Labor rebels: Settlements don't need Israel's money
MK Cabel lashes out at ministers for not opposing PM's plan to include certain towns on future map.
By Jonathan Lis and Mazal Mualem Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu Israel settlements Israel Labor Party Israel newsLabor Party rebels on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his plan to include dozens of West Bank settlements on a future regional map of areas Israel will insist on retaining once final borders are set with the Palestinians.
Labor MK Eitan Cabel sent a scathing letter to other party ministers on Thursday in which he lambasted them for not speaking out against the plan. According to Cabel, Israel will be paying for these settlements at the expense of poorer peripheral towns, and therefore should not be included in a permanent deal.
"I already understood that we gave up our flag of peace," he wrote. "Indeed, if you hadn't given it up, then you would not have remained silent when the prime minister announces that he resume construction in the West Bank after the 10-month so-called freeze."
"But have you also given up the social flag which has been given to our party? Do these settlements really need this money that is necessary in so many other parts of the country?" he asked.
"I have already given up on Ehud Barak," Cabel wrote of the Labor Party chairman and defense minister. "He lost connection to both reality and the Israeli public a long time ago and he proves this again and again."
"But you," Cabel wrote to the ministers. "Are you, like him, so faithful to the leadership that you have cast your eyes downward so as not to see the atrocities for which you are as much responsible for as the rest of the ministers in this government?"
"You have forgotten where you come from and you have no idea where you are coming free. And yet you still call me and my associates rebels."
MK Amir Peretz said Netanyahu's announcement was meant as a "tranquilizer" for settlers, many of whom see the temporary freeze as a declaration that their communities will be dismantled.
Peretz called the prime minister's declaration a security excuse which "harms any chance of a peace process and will create extra negative dynamics.
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Labor MK Eitan Cabel. |
| Photo by: (Tomer Appelbaum) |
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When the Labor Party endorsed the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif, they opened up "peripheral towns" such as Sderot and even Ashdod to continual rocket bombardment. After Cabal and the others are finished with their policies, I imagine he plans to live out his days on a yacht in the Mediterrranean -- forgetting that if his policies are enacted in Jewish Israel, he won't be allowed in any other country to dock. Meanwhile, "peripheral settlements" such as Tel Aviv will be under continual fire.
Ever since Labor became Likud Lite it became useless.
At last, a voice of sanity from the Knesset, someone not overdosing on the usual toxic mix of nationalism and religion.
What does Israel want more from Obama? 1) Weapons 2) 3 Billion in aid every year 3) Vetoes at the UN 4) unqualified support in its "fight against terrorism", and constant state of war with it`s neighbors. It is quite simple
I think that the settlements deserve the money more than the Labor Party or MERETS or the Arab paries. The settlemets hace cotributed 43.5% mor to the country than the other 3 mentioned above. The settlements have stimulated prosperity & spirituality while the 3 mentined above have COST the contry financially, miorally & spiritually. I of couse speak in generality so plz don't bring me some waced out right-wing nutcase.