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Last update - 03:00 08/04/2008 Judenrein Palestine By Moshe Arens Tags: Israel, Settlements  What makes the removal of the outposts in Judea and Samaria seem like a mission impossible for Israel's defense minister? Most will agree that they were put up illegally, and like all illegal structures in a country in which the rule of law is supposed to prevail, they should never have been put up in the first place, and they should be removed. But behind the government's intention to remove them lurks a ghost. It is the ghost of the uprooting of the settlers in Gush Katif. The Gush Katif settlers were there for many years and their settlements were perfectly legal - no one will contest that. And yet they were forcibly removed from their homes by orders of the Israeli government. The removal of the settlers from their homes in Gaza was part of a policy, or if you like an ideology, that cannot be called by any other name but Judenrein Palestine. In other words, certain parts of western Palestine, or using the generally accepted terminology in Israel, certain parts of the Land of Israel, need to be cleared of all Jews. This is the declared policy of the Olmert government, and it presumably is part of Tzipi Livni's negotiating position in her talks with her Palestinian counterparts. Can you blame many Israelis, including many who do not countenance the erection of illegal outposts, for feeling less than enthusiastic about the removal of the outposts, when their removal is seen as no more than a prelude to the forcible removal of the settlements in Judea and Samaria that were established legally, just as were the settlements in Gush Katif? Advertisement The concept of removing all Jews from a certain region is surely repugnant to any person not prepared to deny somebody's rights on the grounds of his ethnic or religious origin. It brings back the worst memories of the tragedy that befell the Jewish people in World War II. When it is applied to a part of the Land of Israel it is also contrary to the very foundations of Zionism, a movement based on the right of Jews to settle and live in their land, a right that has received international recognition. And yet, not only the Olmert government's ministers, but many Israeli citizens who insist they are confirmed Zionists, and of course those who claim no such affiliation, all of liberal views, subscribe to this concept. Presumably this is because they consider this view to be part and parcel of making peace with the Palestinians. What kind of a peace can this be when nobody Jewish will be allowed to live within the borders of Israel's neighboring state? The settlement policy condoned by successive Israeli governments and promoted by the settlers' movement over the years created a patchwork of Jewish settlements dispersed throughout Judea and Samaria, and not concentrated in settlement blocs. As a matter of fact, Gush Katif and Gush Etzion were the only large settlement blocs beyond the Green Line, and the former exists no more. The architect of this settlement strategy was none other than Ariel Sharon, who for years urged the settlers to occupy each "hilltop." And it was he who, as prime minister, so graciously received Talia Sasson in his office when she presented him her report proving that many of the outposts he had encouraged and authorized were illegal, something he must have been well aware of. Both of them must have been smiling to themselves at this meeting. It is generally agreed that Israel should not incorporate all of Judea and Samaria, with its large Arab population, within its borders. But does it necessarily follow that all areas not incorporated within Israel's borders need to be cleared of all Jews? The Palestinian negotiators currently engaged in the phantom negotiations with Israel's foreign minister are in any case not capable of making and carrying out any commitments. But when and if serious Palestinian negotiators appear, it will have to be made clear to them that the continued presence of Jews on territory over which they will have sovereignty in the future, and the assurance of their safety, must be part of a durable peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. An agreement that does not include such a provision will not be an agreement worthy of being called a peace agreement. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Carter's contacts Report: Ex-U.S. president Carter to meet with Hamas leader in Syria. Warning shouts Officer: Palestinians warned Israelis of terrorist infiltration.   1.   Then I suppose you also enthusiastically 05:44  |  Che Vive 08/04/08   2.   In Gaza, a few thousand people occupied 1 third 09:34  |  Andreas 08/04/08   3.   Evacuate the west bank? Get used to the idea 09:43  |  Natallie Durson 08/04/08   4.   This is hilarious 09:57  |  H50 08/04/08   5.   Is it appropriate to use the word "Judenrein"....???? 10:20  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/04/08   6.   Moshe Arens is right but only theoretically 10:26  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 08/04/08   7.   Moshe Arens is an idiot 10:43  |  Tarik 08/04/08   8.   Settlerments are illegal under international law 11:06  |  Stephen Murray 08/04/08   9.   There was never a West Bank in the History of the World 11:19  |  Jordon 08/04/08   10.   1000 years will not make settlements legal 11:19  |  El-Birawi 08/04/08   11.   EL BIRAWI 100 years of Arab terror,rejectionism,trojan horse talk 11:39  |  PETER SM 08/04/08   12.   Untrue 11:46  |  Murray 08/04/08   13.   #5, yes, the term is used properly 11:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/04/08   14.   Moshe Arens and ILLEGAL COLONIES 12:01  |  Phil 08/04/08   15.   # 13 Cipora Julianna Kohn 12:03  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/04/08   16.   Yes Cipora, it`s just part of the whole inequity of the situation 12:10  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 08/04/08   17.   Peter, the Small 12:32  |  El-Birawi 08/04/08   18.   Stupidity 12:35  |  Arab DRUZE MUSLIM 08/04/08   19.   Palestine judenrein 12:47  |  Detlef 08/04/08   20.   to gnat durson: the pals must end all violence forever, NO DELAY; 12:58  |  Almond 08/04/08   21.   Moshe Arens 13:01  |  Johnny Weintraub 08/04/08   22.   Olmert and Chamberlain, judenrein policies 13:04  |  Jonathan S 08/04/08   23.   Moshe, so why not open these settlements fto Palestinians? 13:13  |  Bar Noach 08/04/08   24.   Its not Arabs , its Islam 13:20  |  arun 08/04/08   25.   #5 DINO; give us your smart term-suggestion, please 13:23  |  AliciaYasmeen 08/04/08   26.   Almond 13:26  |  Natallie Durson 08/04/08   27.   spurious argument 13:29  |  Khalid 08/04/08   28.   #23 Bar Noach 13:35  |  AliciaYasmeen 08/04/08   29.   EL BIRAWI.1948.Israel accepted Palestine.Arabs chose war. 13:59  |  PETER SM 08/04/08   30.   Arens` Fantacyland 14:00  |  Gazawi 08/04/08   31.   KHALID.Actually the Arabs chose the ethnic cleansing option 14:18  |  PETER SM 08/04/08   32.   PHIL Arabs expelled Jews from there in the first place 14:29  |  PETER SM 08/04/08   33.   Quite a juggling act, Arens.... 14:34  |  Johnboy 08/04/08   34.   The problem with constant Israeli use of "Nazi-language"..... 14:42  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/04/08   35.   clever disingenuity 14:47  |  Bob Moss 08/04/08   36.   #2 Andreas - Who said War was Moral 15:13  |  * BEN JABO 08/04/08   37.   #18 Arab DRUZE MUSLIM - Arabia 15:22  |  * BEN JABO 08/04/08   38.   Won`t live in Pal State 15:23  |  Susan 08/04/08   39.   Twisted, twisted, twisted and he thinks he can get away with it 15:30  |  Yaakov Sullivan 08/04/08   40.   Arens whines and sets up his house of cards 15:34  |  Yaakov Sullivan 08/04/08   41.   Peter SM from Melbourne 15:49  |  Said 08/04/08   42.   # 25 Alicia (3rd try !!) 15:51  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/04/08   43.   justice 15:57  |  zecharia 08/04/08   44.   #34 dino the dunce and more swiss cheese !! 16:09  |  victor hardman 08/04/08   45.   No, the Liberals here are correct 16:18  |  Steve from Raleigh 08/04/08   46.   To Phil from Belfast 16:21  |  Boris S. 08/04/08   47.   Nobody is proposing to remove "Jews" 16:27  |  Diane Mason 08/04/08   48.   is moshe arens a gestapo agent? 16:43  |  shmu 08/04/08   49.   WRONG Dino, as usual 17:01  |  Israeli 08/04/08   50.   Settlements 17:02  |  max Anderson 08/04/08   51.   to those who love saying "RACIST Israel" 17:14  |  Israeli 08/04/08   52.   Not POLICY, but PATHOLOGY 17:43  |  Jeff 08/04/08   53.   Hutzpah or a vision of apartheid? 17:47  |  Jozef 08/04/08   54.   Steve from Raleigh 17:52  |  Che Vive 08/04/08   55.   Abbas DID agree: Jews who stay are citizens of Pal state 17:58  |  Shelley 08/04/08   56.   Demagogen-rein 18:05  |  Hillel 08/04/08   57.   #47 dera diane please show by treaty how you reach your conclusio 18:24  |  victor hardman 08/04/08   58.   Dursons nonsense again 18:27  |  Nathan Mizrahi 08/04/08   59.   Shelley on the Colonists Staying 18:27  |  Yaakov Sullivan 08/04/08   60.   # 44 victor hardman "Good morning !!" 18:31  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/04/08   61.   # 49 Israeli, I`m sorry for not being stupid (naive) enough....:) 18:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/04/08   62.   #5 Swiss(Dino) - Is it appropriate? Maybe. 19:15  |  JP 08/04/08   63.   Can our "Pro-Pals" explain how I.L. supports ethnic cleansing? 19:25  |  JP 08/04/08   64.   #61 But Perhaps a Bit Too Naive, Still 19:36  |  JP 08/04/08   65.   When did Israel become a Banana Republic? 20:00  |  Arlene 08/04/08   66.   Any Israeli settlement in the West Bank is illegal 20:04  |  Nick Ferriman 08/04/08   67.   Let W.B. Jews stay in a new Palestinian state 20:06  |  Steve 08/04/08   68.   Ferriman Wrong on the Law, Wrong on the Facts, Wrong All Around. 20:18  |  JP 08/04/08   69.   All the settlements are illegal 20:43  |  Marilyn 08/04/08   70.   # 62 / # 64 JP 20:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/04/08   71.   Put Anti-Zionist Haredim in Palestine 20:50  |  Woodah 08/04/08   72.   judenrein 20:59  |  david morris 08/04/08   73.   Settlers in the State of Palestine 21:39  |  David 08/04/08   74.   the little German you know - judenrein, 21:46  |  christoph 08/04/08   75.   Seldom does one read such Propaganda as this article 21:58  |  Kris Lazar 08/04/08   76.   chris funny motives for working somewhere else 22:28  |  x-ray 08/04/08   77.   there`s a lot wrong with this opinion piece 22:32  |  RM 08/04/08   78.   #73 another idiot claims to be an international lawyer 22:32  |  victor hardman3 08/04/08   79.   Any of you actually an attorney? 22:45  |  American Attorney 08/04/08   80.   Durson just does not get it 22:48  |  Avrum 08/04/08   81.   Illegal settlers must be returned to Israel 22:48  |  Jens 08/04/08   82.   Uh, Che Vivve, then explain why 22:57  |  Scharker Yid 08/04/08   83.   A discussion in a vacuum 22:57  |  Axel 08/04/08   84.   Problems with this article! 22:59  |  Yitz 08/04/08   85.   Missed the point 23:00  |  Miransky 08/04/08   86.   SAID.Arabs recieved well over 70% of the toatal mandate 23:03  |  PETER SM 08/04/08   87.   #70 Swiss(Dino) - I don`t think the clock is about to run out 23:13  |  JP 08/04/08   88.   #70 Swiss(Dino) - On the use of language 23:21  |  JP 08/04/08   89.   Dino, your arrogance is mind bending 23:28  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/04/08   90.   # 68 JP 23:31  |  Nick Ferriman 08/04/08   91.   What is missing from Mr. Arens 23:33  |  Axel 08/04/08   92.   The essence of Mr. Arens 23:45  |  Axel 08/04/08   93.   #8 Stephen Murray 23:49  |  Moshe 08/04/08   94.   #16 Quen of white supremacicts margie 00:02  |  Labhras 09/04/08   95.   #90 Ferriman Dodges 00:07  |  JP 09/04/08   96.   # 89 cjk 00:08  |  Axel 09/04/08   97.   # 93 moshe (I must call you moshe the liar) 00:11  |  Axel 09/04/08   98.   #68 Jp Re Nick Ferriman 00:13  |  Labhras 09/04/08   99.   # 89 Cipora Julianna Kohn 00:15  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/04/08   100.   #89 cjk space traveller lecturing the natives 00:18  |  Labhras 09/04/08   101.   #94 Labhras` Law Degree [sic] 00:18  |  JP 09/04/08   102.   Judenrein Palestine 00:18  |  martin list, m.d. 09/04/08   103.   # 95 JP 00:19  |  Axel 09/04/08   104.   "86 the squatter daan unde lies again 00:23  |  Labhras 09/04/08   105.   #90 Nick Ferriman 00:28  |  Moshe 09/04/08   106.   # 87 / # 88 JP 00:33  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/04/08   107.   # 89 Cipora (2nd try, moderate version) 00:57  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/04/08   108.   #90 Nick Ferriman 01:06  |  Moshe 09/04/08   109.   # 102 martin list 01:09  |  Axel 09/04/08   110.   #97 Axel 01:14  |  Moshe 09/04/08   111.   #76 x-ray, if it`s me you call chris 01:20  |  christoph 09/04/08   112.   So obvious yet... 01:25  |  Joseph 09/04/08   113.   TO # 4 01:25  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 09/04/08   114.   #106 Swiss(Dino) 01:34  |  JP 09/04/08   115.   # 110 moshe (still the liar) 01:58  |  Axel 09/04/08   116.   # 112 joseph 02:05  |  Axel 09/04/08   117.   Taxpayers! 02:11  |  losman 09/04/08   118.   If you don`t want to evacuate 02:16  |  Janice 09/04/08   119.   #93 Moshe passing his own laws 02:17  |  Labhras 09/04/08   120.   #110 Moshe talks about "the wording" 02:22  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   121.   Israel is an illegal entity 02:27  |  Raed Kami 09/04/08   122.   #108 Moshe`s many mistakes Part 1 02:36  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   123.   #108 Moshe`s many mistakes Part 2 02:42  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   124.   Moral hypocrisy 02:45  |  Colin Wright 09/04/08   125.   Nazi language in support of Nazi policies 02:46  |  Truth 09/04/08   126.   Peters Sm and racist lies 02:50  |  Truth 09/04/08   127.   removed from where??? 02:55  |  Rob of Melbourne 09/04/08   128.   Raed Kami Wrong 03:01  |  Israeli 09/04/08   129.   #37 My response to your Inquiry 03:01  |  ARAB DRUZE MUSLIM 09/04/08   130.   H(ilarious)50 03:06  |  Akiva P 09/04/08   131.   #118 - Janice, Surely You Don`t Favor Ethnic Cleansing?! 03:13  |  JP 09/04/08   132.   to Janice 03:13  |  Israeli 09/04/08   133.   What a maroon! 03:23  |  Mark Lincoln 09/04/08   134.   #95 JP raises an interesting point 03:24  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   135.   #122 johnboy 03:31  |  Moshe 09/04/08   136.   Now, if Arens is allowed to use the word "judenrein" 03:33  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   137.   Israel has a right to win 03:33  |  Haldrik 09/04/08   138.   #120 03:41  |  Moshe 09/04/08   139.   Axel - # 112 03:45  |  Reid 09/04/08   140.   Axel - # 112 03:45  |  Reid 09/04/08   141.   #123 03:55  |  Moshe 09/04/08   142.   Johnboy - What about the reverse 03:56  |  Reid 09/04/08   143.   #131 I don`t like ethnic cleansing 04:07  |  Janice 09/04/08   144.   WEST BANK? 04:16  |  Mordecai Ben Haim 09/04/08   145.   Samaria & Judea belongs to the Jews 04:44  |  leven5 09/04/08   146.   #135 Moshe simply plucks words from the air 04:50  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   147.   #119 Labhras 04:52  |  Moshe 09/04/08   148.   #138 The Moshe bait-and-switch Part 2 05:15  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   149.   #136 johnboy 05:15  |  Moshe 09/04/08   150.   #142 It`s the difference between de jure and de facto, Reid 05:47  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   151.   #142 Reid, on Israel`s legitimacy 05:59  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   152.   # 95 JP 06:12  |  Nick Ferriman 09/04/08   153.   #141 Back to the law books for you Moshe! 06:23  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   154.   #149 Moshe 06:35  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   155.   # 105 Moshe 06:48  |  Nick Ferriman 09/04/08   156.   #155 Nick, on the respective forces in 1948 07:39  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   157.   What does the PA`s law say about Jewish rights? 07:45  |  Fortuna Benmayor 09/04/08   158.   # 108 Moshe 07:53  |  Nick Ferriman 09/04/08   159.   TRUTH try telling it. Pals want to expell all Jews 07:59  |  PETER SM 09/04/08   160.   #142 A further note to Reid 08:03  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   161.   # 122 et al. Johnboy 08:08  |  Nick Ferriman 09/04/08   162.   FERRIMAN.1.Arab irregulars had been killing Jews long before May 08:10  |  PETER SM 09/04/08   163.   "oh east is east and west is west... 08:20  |  eric 09/04/08   164.   FERRIMAN"All Illegal" ?? UNSCR242 says secure& recognised borders 09:01  |  PETER SM 09/04/08   165.   Arens-Et Tu, Brutus? 09:18  |  CSB 09/04/08   166.   Moshe Arens Loses Credibility 09:42  |  Raf 09/04/08   167.   #159 eric and the nm moonbeams give eyestrain 10:26  |  victor hardman2 09/04/08   168.   # 140 reid 10:33  |  Axel 09/04/08   169.   to 113 10:35  |  Mark 09/04/08   170.   What "Right" to settle? 11:26  |  Tag 09/04/08   171.   Janice, see JP`s 131 also... 11:42  |  Israeli 09/04/08   172.   Peter SM from Melbourne...again 11:56  |  Said 09/04/08   173.   Nick Ferriman 12:40  |  Sarah 09/04/08   174.   #166 There is a "logic" to his argument, Raf... 13:06  |  Johnboy 09/04/08   175.   # 173 Sarah 21:01  |  Nick Ferriman 09/04/08   176.   #129 SECOND TRY ARAB DRUZE MUSLIM 23:51  |  * BEN JABO 09/04/08   177.   # 167 you`re changing your tune, v.hardman 04:20  |  eric 10/04/08   178.   # 162 Peter SM 05:08  |  Nick Ferriman 10/04/08

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