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Last update - 08:27 24/06/2009
Leave the settlers there
By Yair Sheleg
Tags: palestinians, israel news 

When diplomatic negotiations with the Palestinians resume, the question of the settlers' place in any agreement will once again come up. In recent years, the Israeli left has repeatedly compared them to Hamas, based on the following logic: The Israeli majority is the equivalent of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which recognized Israel and is willing to make peace with it, while the settlers are equivalent to Hamas in their refusal.

Clearly, this false symmetry is extremely problematic, and not only because the settlers, for all the serious violence they have engaged in over the last few years, are still far from Hamas' "achievements" in this realm. The comparison of the moderates is also flawed, because even the most moderate Palestinians have yet to voice consent to the ideas that most moderate Israelis have been promoting for many years - see, for instance, their demand for the refugees' "return" to Israel.

But even granting for the moment there is room for such a comparison on the diplomatic front, it is still fatally flawed. After all, most of those who equate the settlers with Hamas also generally argue that Hamas must be treated as a significant player in the negotiations. But the settlers, they say, should be ignored. And it seems this is the main reason for the rise in the level of settler terror, because it is absolutely clear that what made Hamas into "a player that must be taken into account" is not the West's sympathy for its religious vision, but the terror it perpetrates. So now the settlers also want to become a significant player via terror.
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Lest there be any doubt, I do not intend this as a justification of settler terror. But if we stick to this comparison, we need to remember the wise statement often made about Palestinian terror: It is not enough to fight terror; it is also necessary to dry up the swamp in which it breeds.

So what role can the settlers be given in diplomatic negotiations that will fall short of the right to veto any agreement? The answer is they should be given the right to remain in their settlements, with Israeli citizenship, even after Israel has vacated these areas to make way for Palestinian sovereignty.

This proposal has several advantages. First, it is morally preferable. For the moral problem with the settlement enterprise is not its existence per se, but that it has perpetuated a situation in which millions of people are not citizens of any state. Had it been possible to annex the territories and grant Israeli citizenship to all their inhabitants without endangering Israel's Jewish identity, there would have been no moral problem with this solution - or at least, no more than when Israel forced its sovereignty and citizenship on those Arabs who lived within the Green Line. In any case, if it is possible to enable Palestinian sovereignty without uprooting 200,000 Jews from their homes, this would be the most just and moral solution of all.

There is also a practical advantage: If the settlers do not accept the offer, the justice of evacuating them will increase. Even Charles de Gaulle, who very much wanted to get out of Algeria, refused to sign an agreement until the Algerians agreed to allow the French settlers to remain, because he understood that he could not violate the principle of natural justice, which holds that a person should not be forced out of his home unless it is absolutely necessary.

This is not "giving a prize to criminals." After all, no one would suggest evacuating residents of the United States just because their forebears conquered the land via horrendous massacres. And the Jews even have an advantage over America's founding fathers. Our case is that of a people that returned to its historic homeland, in which it dwelled long before Arab colonists established settlements in it 1,400 years ago.

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      1.   Let the settlers stay. 04:08  |  MIKE 24/06/09
      2.   Rights of Jews 1400 years ago. 04:20  |  Observer 24/06/09
      3.   Settling the settlement issue 04:22  |  Damian Lataan 24/06/09
      4.   Practical and wise ideas 04:23  |  BDF 24/06/09
      5.   Perhaps REAL Jews should set up The Kingdom of David instead 04:32  |  Jim a Gentile 24/06/09
      6.   Fair enough, let it be their choice 04:39  |  Mark Lincoln 24/06/09
      7.   "people that returned" 04:41  |  James Hovland 24/06/09
      8.   International law requires that 04:42  |  Mark Lincoln 24/06/09
      9.   Sound Approach 04:58  |  Boy from Jenin 24/06/09
      10.   Hamas 05:19  |  Joseph L. Ruby 24/06/09
      11.   Nice punch line at the end, but completely FALSE 05:23  |  GalileeHero 24/06/09
      12.   important detail 05:29  |  potobac 24/06/09
      13.   Of course Jews will remain in Israel? 05:33  |  Baruch Gold 24/06/09
      14.   The moment Palestinians declare Independence no more Israeli Arab 05:35  |  Baruch Gold 24/06/09
      15.   Excellent piece 05:42  |  Yoni 24/06/09
      16.   Let Settlers Stay 05:44  |  Clue 24/06/09
      17.   Observer 05:48  |  Jasper 24/06/09
      18.   NO Settlements!!! HOW MUCH CLEARER Does This Have To Be Said? 06:16  |  U.S. Pal Defender 24/06/09
      19.   ISRAELIS...Why Aren`t YOU Protesting The Settlements??!!! 06:21  |  U.S. Pal Defender 24/06/09
      20.   Settlers 06:36  |  Hugh 24/06/09
      21.   Let them stay 07:06  |  john 24/06/09
      22.   putting the cart before the horse 07:09  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/06/09
      23.   The real Plan 07:09  |  candida 24/06/09
      24.   Let settlers in WB "man up" to any Pal state,..... 07:09  |  Deacon2 24/06/09
      25.   Not a very practical solution 07:16  |  rm 24/06/09
      26.   #10, typical arab propaganda 07:20  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/06/09
      27.   Khazar Nonsense re #10 07:21  |  Mark 24/06/09
      28.   Obviously We Will Remain Here: Under Israel 07:33  |  Yishai Kohen 24/06/09
      29.   "Arab Settlements"? 07:36  |  Drew Kaplan 24/06/09
      30.   Becoming a settler always was a dice roll 07:46  |  Natallie Durson 24/06/09
      31.   Who Pays the Back Rent? 07:49  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/06/09
      32.   5 Jim the Gentile - King David 07:59  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/06/09
      33.   About the settlers. 08:03  |  Lane 24/06/09
      34.   There is no reason why Jews, just because they are Jews, may not 08:10  |  Amihai 24/06/09
      35.   #7 Why would they, Mark Lincoln? 08:30  |  Johnboy 24/06/09
      36.   Respnse to #2, Oberver 08:33  |  Eli 24/06/09
      37.   Yes the Arab settlers should stay 08:34  |  John 24/06/09
      38.   And what`s in it for the Palestinians? 08:35  |  Johnboy 24/06/09
      39.   And the Palestinian record of fair treatment of Jews has been so 08:37  |  Jordan 24/06/09
      40.   GalileeHero 09:00  |  Chris 24/06/09
      41.   potobac, important detail 09:03  |  Chris 24/06/09
      42.   leave the settlers 09:12  |  rm 24/06/09
      43.   A principle which has been waived in the past 09:35  |  Colin Wright 24/06/09
      44.   clue 15 09:36  |  potobac 24/06/09
      45.   Required reading for every Israeli and Jew is the editorial... 09:46  |  Esther 24/06/09
      46.   To Clue 10:00  |  Apa 24/06/09
      47.   this article... 10:02  |  levinas 24/06/09
      48.   Stolen land 10:03  |  Jamie 24/06/09
      49.   # 2 Its the Good Lord real estate agency 10:10  |  SJ 24/06/09
      50.   The settlers can stay, but only as Palestinian citizens 10:15  |  Michael 24/06/09
      51.   People from differenet nationalities live in ... 10:54  |  Mark 24/06/09
      52.   lifshitz property 11:25  |  peano 24/06/09
      53.   Let them stay, but be subject to Palestinian law? 11:33  |  Danny 24/06/09
      54.   Straw Man argument 11:34  |  David 24/06/09
      55.   Yes settlers should be able to stay 11:40  |  Roo 24/06/09
      56.   And keep watering their lawns while Pals go short of water? 11:42  |  Tcherkessi 24/06/09
      57.   Stolen land 11:44  |  Jamie 24/06/09
      58.   Yes settlers should be able to stay 11:57  |  Roo 24/06/09
      59.   If 200,000 settlers stay, 200,000 Pals to be let into Israel. 12:15  |  Michael 24/06/09
      60.   4# BDF is 100 % right, no visionaires around, I am 12:28  |  Ardi 24/06/09
      61.   The Polish Corridor is the leading case in the 20th century 12:29  |  fritz t. 24/06/09
      62.   A Better Plan 13:53  |  Jeff Northridge 24/06/09
      63.   Ignoring the simple fact 13:58  |  Murray 24/06/09
      64.   let Caananites return to historic homeland 14:00  |  Johan 24/06/09
      65.   #59 michael and his remarkable brain ? 14:52  |  v hardman 24/06/09
      66.   Can you imagine this lot to stay in Palestine? 14:55  |  Sandra 24/06/09
      67.   But the premise is wrong 14:57  |  Jackie 24/06/09
      68.   Johann, even if there were Cannanites when . . . 16:32  |  Zev Davis 24/06/09
      69.   at least those who`d want to could stay if the Pals let them - 17:45  |  ivo 24/06/09
      70.   West Bank 18:29  |  Yvonne 24/06/09
      71.   The foundations of madness 18:40  |  Jim 24/06/09
      72.   BORDERS, BORDERS, BORDERS. 18:42  |  Lou Medel 24/06/09
      73.   Settlers stay? Where? 18:42  |  Yvonne 24/06/09
      74.   judenrein and Israeli Arabs 18:48  |  Fiona 24/06/09
      75.   #26 Say Cipora, surely, an educated woman 18:54  |  ballistic 24/06/09
      76.   This Is Like Letting the Thief Keep the Stolen Goods 19:07  |  Yaakov Sullivan 24/06/09
      77.   #27 Hey Mark in NYC 19:08  |  ballistic 24/06/09
      78.   Jeff Northridge #62: why it`s desirable to let some settlers stay 19:28  |  ivo 24/06/09
      79.   Settlements 19:35  |  Barbara Perry 24/06/09
      80.   sovereignty over settlements 19:52  |  ofmelabes 24/06/09
      81.   Johnboy #38 19:53  |  Alain 24/06/09
      82.   Jews returning?? 19:59  |  KR 24/06/09
      83.   Will Jewish settlers be safe living in a Palestinian state? 21:03  |  Nechama 24/06/09
      84.   to Baruch Gold #14 21:32  |  zeev 24/06/09
      85.   You`re looking 1 step too far into this 21:32  |  Welshman 24/06/09
      86.   to Alain #72 21:41  |  zeev 24/06/09
      87.   IVO,HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND@69 I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU WROTE! 03:11  |  JUST ME 25/06/09
      88.   MEDELL.BROTHERS REFUSED THEM,refuse them,will refused them 03:12  |  PETER SM 25/06/09
      89.   Come on! 03:25  |  Nader 25/06/09
      90.   No settlements 03:39  |  Paul Fingerhut 25/06/09
      91.   Allow at least as many Jews as Arabs in Israel 04:15  |  Baruch Gold 25/06/09
      92.   #81 A big ol` heap o` nonsense there, Alain 07:18  |  Johnboy 25/06/09
      93.   "arab colonists established settlements...1,400 years ago"? 07:43  |  eric 25/06/09
      94.   Observer (#2) Hello, you seem to think 12:13  |  Gil 25/06/09
      95.   TO JACKIE@67 Sent you a post on prounciation yesterday 14:41  |  Whiskey/Bravo 25/06/09
      96.   To eric who has the wrong perspective@93 17:04  |  Whiskey/Bravo 25/06/09
      97.   Short and to the point to eric@93 About Roman period Etc. 17:33  |  Whiskey/Bravo 25/06/09
      98.   Eric (#93) What a Novelist Romantic Romancer 19:51  |  Gil 25/06/09
      99.   Eric (#93) What a Novelist Romantic Romancer 19:52  |  Gil 25/06/09
      100.   TO OBSERVER@2 A NEED TO ARTICULATE IS IN ORDER. 20:36  |  Whiskey/Bravo 25/06/09
      101.   TO OBSERVER@2 A NEED TO ARTICULATE IS IN ORDER. 20:36  |  Whiskey/Bravo 25/06/09
      102.   To levinas @? Yes it is all BS.And I thank you for your vision on 02:34  |  Jasmine 26/06/09
      103.   to Baruch Gold #91 10:57  |  zeev 28/06/09
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