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Last update - 09:28 06/12/2007
Pro-peace, not anti-settler
By Yair Sheleg
Tags: Settlers, Israel, violence 

The renewed political negotiations require the peace camp to make a historic decision, which it should have made a long time ago: Is its main purpose the promotion of peace or the subjugation of the settlers?

Ostensibly this is a rhetorical question, but the experiences of recent years show that occasionally the peace camp has initiated activities designed only to harm the settlers, even if these actions did not contribute to peace, and sometimes even undermined support for it. One example is the tremendous effort to remove outposts of negligible political importance. Another is the belligerent anti-settler rhetoric, which probably has distanced many people who are not "right-wing by nature" from the peace camp.

There are two dimensions to the decision on whether to promote peace. One is practical: The settlers must be a very relevant factor in the negotiations. Their needs must be regarded as an inseparable part of the talks, and the government must conduct a dignified dialogue with them, alongside the dialogue with the Palestinians. Just as it is impossible to disregard Palestinians who oppose negotiations (Hamas and its ilk) - and even those who oppose dialogue with Hamas understand they must at least consider Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' need to take the extremist movement into account - likewise, Israelis who oppose negotiations cannot be removed from the picture. Certainly when it is these Israelis who will be the main victims of the negotiations' outcome.
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On the contrary, we must aspire to do as much as possible for the settlers (the number of settlements to be left in place, the methods of compensation, et al) as long as this does not torpedo the very chance of an agreement. Israeli governments have understood this and acted accordingly in the past, but the peace camp condemned them for it. This trend must change.

The second dimension is rhetorical. In recent years, the peace camp's discourse has focused not on the advantages peace will bring to Israel, but on the damage the settlers are causing: violence against the Palestinians, perpetuation of the occupation that ostensibly has increased intra-Israeli violence, undermining the rule of law, et al. There are two reasons for this focus: First off, the peace process (at least in the Palestinian arena) has failed to produce impressive achievements, and therefore it is difficult to focus on its advantages. Second, psychologically speaking it is more convenient to focus criticism on an internal Israeli factor (which if we can only control it, everything else will work out) than on an external factor.

But as much as we can understand the use of anti-settler rhetoric, it is still wrong, and (politically) dangerous for its users. All in all, the settlers are not more violent than other sectors of society. Nor is it true that due to the occupation, Israeli society is becoming more violent. If that were the case, the settlers and the religious Zionists would have the highest rates of murder, rape and nightclub violence. As we know, that is not the case.

And as far as the rule of law is concerned: At every commercial center that operates on Shabbat, such as in Shefayim or Bilu Center, there are more violations of the law than in all the outposts put together. The general public, which is not prejudiced toward the left or the right but examines things practically, senses the lie of this rhetoric and therefore politically punishes those who stand behind it.

Support for the final status agreement and for dividing the country must focus on one issue, of both moral and existential significance: In the early 21st century, it is not moral to leave one population group (the Palestinians) without a state or civil rights. The world of the early 21st century is not willing to accept this situation, and is liable to harm anyone considered responsible for it, to the point of endangering the sovereign existence of Israel as a Jewish state. That is reason enough to support the partition, and there is no need to add explanations that merely weaken the main reason.
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  1.   If I got Yair Shelegs article right....... 09:57  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/12/07
  2.   Israel - a nation of bullying, arrogant, olive and donkey thieves 10:06  |  Clickfool 06/12/07
  3.   With Our Growth Rates, We Need More Housing 10:38  |  Yishai Kohen 06/12/07
  4.   Settlers a lot less violent than other Israelis!! 11:06  |  Dr Eric 06/12/07
  5.   Disingeneous contention 11:09  |  Esther 06/12/07
  6.   Then, according to Sheleg...... 11:10  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/12/07
  7.   Wild West Outposts... 11:23  |  Esther 06/12/07
  8.   Violent rhetoric 11:33  |  Esther 06/12/07
  9.   swiss (dino) 11:34  |  scallywag 06/12/07
  10.   Esther: YeShA Communities STILL Don`t Get Discounts Or Subsidies 11:34  |  Yishai Kohen 06/12/07
  11.   clickfool 11:36  |  scallywag 06/12/07
  12.   yaakov sullivan 11:39  |  scallywag 06/12/07
  13.   Yishai Cohen in general.... 11:43  |  Israel 06/12/07
  14.   "it is not moral to leave the Palestinians without a state" 11:56  |  Sam 06/12/07
  15.   middle of the road 11:57  |  timothy 06/12/07
  16.   scallywag on the stolen land #12 11:59  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/12/07
  17.   #13 Israel (Esther) In General 12:04  |  Yishai Kohen 06/12/07
  18.   Esther - Very interesting theories!! 12:04  |  Dr Eric 06/12/07
  19.   Important for the debate to remain respectful!! 12:14  |  Dr Eric 06/12/07
  20.   For Yishai #10 12:14  |  Esther 06/12/07
  21.   Yishai #17 12:19  |  Esther 06/12/07
  22.   Dr. Eric on adamot midinot 12:26  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/12/07
  23.   The bottom line...... 12:27  |  Esther 06/12/07
  24.   Settlers just must go 12:37  |  Ralph is back 06/12/07
  25.   # 9 scallywag # 4 Dr Eric 12:55  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/12/07
  26.   My G-d, Esther: Don`t You Know ANYTHING? 13:05  |  Yishai Kohen 06/12/07
  27.   WHOLE ARAB-ISRAEL CONFLICT EXPLAINED IN LESS THAN 20 LINES 13:07  |  G. Marcus 06/12/07
  28.   The Bottom Line 13:16  |  Yishai Kohen 06/12/07
  29.   yair everyone is pro peace but not at any price 13:22  |  victor hardman 06/12/07
  30.   swiss dino 13:45  |  dr Eric 06/12/07
  31.   Palestinians support for Israel!!! 13:52  |  Dr Eric 06/12/07
  32.   Settlers? 13:57  |  The Teacher/Instruct 06/12/07
  33.   We can`t forget the Oslo Mistakes!! 13:58  |  Dr Eric 06/12/07
  34.   Treat settlers as the criminals they are 14:09  |  Jens 06/12/07
  35.   the Oslo Mistakes 14:10  |  Dr Eric 06/12/07
  36.   This is too funny for words 14:12  |  Johnboy 06/12/07
  37.   ISRAEL`S #1 STRENGTH IS IT`S GREATEST WEAKNESS!!! 14:16  |  Dr Eric 06/12/07
  38.   Why was there no investigation after Oslo?? 14:23  |  Dr Eric 06/12/07
  39.   We got you out of Gush Katif and now you will leave the west bank 14:28  |  SJ 06/12/07
  40.   #34 jens after 50 tuborgs comes up with anugget 14:54  |  victor hardman 06/12/07
  41.   To Yishai Cohen - kol hakavod!! 14:56  |  Dr Eric 06/12/07
  42.   #39 an historian named sj poses a question from tel aviv . 14:57  |  victor hardman 06/12/07
  43.   Dr. Eric Evades the Question 15:03  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/12/07
  44.   Settler TERRORIST 15:09  |  opinion 06/12/07
  45.   2 choices 15:22  |  michael 06/12/07
  46.   # 12 scallywag: stolen land 15:24  |  Axel 06/12/07
  47.   # 41 eric 15:35  |  Axel 06/12/07
  48.   39 SJ your actions are quite right,and here`s why:the 1947 15:54  |  lakshmi 06/12/07
  49.   jJerusalem is occupied territory 16:12  |  Benno Low 06/12/07
  50.   The settlers are the nation`s will. 16:45  |  Akram Zekaria 06/12/07
  51.   No compensation put settlers on trial in the PA 16:49  |  Shulamit 06/12/07
  52.   Let me repeat myself again... 16:55  |  Walter 06/12/07
  53.   Why not tell Abbas to negotiate with Hamas? 16:55  |  Tosefta 06/12/07
  54.   Akram 17:38  |  Jacob 06/12/07
  55.   # 30 Dr Eric "The good old times and realism" 18:03  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/12/07
  56.   The PA is not capable of control!! 18:09  |  Zeidan 06/12/07
  57.   # 41 eric 18:18  |  Axel 06/12/07
  58.   Let us not be too generous with compensation 18:23  |  Tosefta 06/12/07
  59.   A non starter 18:48  |  Michael N 06/12/07
  60.   Sheleg forgets that the two state solution has been decided on 19:06  |  Ivar 06/12/07
  61.   Axel- illegal in the eye of the beholder!! 19:11  |  Dr Eric 06/12/07
  62.   Axel - I`m referring to settlements proper!! 19:14  |  Dr Eric 06/12/07
  63.   Shulamit 19:16  |  marbpl 06/12/07
  64.   IT"S A CAPITAL OFFENCE TO SELL LAND TO JEWS!!!! 19:19  |  DR ERIC 06/12/07
  65.   #53 Tosefta 19:23  |  tbora 06/12/07
  66.   the single biggest obstacle to peace 19:36  |  ravi 06/12/07
  67.   Oxymoron 19:41  |  David 06/12/07
  68.   Swiss dino - peace yes - 67 brdrs NO!! 19:53  |  Dr ERIC 06/12/07
  69.   Sharing 19:58  |  jjvanka 06/12/07
  70.   Eric #55 20:09  |  jjvanka 06/12/07
  71.   On re-reading your article 20:41  |  Esther 06/12/07
  72.   #2, Clickfool... 21:26  |  Silvienne 06/12/07
  73.   Click the bloody FOOL @2 21:53  |  GABE1 06/12/07
  74.   Esther the know nothing Arabist @5 21:58  |  GABE1 06/12/07
  75.   Yishai Kohen and ESTHER 22:07  |  GABE1 06/12/07
  76.   Esther #60 22:12  |  GABE1 06/12/07
  77.   # 57 Eric, You are saying No to Peace 22:28  |  Mike the American 06/12/07
  78.   Gabe1 22:30  |  Jacob 06/12/07
  79.   to the zionists sh, esther etc.. You are all hypocrites like the 22:47  |  Pssd off Arab 06/12/07
  80.   Agreed 22:48  |  Danite 06/12/07
  81.   Tosefta "dont you get it already?" 22:52  |  Danite