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A halt, not a suspension
By Haaretz Editorial
Tags: settlements, West Bank 

When Ehud Olmert warns that the world could impose a "South African solution" on Israel if two states are not created, side by side, he is tacitly admitting that expansion of the settlements is making Israel look increasingly like an apartheid regime.

The agreement to withdraw, or to make "painful concessions," as it is sanctimoniously called, is therefore less painful than any other alternative. The only question is whether another Yitzhak Rabin can be found, who is capable of really halting, not just suspending, the construction of settlements, to leave the Palestinians some territory in which to establish Palestine.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit declared that the Arab states will respond favorably if Israel suspends construction in the settlements. This shows the extent to which the continued building damages Israel's relations with its near and distant neighbors. Israelis have become used to accepting lies about "natural growth" in the settlements. They never question why settlers could not build high-rise apartments, but must spread widely across the land. And, of course, settlers' children could never move to Netanya or Mitzpeh Ramon, so for every rise in the population they need to grab more territory.
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This brings to mind Ariel Sharon's statement to Bush at the 2003 Aqaba summit: "What do you expect me to do - to ask the settlers' wives to have abortions?" As though there were no housing options for those children but in the West Bank.

As long as the settlement blocs that Israel intends to annex have not been anchored in an agreement, as long as the route of the separation fence has not become an agreed border, as long as there is a will for genuine negotiations, as opposed to unilateral withdrawal, Ehud Olmert's government must act like Rabin's government in the Oslo period.

The state must compensate private contractors who bought land for new neighborhoods, as it did in 1992-1995, to enable revoking contracts even on active building sites. "Settlement blocs" is an empty term until their size is determined by agreement with the Palestinians. Every expansion, every new neighborhood, every outpost left standing generates more access roads, more public infrastructure, more kindergartens. It adds up to robbing more and more land from what little is left on which to build a Palestinian state. It is settlements that prevent Israel from defining a border with the Palestinians, and this is the central issue it deliberately evades. The same goes for Jerusalem, as more and more construction continues to march eastward.

Some 10,000 babies are born in the settlements every year. Israel has no moral or other obligation to make sure they have housing in the West Bank. In April 2004 the government promised the Americans that there would be no more construction "beyond the outside line" of each settlement. That outside line has never been set. Annapolis will not lead Israel to any solution with the Palestinians unless Israel stops cheating and learns to restrain its expansion eastward.
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  1.   It would still be apartheid... 10:12  |  Walter 30/11/07
  2.   So who is responsible for our catastrophe? 10:15  |  Esther 30/11/07
  3.   S.A they still have apartheid its just in reverse 10:17  |  PETER S.M. 30/11/07
  4.   The name calling will never stop ever,circumstances may changes 10:20  |  PETER S .M. 30/11/07
  5.   There`s no hope for Israel whatsoever 10:22  |  Clickfool 30/11/07
  6.   The sooner, the better 10:29  |  Barak 30/11/07
  7.   Thie should have been written 20 years ago. 10:30  |  Maki 30/11/07
  8.   So.... Is Ahmadinejad right? 10:44  |  Iranian-American 30/11/07
  9.   Do Jewish people have to leave the new Palestine? 10:48  |  Iranian-American 30/11/07
  10.   My Uncle is responsible 10:55  |  Natallie Durson 30/11/07
  11.   If we had any sense, the settler terrorists would be long gone 10:59  |  Yossi Cronenberg 30/11/07
  12.   Re Walter #1 11:02  |  Esther 30/11/07
  13.   Israel Has not learned, nor is it learning now 11:03  |  Yaakov Sullivan 30/11/07
  14.   How to recognize an Israeli "moderate"/"extremist"/"idiot"...??? 11:05  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/11/07
  15.   a new rendition of apartheid its only in one direction? 11:06  |  v ictor hardman 30/11/07
  16.   Reply to #9 Iranian/American 11:14  |  Australian/Israeli 30/11/07
  17.   # 9- Iranian- American....Yes, they do ! 11:17  |  Klaudia 30/11/07
  18.   APARTHEID IS TELLING JEWS WHERE NOT TO LIVE 11:18  |  Yishai Kohen 30/11/07
  19.   Reverse Apardheid? 11:26  |  Marc 30/11/07
  20.   "Apartheid" an epithet by racists who want no Jewish State at all 11:31  |  Dr. L. Brnd 30/11/07
  21.   More Ethnic Cleansing of Jews 11:32  |  Mark Hamil 30/11/07
  22.   # 9 Iranian-American 11:34  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/11/07
  23.   Dr L.Brnd you can call a chicken a dog, but.. 11:49  |  Yaakov Sullivan 30/11/07
  24.   PEACE = COMPROMISE NOT DECAPITATION!! 11:49  |  Dr Eric 30/11/07
  25.   ISRAEL AND JORDAN ALREADY EXIST SIDE BY SIDE- JEWISH AND ARAB ? 11:55  |  Bill 30/11/07
  26.   #14 Dino: what could be funnier than Swiss "apartheid" complaint? 12:07  |  Dr. L. Brnd 30/11/07
  27.   # Marc , Halt not suspension 12:09  |  HM 30/11/07
  28.   # Walter, Stop the amalgam 12:10  |  ALGERIAN 30/11/07
  29.   At least there is some westerners thinking by their minds 12:22  |  ALGERIAN 30/11/07
  30.   # 9- Iranian- American, Yes they do 12:37  |  ALGERIAN 30/11/07
  31.   C`mon Sullivan #23, you are just proving my point. 12:41  |  Dr. L. Brnd 30/11/07
  32.   ARAB APARTHEID ROOT CAUSE OF MID EAST PROBLEMS 12:52  |  Prof.J.Lustig 30/11/07
  33.   A halt & a suspension 12:59  |  Maureen S 30/11/07
  34.   To Algerian 13:03  |  Nick 30/11/07
  35.   #16 You are 100% correct 13:07  |  Barry 30/11/07
  36.   Re victor hardman #15 13:10  |  Esther 30/11/07
  37.   Israel = Apartheid State 13:19  |  POP 30/11/07
  38.   Israeli DEMOCRACY Chooses APARTHEID = Perverted!!!!!!!!! 13:22  |  POP 30/11/07
  39.   Peter S.M. = RACIST 13:23  |  POP 30/11/07
  40.   Isaiah 13:27  |  Joe 30/11/07
  41.   Read Clickfool 13:32  |  Keith T. 30/11/07
  42.   Mark Hamil in NYC 13:35  |  Walter 30/11/07
  43.   #5 ClicKfool 14:03  |  Harald 30/11/07
  44.   Reply to #17 14:12  |  Harald 30/11/07
  45.   Stop the Apartheid - by expelling the Amaleks 14:14  |  Feiglin Supporter 30/11/07
  46.   # 26 Dr. L. Brnd in far, far away San Diego...... 14:17  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/11/07
  47.   #19 mark 14:18  |  Harald 30/11/07
  48.   # 26 Dr. L. Brnd, and of course you will get your "Palestinian".. 14:22  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/11/07
  49.   5 and 43 Click and Harold, you are deluding yourselves 14:27  |  The Equalizer 30/11/07
  50.   Esther #2 14:32  |  GABE1 30/11/07
  51.   POP ok you`re a racist but what`s a FEG? 14:34  |  enquiring minds 30/11/07
  52.   "Israel and its puppet America" 14:36  |  Israeli 30/11/07
  53.   Esther #36 14:37  |  GABE1 30/11/07
  54.   Esther 14:38  |  Israeli 30/11/07
  55.   # 5 # WAR WILL TURN NUCLEAR IF ISRAEL FACES DEFEAT 14:42  |  --Lou Knee-- 30/11/07
  56.   JEWISH APARTHEID DOOMED TO FAIL 14:45  |  TrippleJump 30/11/07
  57.   Peace or the Settler Enterprise - Our Choice 14:49  |  Tzfonit 30/11/07
  58.   Great article, shows where the rubber meets the road 15:02  |  Ivar 30/11/07
  59.   POP "Israel = Apartheid State" 15:06  |  17 30/11/07
  60.   Olmert - the dumbest leader ever 15:20  |  Sidney 30/11/07
  61.   A statement to allow anti-semetic venting!!! 15:22  |  lily 30/11/07
  62.   What has Olmert done, preventing Israel becoming Apartheid state? 15:22  |  Yariv 30/11/07
  63.   Jimmy Carter was right, get it down your throat 15:26  |  Mandela 30/11/07
  64.   #36 esther and menshen and the reason she lives in israel? 15:36  |  victor hardman 30/11/07
  65.   #32: Lustig: Arab Apartheid as excuse for Jewish Apartheid?! 15:41  |  Dov 30/11/07
  66.   # 36 Eshter - "exploiters who appropriate territory ... 15:42  |  17 30/11/07
  67.   Just look like? 15:43  |  Jens 30/11/07
  68.   Israeli and GABE1 insulting Esther 15:44  |  S 30/11/07
  69.   Re Gabe1 #49 15:44  |  Esther 30/11/07
  70.   YOUR KIBBUTZES ALSO STOLE OUR LAND 15:50  |  Phil Stein 30/11/07
  71.   Re Natallie #10 16:02  |  Esther 30/11/07
  72.   Tzfonit #57 16:03  |  GABE1 30/11/07
  73.   #15 Victor Paul Harrisman 16:06  |  Labhras 30/11/07
  74.   Esther more like a Mensch, GABE1 more like a racist 16:10  |  Dov 30/11/07
  75.   Prof J. Lustig in Munich 16:12  |  Omar 30/11/07
  76.   #70 Phil, What`s Israel proper is properly Israel`s property 16:16  |  Dov 30/11/07
  77.   Margie inTA WHERE ARE YOU. 16:19  |  Labhras 30/11/07
  78.   Re Jens #67 16:21  |  Esther 30/11/07
  79.   No matter what Israel does, stop or expand settelments, evacuate 16:23  |  Haham me Bat Yam 30/11/07
  80.   come again....? 16:26  |  ravi 30/11/07
  81.   # 65 # MILLIONS SUFFER ARAB APARTHEID DAILY 16:34  |  Prof J.Lustig 30/11/07
  82.   Get it over, two-state solution agreed by a all parties 16:36  |  Chaim 30/11/07