors and walls instead of holding onto the ground, we are now returning to another old experiment, conducted between 1967 and 2005: Military bases between Gaza and Rafah.
Those who focus on the tactics of the yes-or-no Philadelphia axis or the micro-tactics of trenches on the Netzerim axis as a substitute for IDF forces are missing the broader issue. This is exactly the presence Netanyahu means when he talks about Israeli military control and civilian control "of other parties".
That's why A two-lane freeway is currently being paved in Philadelphia, that's why entire divisions are located where Rafih Yam, Netzerim, Eli Sinai, Nisnit and Dugit (Israeli settlements pre-2005) were once.
