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Last update - 10:15 01/04/2008
Fooling ourselves
By Haaretz Editorial
Tags: Israel, U.S. 

Had Peace Now not published reports from time to time, it is doubtful anyone would have been aware of the continuing construction in the settlements. One might have assumed from the declarations by Ehud Olmert's government that construction had been suspended and that efforts were being made to reach a peace agreement to include withdrawal from most of the West Bank. From the complaints by the settlers' leadership as well, one might have concluded that there was a freeze on building and that the settler youth were really and truly homeless.

But quite different things are happening in the territories. The dynamic of deception is continuing. Deception of the Americans, deception of the voters for parties that etched peace on their standard, deception of the Palestinians and above all self-deception. Our top leaders have joined together on a course that has no objective. These include Defense Minister Ehud Barak, whose political path no one understands and which he himself is not bothering to clarify, the prime minister, who serves as a commentator on reality instead of shaping it, and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who is conducting negotiations on evacuation while the government is continuing to build.

The Labor Party is indeed "not ripe for elections," as Education Minister Yuli Tamir said yesterday, and it is very doubtful it will ever be so. Instead of putting all its energy into furthering legislation of an evacuation-compensation law, which would enable whomever is interested to leave the West Bank immediately (and it is estimated that thousands are interested), petitions are arriving at the High Court of Justice on the positioning of mobile homes at the edges of outposts that have not been evacuated.
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It is difficult to understand the point of the High Court's order to remove one mobile home at Har Bracha when the defense minister is approving the construction of 48 new homes in Ariel for settlers evacuated from Gush Katif. These evacuees were not supposed to live in the settlements, but they have arrived there nonetheless.

The provocative construction in the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem is continuing full speed ahead, under the fraudulent heading of strengthening Jerusalem. Barak and Olmert are retreating from the line formulated as far back as 2000, to the effect that Arab Jerusalem will be for the Palestinians and Jewish Jerusalem for the Jews. The impression has emerged that it is no coincidence that the same Barak who failed in those talks is the one causing these talks to fail.

The same Ze'ev "Zambish" Hever, who along with Ariel Sharon brought the settlements disaster down on the State of Israel, is continuing to push for construction in the West Bank under the auspices of a government that had declared a different path. It appears there is no point at all in electing a government and formulating coalition guidelines because whether it is a government of the right or left, building in the settlements continues.

Israel is continuing to work against itself, against its future, against any chance for the existence of two nation states side by side.

During her visit yesterday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that henceforth the Americans would keep an eye on Israel's easing of conditions for the Palestinians in the West Bank. For years the same old dance has been going on in which the Americans scold and the Israelis promise, as though the Israelis have decided to make every effort to thwart the solution that everyone knows is the only solution. Time is running out and the self-deception is continuing. Not the Americans, but rather the Israelis will bear the results of this continued disorder.

If there is any place forbidden for Israel to build even one more house, it is the West Bank, beyond the separation fence and anywhere it is clear to anyone with eyes to see that it is part of the Palestinian state. Such a state is an Israeli interest of the highest order. A new neighborhood in Ariel or Arab Jerusalem will not advance its establishment.
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  1.   Israels tremendous responsibility 10:33  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/04/08
  2.   Israel is a runaway train 10:40  |  Clickfool 01/04/08
  3.   As it is... 10:44  |  Esther 01/04/08
  4.   Self-deception indeed! 10:50  |  Zion Watchman 01/04/08
  5.   Is this called policy? 10:57  |  Esther 01/04/08
  6.   Abbas doesn`t commit and is unable to implement even if he does 11:02  |  Sam 01/04/08
  7.   Clickfool & Dino 11:07  |  Smith 01/04/08
  8.   Serious Stuff 11:08  |  Pete 01/04/08
  9.   Clickfool & Dino contd. 11:13  |  Smith 01/04/08
  10.   fooling everybody 11:14  |  zeev 01/04/08
  11.   home sweet home 11:21  |  tit for tat 01/04/08
  12.   and one professes to wonder 11:24  |  samos 01/04/08
  13.   Re Click #2 11:27  |  Esther 01/04/08
  14.   IN THE EYES OF THEIR OWN ALLIES 11:47  |  indrajaya 01/04/08
  15.   Keeping the `flames` as only Haaretz can 11:54  |  TonyL 01/04/08
  16.   @Swiss (DINO) 12:07  |  Ralph 01/04/08
  17.   Israel is a systematic abuser of international law 12:13  |  Nick Ferriman 01/04/08
  18.   What are they betting on? 12:16  |  John 01/04/08
  19.   Well Known facts of settlements!!! 12:22  |  dr eric 01/04/08
  20.   # 7 Smith 12:30  |  Nick Ferriman 01/04/08
  21.   The real deception regarding settlements! 12:32  |  Dr eric 01/04/08
  22.   # 7 # 9 Smith 12:33  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/04/08
  23.   This is the price for continued peace negotiations 12:34  |  Slibovitz 01/04/08
  24.   # 16 Ralph 12:36  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/04/08
  25.   ISRAEL HAS ONLY 3 OPTIONS, YOUR SUGGESTION IS NOT ONE OF THEM 12:40  |  G.Marcus 01/04/08
  26.   Israel`s appetite for self-destruction 12:41  |  Danny 01/04/08
  27.   fuck Sha,s who needs them??????? 12:46  |  israeli4peace 01/04/08
  28.   There are ONLY FIVE ways this can play out 12:48  |  spyguy 01/04/08
  29.   to hell with settlers!!!!!!!!!! 12:49  |  Israeli4peace 01/04/08
  30.   I hate the settlers 12:50  |  Israeli4Peace 01/04/08
  31.   Loud, Proud, and Clear: We WILL Build Here In OUR Land 12:52  |  Yishai Kohen 01/04/08
  32.   To Swiss Dino #1- who is the "rest of the world"?? 12:53  |  Dr Eric 01/04/08
  33.   TIME IS SO MUCH ON ISRAEL`S SIDE!!! 13:03  |  Dr eric 01/04/08
  34.   Abandon Israel Now 13:09  |  William 01/04/08
  35.   to israeli4peace = israeli for hate! 13:10  |  dr Eric 01/04/08
  36.   For "Smith" # 9 13:22  |  Clickfool 01/04/08
  37.   IT IS VERY CLEAR: THE ZIONIST ENTREPRISE NOT SERIOUS ABOUT PEACE 13:25  |  TripleJump 01/04/08
  38.   # 32 Dr Eric, FOX NEWS from last night...... 13:26  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/04/08
  39.   Thanks for the chuckle, Nick # 20 13:26  |  Clickfool 01/04/08
  40.   Land theft and settlements are the OPPOSITES of peace 13:27  |  Henrique 01/04/08
  41.   Jews are Provacative 13:39  |  D.D. 01/04/08
  42.   #17 nick the lawyer not and total crap 13:48  |  v hardman 01/04/08
  43.   #9 - Israel joining the EU? Not in a million years. 13:51  |  Keith T. 01/04/08
  44.   #30 Israeli4Peace 13:56  |  George Kaplan 01/04/08
  45.   Dr Eric 14:08  |  George Kaplan 01/04/08
  46.   If there is ever peace... 14:32  |  Lobo08 01/04/08
  47.   to dr Eric #35 14:35  |  zeev 01/04/08
  48.   Nick Ferriman & Clickfool 14:46  |  Smith 01/04/08
  49.   to Dr eric #33 - only dimwitted 14:47  |  zeev 01/04/08
  50.   #38 swiss dino - you are right to some degree 14:58  |  dr eric 01/04/08
  51.   to Dr eric #33 - delusional hopes 15:05  |  zeev 01/04/08
  52.   You hit the nail on the head 15:09  |  Jack 01/04/08
  53.   No one in the world believes a word Israel says anyway 15:11  |  Chanalau, Tova 01/04/08
  54.   Olmert,Barak,Netanyahu all going along with settlement policy 15:11  |  Sam 01/04/08
  55.   Esther 15:11  |  GABE1 01/04/08
  56.   Deranged 15:13  |  Marilyn 01/04/08
  57.   Dear Zeev 15:13  |  Dr Eric 01/04/08
  58.   Israel deceptive? 15:24  |  Natallie Durson 01/04/08
  59.   #48 - Smith do **NOT** count on the US 15:25  |  spyguy 01/04/08
  60.   44#no mr Kaplan you a shameful Jew 15:30  |  Israeli4Peace 01/04/08
  61.   35# Yes I do 15:33  |  Israeli4Peace 01/04/08
  62.   Haaretz Editorial : fooling themselves 15:33  |  Ben Ezrah 01/04/08
  63.   # 50 Dr Eric, a lot of "consensus" between us.... 15:36  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/04/08
  64.   Wake Up - No Chance for Peace 15:37  |  Mike 01/04/08
  65.   #20 Nick Ferriman 15:38  |  Boycott 01/04/08
  66.   No Two state and no one state solution left 15:46  |  Tzfonit 01/04/08
  67.   Smith: "No contiguous West Bank..." 15:47  |  Fenno-Ugrian 01/04/08
  68.   Western leaders see Palestinians for what they are 15:48  |  Sam 01/04/08
  69.   Israel is our tiny land and we`re building. What deception? 15:59  |  Chaim 01/04/08
  70.   Spyguy 16:03  |  Smith 01/04/08
  71.   If Israel takes the West bank... 16:04  |  Walter 01/04/08
  72.   #29 Israeli4peace. You are an idiot.