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Last update - 20:41 10/07/2009
Outposts for blocs
By Ari Shavit
Tags: West Bank, Outposts 

To the attention of Benny Begin: Figures provided by Peace Now show that 80 of the 100 outposts in the West Bank were built wholly or partly on private Palestinian land. Sixteen outposts are located entirely on private land, and more than half of the other outposts are on private land. Seven thousand of the 16,000 dunams occupied by the 100 outposts are privately owned.

You cannot argue with facts. Nor can you argue with basic moral imperatives. Settlements that were lawfully built on public land are subject to ideological, political and security debate. Outposts that were illegally built on private land are robbery. The thousands of Israelis living unlawfully in the territories on lands that do not belong to them are lawbreakers. Israel must address their extensive, methodical law-breaking.

The outpost outrage also has a political aspect. The uncontrolled construction of mini-settlements in the last decade has fundamentally damaged national security. Instead of defining its just borders, Israel has entangled itself in a delusional and criminal settlement act. Consequently, even Israel's greatest friends have lost their patience. The illegal outposts robbing the Palestinians' lands are also robbing Israel of its legitimacy.
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Barack Obama's administration has brought these issues to the test. His demand to stop all construction in all the settlements is extreme. On one level, it is not compatible with previous American commitments. On another level, it is causing moderate Palestinians and Arabs to harden their lines and freeze the peace process. But the sweeping American demand shows that after years of Israeli conniving and scheming, Washington has simply had enough.

Thus, to avoid a head-on clash with its ally, Israel must change its ways immediately. It must prove it will no longer make a fool of the world and stop sabotaging itself and start enforcing law in the West Bank.

What we urgently need is a creative American-Israeli understanding. Israel must make a reality-changing move, and America must recognize the complexity of this reality. Israel must provide proof that the withdrawal is really beginning, and America must provide a preliminary commitment to the withdrawal's border. The new American-Israeli deal must be simple - outposts for blocs, i.e. evacuating the illegal outposts in exchange for recognition of the large settlement blocs.

On January 7, 2001, President Clinton gave a historic speech at New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Two weeks before leaving the White House, the 42nd president summed up his heroic peace effort before an Israel Policy Forum audience. His wife Hillary was there. And thus spoke William Jefferson Clinton: "There can be no genuine resolution to the conflict without a sovereign, viable, Palestinian state that accommodates Israel's security requirements and the demographic realities. That suggests Palestinian sovereignty over Gaza, the vast majority of the West Bank, the incorporation into Israel of settlement blocs."

Clinton's text is canonical. These are not vague summaries between Dov Weissglas and Elliott Abrams or positions of the obsolete President George W. Bush. This is an unequivocal statement from a Democratic president who made every effort to make peace in the Middle East. Hillary Clinton cannot ignore Bill Clinton's statement. Nor can Obama. And this statement says that recognizing the bloc-principle is the condition for peace. To enable dividing the land, Israel must withdraw from most of the West Bank, and the Palestinians must give up a small part of it.

If Benjamin Netanyahu insists on keeping the illegal outposts, he will be defending a criminal act of settlement as well as harming Israel's interests. If Obama refuses to recognize that settlement blocs attached to the Green Line will remain within Israeli boundaries, he will be destroying Clinton's legacy. But if Obama and Netanyahu formulate an outposts-for-blocs policy, they will be serving their states and administrations' joint interest - a realistic peace process.
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  1.   Clear, lucid article by Ari Shavit, as usual. Thanks. 04:18  |  Fortuna Benmayor 09/07/09
  2.   outposts 07:55  |  infidel 09/07/09
  3.   There must be a confrontation 09:34  |  Michael N 09/07/09
  4.   All of the west bank settlements are subject to evacuation 09:48  |  Natallie Durson 09/07/09
  5.   Agreement 10:03  |  Iain 09/07/09
  6.   i agree Natalie! 10:04  |  John Spear 09/07/09
  7.   Peace Now was caught lying about their figures not long ago 10:16  |  Avi 09/07/09
  8.   Nice try 10:22  |  Uetliberg 09/07/09
  9.   If illegal settlers houses should be destroyed... 11:01  |  Orli 09/07/09
  10.   ` recognition of the large settlement blocs` 11:14  |  Colin Wright 09/07/09
  11.   # 9 Orli 11:17  |  maoriboy 09/07/09
  12.   outposts for blocks 11:26  |  nabulsi 09/07/09
  13.   How can settlements built on occupied land be lawful? 11:45  |  Hannah 09/07/09
  14.   #9 No, actually, Orli 12:09  |  Johnboy 09/07/09
  15.   Ari Shavit 12:16  |  Uetliberg 09/07/09
  16.   #4 DURSON DECREE:Illegal settlements MUST be evacuated IMMEDIATLY 12:20  |  Israeli Realist 09/07/09
  17.   daylight robbery justified 12:28  |  Ernst 09/07/09
  18.   WRIGJHT Since when is return to areas where Jews lived & owned 12:41  |  PETER SM 09/07/09
  19.   "a criminal act" 12:45  |  Robin Holm 09/07/09
  20.   #6 John Spear, You have it the wrong way around Johny 12:47  |  Canadian Observer 09/07/09
  21.   Sorry Durson, even Jimmy Carter says settlements are OK 13:00  |  Joe Sittizen 09/07/09
  22.   "Settlements that were lawfully built " 13:02  |  David D 09/07/09
  23.   #9 Orli UNSCR 465 Read and weep 13:07  |  Oscar Leon 09/07/09
  24.   Regarding 2,500 settlement constructions 13:15  |  Eva Gardner 09/07/09
  25.   #7 Avi ---whar proof and who provided it--can you 13:20  |  Labhras 09/07/09
  26.   @Orli: East Jerusalem IS in Palestine 13:24  |  un2here 09/07/09
  27.   to give you link to Sasson Report.-it tears your 13:25  |  Labhras 09/07/09
  28.   #7 Avi, Current leaders of Peace Now is a major disappointment 13:28  |  Can. Israeli Friend 09/07/09
  29.   #9 Orli East Jerusalem is also "OCCUPIED" 13:31  |  Labhras 09/07/09
  30.   theyre all illegal 13:54  |  ravi 09/07/09
  31.   Orli 9 By whose definition are Arab houses illegal? 14:11  |  Stephen L 09/07/09
  32.   Fair Question? 14:12  |  Bazmann 09/07/09
  33.   State Land...which state..for which citizens 14:32  |  meir gush etzion 09/07/09
  34.   Israel on her own land 14:43  |  Hilda 09/07/09
  35.   1917 no arab owned land in the ottoman empire 14:56  |  v hardman 09/07/09
  36.   Well, we`ll have to wait till Obama and EU read Durson`s advice 15:50  |  Israeli citizen 09/07/09
  37.   why can`t they ignore 15:55  |  daat y 09/07/09
  38.   borders 16:07  |  patriot 09/07/09
  39.   # 7 Avi 16:11  |  patriot 09/07/09
  40.   "Realistic" Peace Process? 16:15  |  Yaakov Sullivan 09/07/09
  41.   dont you care about the palastinians? 18:13  |  billy jack 09/07/09
  42.   Settlements 18:14  |  Yvonne 09/07/09
  43.   righte are irrelevant 19:19  |  oz 09/07/09
  44.   Sad story 19:55  |  oz 09/07/09
  45.   No deal 20:19  |  Jason 09/07/09
  46.   Out post/settlements 20:25  |  Kamal Hassan 09/07/09
  47.   The Settlements 20:50  |  Jennifer 09/07/09
  48.   Trail Balloon #2 22:00  |  binny 09/07/09
  49.   Would U.S. recognize existing settlements 22:07  |  Chet 09/07/09
  50.   The G8 calls for 22:14  |  Amanda Urs 09/07/09
  51.   Legalities and compromises 00:52  |  Colin Wright 10/07/09
  52.   The question is: Will the Palestinians? 01:54  |  peacelover 10/07/09
  53.   hashem`s aproval is all u need 03:15  |  bob 10/07/09
  54.   Colin Wright 03:25  |  Lon 10/07/09
  55.   #33 But it is very illegal, meir gush etzion 03:30  |  Johnboy 10/07/09
  56.   #21 No, Joe, he said no such thing 03:38  |  Johnboy 10/07/09
  57.   #18 PETER SM tries the tired old trick 03:49  |  Johnboy 10/07/09
  58.   Israel fought for them, Israel owns them, they`re hers., period. 12:40  |  petra 10/07/09
  59.   #18 16:23  |  Anthony 10/07/09
  60.   power of U.S. presidents 18:21  |  ameneyman 10/07/09
  61.   It is not up to the US or Israel to unilaterally define borders 19:57  |  Esther 10/07/09
  62.   Whose Land? 20:32  |  Yakov 10/07/09
  63.   Well said, Natallie 00:00  |  Gully Foyle 11/07/09
  64.   Recognition by? 00:10  |  Rigoletto 11/07/09
  65.   Up against the -self-created wall 00:17  |  David 11/07/09
  66.   Yakov #62 01:12  |  arik 11/07/09
  67.   The outposts 02:03  |  WHG 11/07/09
  68.   Whose land 02:25  |  bewert 11/07/09
  69.   To #58 & 62 Without the US there would be no Israel! 04:35  |  Tom Clark 11/07/09
  70.   Dear Tom Clark 08:02  |  arik 11/07/09
  71.   Bewert 08:49  |  Yakov 11/07/09
  72.   Nothing lucidf 09:37  |  Peter 11/07/09
  73.   Petra helps our cause... 10:00  |  Ibrahim 11/07/09
  74.   Outpost for blocs!! 10:55  |  Marie Mirabeau 11/07/09
  75.   Smooth Talk Paranoia 11:06  |  Jim 11/07/09
  76.   Anything but bringing home the settlers and giving back the land 11:17  |  David D 11/07/09
  77.   arik in london---You can keep this way forever 14:11  |  Labhras 11/07/09
  78.   Even if Israel relief Ari Shavit manipulation 14:20  |  Joseph .E 11/07/09
  79.   Whose Land is it? 14:41  |  Smart Alec 11/07/09
  80.   58 Petra - If the West Bank is Israeli land, let them vote 17:34  |  binny 11/07/09
  81.   Israel was made always to beg for its survival ! 17:35  |  Akram Zekaria 11/07/09
  82.   #4 Natalie Durson 18:30  |  Courcey 11/07/09
  83.   Settlers can become Palestinian citizens 20:23  |  Steve 11/07/09
  84.   From one Esther to another Esther #61 (USA)... excellent post! 21:53  |  Esther 11/07/09
  85.   Steve #71: "Settlers can become Palestinian citizens" 21:57  |  Esther 11/07/09
  86.   Settlements/Outposts-Which is less illegal? 22:14  |  Roger 11/07/09
  87.   Johnboy - why don`t you listen to Carter himself? 22:53  |  Joe Sittizen 11/07/09
  88.   Ester, 61 makes a superb comment! Thanks. 00:10  |  Ivar 12/07/09
  89.   Tell Me Petra 00:47  |  Mark Lincoln 12/07/09
  90.   peter sm 18 03:59  |  potobac 12/07/09
  91.   Any promise by any US president is non-binding 05:04  |  Ronnbo 12/07/09
  92.   #70-Akram Zekaria. And how do outposts help security? 05:28  |  Roger Semaan 12/07/09
  93.   #61 esther is 89 years late the borders were defined then 09:09  |  v hardman 12/07/09
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