Palestinians: Israel vow to halt settlements is void

Leftist thing, i.e. treating people as you want to be treated, and promoting equality is on the decline in Israel. However, the Labor Party has been behind settlements for many years. What Barak is doing is not surprising. All Israeli prime ministers built settlements. Sometimes, labor built more settlements, even! Many people opposing what Israel is doing would be called racist. However, many bonafide Jewish socialists would have called Israel a racist state. Many Jews need to stand up and tell Israel and Israelis that they need to see that mistreating a minority is unacceptable, and the Israeli Left was not really earnest except for Rakah and Meretz. Labor was never truly a Leftist party, IMHO. It was not even a shadow of the Bund of Poland that truly was a Leftist group.

Obama won't re-distribute the $3 billion for military purposes, he's in the process of downsizing the American Military Obama is desperately scrounging for funds to sustain his proposed Health Care Plan As of this A.M., the Treasury is appealing to Congress to increase the national debt by another TRILLION dollars, upping the debt level to $13 trillion You remind me of an ex-son-in-law, anytime anyone said something that displeased him, he retored with "That's not true", or "That's not true at all" Then our daughter and we realized he always spoke that way, because he was incapable of telling the truth and thought everyone else was just like him, devious and lying and a cheating bum to boot Next time you want to make claims, supply the backup to support them, your word alone, simply isn't worth a hoot

....and I would say rightly so !! :) Which doesn't mean that we are "holier than holy".....

BJ: "Peter Wallace - Cut off the $3 billion" BJ: "Which will result in more job losses in the USA" No, not at all. Obama can take that $3billion in military aid money and give it to Gates, giving a $3billion fill-up to the Pentagon's own procurement budget. Not one single job will be lost, and many more will be created; see below. BJ: "By law, the money MUST be spent here" No, actually. By AGREEMENT fully 20% of that money can be spent on Israeli-manufactured hardware. So if Obama pulls the plug then Gates will have $3billion to spend, and he'll spent it ALL in the USA. The only losers will be "the IDF" (with a $3billion shortfall) and "the Israeli defense industry" (who face a $600million fall in orders). But the American defence industry? They'll get a $600million lift in orders.

Or worse? Or a lot worse? What is the future of Israeli non-extremists?

If anyone can't see through the mud the Israeli government slings at the Obama or the PAs face you're obviously have leprosy of the brain. Hamas's view of the situation, and of their stance towards a peace settlement is more in line with International consensus than the Israeli government or the US will ever be.

Do not expect peace from Israel and its current leaders. A culture of greed under the auspices of extremist religious convictions prevails over truth and justice. The USA and the EU need to act decisively to stop supporting an uncooperative, destructive partner.

for all lovers of peace, and professed lovers of peace, to simply end the charade and proclaim a single state in all the land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River?

Heather Czerniak, Milwaukee, US: "Israel is ours. We are free to build wherever in Israel we choose. No other country has any right to make our decisions for us, not even the US. So keep building those settlements." ===================================== Why don't you move to Israel?

Brilliant!

His mentor and the Nobel Prize Laureate, Dr. Arafat, was in the process of re-writing Negotiating 101 curriculum taught at the Islamic University at Gaza when he was cruelly killed by an injection of the aids virus by you know who. Fortunately, Erekat never forgot the prevailing postulate that one can destroy the Zionist entity by firmly sticking to the maximalist position until the second coming of the Chairman. And now, the new construction by the pretender to the native Palestinian lands intended to be kept by the enemy under any peace scenario ??? Unacceptable. Verily, brothers, the jew is something that must be overcome. Anti-Semites of the world: UNITE !

"Palestinians: Israel vow to halt settlements is void" Errrr, Ravid, there has been no vow to stop settlements from THIS Israeli government. None. Not even "in principle". Your title is therefore misleading, and should be changed to: "Palestinians: any Israel vow to halt settlements will be void" After all, there are a lot of people in these talkback threads who never read past the title, so it should at least ATTEMPT to be accurate.

It will take some time (and many victims), but also IMO in the end there's no escape from this mess other than the establishment of a unified state. This should offer Jews as well as Arabs all what they need: Palestinians the home which they had to leave when Israel was created, Jews the legal use of water resources on the West Bank. However, if religious fanatics come to and stay in power there's the remaining alternative: bloodshed, ending in the downfall of the ethnic minority in the region.

U.S. has given a lot more to the Arab states, Jordan & Egypt as examples, let's not forget what the Palestinian's got, and for all that they've created their own disasters Nakba, self inflicted, happened when you guys insisted on violating the UN Partition, crossed the border with five armies and lost what you started, just like putting a gun to one's head and blowing their brains out

Dabbling with a temporary settlement freeze got him thrown out of office last time he was PM. And any concession would get him thrown out again. The Settlers rule in Israel, and he knows that.

to protest close Swiss relations with Holocaust denying President of Iran? Or did any Swiss president resign to protest Swiss asking Nazis to put J into Jewish passports, so as to disqualify Jews trying to escape Holocaust to Switzerland? But, of course, Jews building a few appartments in Jewish settlements on Jewish owned real estate is the bigger abomination. No comparison with millions of victims, then, or now in Darfur.

any one who thinks that two states could survive in such a condition as the map of israel and palestine shows is only talking for the sake of talking.

There is no reason for a freeze as a gesture in return for nothing. There is no reason for gestures: either there is peace or there isn't. If there is no peace then taking back jewish land is strategically sound. If there is peace the final agreements should determine all. The siplest gesture by the arabs was never forthcoming: ceasing anti semitic incitement. In fact Egypt, who is at "peace" with Israel temporarily, continues to incite anti semitism by state media. Even full peace with the arabs is suspect. Saudi oiulfields would yield more for Israel than "peace".

you are right! stop the military aid to Israel. And see what happens! More Americans unemployed, more Israeli hi tech goods flooding the market, more American debt and more American helplessness under a lame duck president. The North Koreans, Iran, Syria, and Europeans are already enjoying the show!Only thing missing is the popcorn!!

I live in the American midwest and I must say that over the last few years our support for Israel has dwindled. We see very little concessions from Israel while the Palestinians continue to live in one of the most dense regions on the planet. I would support reducing foreign aid to Israel.

after ofering the captured territories at Camp David with Clinton and getting bus bombings in return, Barak sees the light finally.

Are they just born THeiVES? Cant they just be nice like the rest of the people of the world?

Communist China pretty well owns America. : ) And have you heard, how popular Islamic banking has become? People are fed up with the greedy Western style bankers who all but brought the world's financial structure to its knees!

#27 Michael - Sadat was more logical than any Palestinian leader. #28 Murray - Have you ever heard of the Oslo negotiations and the Camp David negotiations, to name a few? Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. # 44 Pierre - Your logic defies logic. So, a gesture of good will by Israel deserves 4000 missiles a kidnapped soldier and a host of other violent activities? Has it occurred to you that Israel sealed the borders and is flying the drones to protect itself. This is why it built walls, to protect itself. Surprise surprise, no more suicide bombers.

You say nothing of Tibet, the Japanese Islands under Russia, South Sahara, Gibraltar, Malvinas, Cyprus, North Ireland, Karolinska taken from Finland by Russia in 1938, Moldavia, Ossetia, or Corsica. Why so silent ?

Kees, What exactly do you mean with less support. Whatever Israel does it will generate negative publicity. And frankly, We talk about 500 units in densely populated settlements that will quite probably remain within Israel after the final agreement. Thhis was already the case in the Barak offer of 97% of the WB to Arafat in 2000. And if this will give Nethanyahu the agreement of his coalition for a freese I think it is worthwhile. It would be helpfull by the way if the Arab countries would normalise their relations in order to facilitate the peace process.

It was the Arabs in 1949 who refused to accept the 'green line' as border and demanded , and received, agreement it is only a truce line. After 1967 it was agreed 'West Bank' borders to be determined by agreement. Thus Pal not entitled to all of WB, if any.

I never said anything about annexing all of Judea and Samaria. I said that "We have the right to declare where our borders are, and Ehud Barak has done so today." Look at where he is building and where he isn't building. Likewise look at what the radical 'right ' is saying about this construction. I might add that in 1967, the Palestinians were not part diplomatic equation, because they were not yet part of the diplomatic game. The West bankers were Jordanians, and we have a peace treaty with Jordan. Oslo speaks about a 'Palestinian entity' and nothing more. This came about because Jordan relinquished claim to the West Bank in 1988, and the inhabitants had no choice but to define themselves as 'Palestinians' In 1993,Rabin said that the Oslo acords left open the possibility of Palistinian autonomy. Today there is 'on the table' a 'two state solution'. We call the the shots as to what wil be the nature of the Palestinian state, based on the results of the 1967 war.

You are wrong as 80% of the funds is not spent for Israeli subcontractors. It is all spent in US

I fail to understand how you equate building with murder, mayhem, mutilation and terrorism.

....through. Otherwise, please read my response to jackie....

and nobody builds there. The fact they do not wand to divide the contested land should not preclude others to build there. They really do not want their state for reasons well known.

....if he would have enough backbone. I don't think that there is a law in Israel which would prevent a president from stepping back, if he strongly disagrees with the course the country (the political leadership") is taking....

Israel isn't affected by the global crisis, why did you say that? Israel is a US base of the United States, as well as Jordan and Egypt.Don't you know that the US doesn't send US troops in Israel? It's telling us that Israel has better armed forces than the USA.

So, if Judea and Samaria is part of Israel, then presumably those who live there are Israelis? With a right to vote and all the other trappings of a modern democracy?

Pres Obama could not look in the eye any Arab leader- who the US needs to try and keep happy far more than it does Israel- if he accepts this position without very significant challenge, and frankly without sanctions or a huge counter offer. Maybe Netanyahu has something up his sleeve, but am surprised he is willing to so embarrass the US president. Barak is a disgrace, but no real news there.

I agree with Josh #21...and not just because my name is Josh too!

So he can't leave it, as you recommend...

It might be boring to rehash what happened in 1967, but here goes. The 'green line' is a defunct armistice line between Israel and Jordan that existed between 1949 and 1967. When the Jordanians started shooting in Jerusalem in June 1967, the armistice was shattered and hostilities started where they left off in 1949. We conquered the whole country and we have the right to declare where our borders are, and today, Ehud Barak declared where those borders are. In the meantime according to the peace treaty with Jordan of 1994. the border is the Jordan River. The Palestinians can have anyting that we decide not to take like Nablus, RamAllah Bethlehem and part of Hebron and parts of area'B'.

"Israel's decision to approve the construction of over 450 new settlement units nullifies any effect that a settlement freeze, when and if announced." Saeb Erekat... Saeb Erekat is right Israel's word will have no credibility from here on for a freeze or indeed a peace settlement. It has gone over the cliff (so to speak) this time with its mad desire to con- tinue expanding settlements on Palestinian land. Dutch

"America gives nothing without having strings attacked." Ben Jabo Attacked is correct. It's called "biting the hand that feeds you." "tell it to those that would be laid off if they weren`t engaged in the employment created by that $3 billion." Ben Jabo I think those Americans would survive in the great U.S. As for $3++ billion to Israel yearly, and over $150 billion since the Nakba, for what? For 6 million Jews? That's a lot of money. Where did it go? Mega-rich and super-poor. Something's not right here. As for you being an American who served our country, I respect you for it. See, there is always some good in everyone. Even Israelis. Salaam/Shalom

That's why Microsoft built a major plant in Israel, quality of the work That's also why Israel's high technology is prized by the U.S. Military and incorporated into the the U.S. Defensive systems America gives nothing without having strings attacked

Well, if you want to call more Americans being added to Unemployment "Cowpies", feel free to tell it to those that would be laid off if they weren't engaged in the employment created by that $3 billion I'm born and raised in the USA, Armerican Army too (Combat Engineers) If I lied or distorted, as you claim, then prove it

Axel, Israelis are concerned about attacks coming from the East, and that is why they are concerned about moving the border as much as possible to the east. The Palestinians should worry about moving the border to the west. But it is definitely up to you to decide where the border should be.

"I don`t get why some readers are convinced that the entire West Bank is Palestinian land and not Israeli." Funny that you and the whole there-is-no-border crowd are convinced that there-is-no-border applies only to Jews moving east, never to Palestinians moving west ...

The Tanakh is full of Jews losing faith in G-d. Even after He parted the Sea of Reeds to allow them to escape the Pharaoh's armies they built a golden calf and worshiped it in place of Him. They saw what G-d did to Sodom and Gomorrah. And they still refused to believe. G-d is not dead! Start praying and you'll see a big difference. That's all He needs for us to do. Try it. Israel is ours. We are free to build wherever in Israel we choose. No other country has any right to make our decisions for us, not even the US. So keep building those settlements.

The vow to halt settlements became void when the Palestinians started shooting rockets into Israel again...as if they ever stopped.

It may be difficult to understand, Eli, but let's try: 1. Gaza is not a state and Palestine is still occupied. (West Bank, you know?) 2. Israel never evacuated Gaza. Drones, observation blimps, sealed borders, regular incursions, extra judicial executions etc etc. The international community still regards Gaza as occuppied

"Israel has right to build on it`s own land" What is Israel's own land? What are the borders? Where do you stand? What is yours? After more than 60 years of "establishing" your state, you still have not defined your border. That in itself shows your true intentions... more theft of Palestinian land, pure and simple.

"..plays into the idea of Jews being greedy, sneaky and untrustworthy". Right on, Josh, but please add "profoundly racist". Remember the talks about freezing settlements in 1977? Moshe Dayan made it all very clear then: "The question is not 'what is the solution?' but 'how do we live without a solution'". It's taken 30 years, but the rest of the world is waking up. Good luck, Israel

Virtually all the construction being talked about is in the 3 major blocs of Jewish "border" towns every negotiation since 1993 has placed on the Israeli side of the final borders. A completely phony issue which has no impact whatsoever on the daily lives of anybody else in the "W. Bank". The issue is further made utterly irrelevant by Obama's failure to obtain any reciprocal gestures by the Arabs to facilitate negotiations. And the REAL obstacle to peace talks is that 40% of the PA Arabs reside in Gaza, whose Hamas regime rejects any peace with or recognition of Israel - Israel can hardly be expected to make peace with PA state on its east, while Gaza on its west wages Jihad "until final victory". Obama is now backing off from his idiotic position to save face - his "freeze" has no support in Congress or with the US voters - and the Arab States won't play ball in any case. Another Obama bungle, like Health Care and The Economy. With ZERO payback, why would Bibi freeze anything?

"Who said that the entire West Bank is Palestinian? A peace process and many decades of negotiations will determine the borders of a Palestinian state." You can't have it both ways Mike. If you reject the Green Line as the border of a Palestinian state, then Israel has no legitimacy either. If Jews can argue Hebron is Israeli, then Pals can just as easily argue that Tel Aviv is Palestinian. Best to settle for the Green Line don't you think?

Ariel and many other settlements will make it almost imposible for a Palestian state, usless they are removed or become part of Palestian.

Who said that the entire West Bank is Palestinian? A peace process and many decades of negotiations will determine the borders of a Palestinian state. But so far no such state had ever existed, so I don't get why some readers are convinced that the entire West Bank is Palestinian land and not Israeli.

In answer to Tony UK. Great Britin tried to inforce that policy on the Irish and we now this failed. Wake up the Palestinains have a right to a free home land and not what Israel is going to allot them. The people of Israel have a right to a safe home land but the policies of there goverement is clear they don't want peace because they will have to make decisions about lands and the return of the Palestinians to there home lands. Israel should talk openly and honestly to the Palestinains after all they will have to talk in the end to each other.

First in America there are those that would rather pay $4 a gallon and stand up to Israeli threat of us "standing in umployment lines" rather then fund Israels stealing of land and destruction of the Palestinian people. Your threat is more of what the world has seen from the jewish people since the beginning of time, you manipulate and decieve by trying to control the cash, pretty damn smart I must admit. Its so painfully obvious that Israel does not want peace and has used the settlements and the concrete wall to steal more Palestinian territory. Is violence the only thing Israel understands? I have heard that the Palestinian lands were taken by force and will only be returned by force(war) - Israel just keeps making this more clear - I wish it was not so. I hope the people of Israel dont really beleive in the destruction of Palestine.

"Be careful what you wish for, you can very well be terminated and forced to stand in the Unemployment lines." Ben Jabo Seriously folks, how can poster #26 Ben Jabo throw these cow-pies around? The U.S. multi-trillion dollar economy and employment is based on the dole that Israel receives from American taxpayers? C'mon Ben Jabo, you can't be an American. Your lies and distortions really stink. You, Bibi, and Limburger are the same. Salaam/Shalom

has all the land, water, access routes, and power to control the foregoing. Abas has done almost everything Israel could have wanted if it really wanted peace and Israel still won't cease the illegal settlement of the West Bank. Israel has proven it is not a real partner for peace. The US must act to make sure ISrael ceases its constant violation of international law.

UNCLE SAM HAS HAD ENOUGH. UNLESS ISRAEL FREEZES ALL SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION; PRESIDENT OBAMA MUST END ALL ECONOMIC AND MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL.

The GOI, Israeli extremists, and zionists think they are fooling the world but they are only fooling themselves. Today, "Israel" means Jews AND Palestinian Christians and Moslems in pre-1967 borders. That's 20% Israeli Palestinians! Add today's Palestinian Christians and Moslems in the WB and Gaza. You get Greater Palestine with 51% Israeli Palestinians, Palestinian Christians, and Palestinian Moslems. Jews are already a minority. As the GOI continues to try to fool the world, it will only see that we are getting closer to Greater Palestine. Greater Palestine is Palestinian Jews, Palestinian Christians, and Palestinian Moslems all living in peace and democracy together, as it should be and will be if you do not honestly and quickly act on the two-state solution.

My friend the AIPAC successfully changed the law where the US defense contractors are obligated to buy from Israeli subcontractors, (I think up to 80%.) Remember, this money is a gift ($3.0 bill/year) and currently we borrow it to give to Israel. It's all idiotic. make peace now.

....and Ehud Barak and Shimon Peres know exactly that Mahmoud Abbas is a very different kind of leader. If they would be "men of peace/compromise", they would have left this governement a long time ago and sided with the opposition.... ....or rather, they would never have joined it in the first place.

Wonderful claims, Eli. Let's look at them. "Capitulation has never worked with the Palestinians." How would you know - when has Israel ever capitulated? And you think that freezing settlement building is capitulation? "Just witness the Gaza evacuation." Let's do that. Remember it was Sharon's means of holding on to the West Bank. And imposed unilaterally on the Palestinians. "New settlements will bring peace". Just like the existing ones, is that right? "Only more settlements will convince the Palestinians to make peace with Israel." Wow. To the rest of the world the settlements are the main reason the Palestinians can't make peace. Israel won't even say what peace would mean. Have you - or Israeli leaders - ever heard of the word "negotiation"?

Slight problem with your 'build settlements for peace' scenario. Sadat only made peace with Israel because he got back all Egyptian land without any Israeli settlers on it. If Israel tried handing back all Palestinian land with no settlers on it, it could have peace not just with the Pals, but with the rest of the Arab world as well.

Which will result in more job losses in the USA By law, the money MUST be spent here,paying American workers Be careful what you wish for, you can very well be terminated and forced to stand in the Unemployment lines Kowtow to the Arabs, after all, their exorbitant charges for oil nearly put us into a world wide depression I'm fairly certain you relished pulling up to the gas pump, paying USD$4 plus per gallon each time you filled your car

Capitulation has never worked with the Palestinians. Just witness the Gaza evacuation. Has it brought peace? No, Just more misery! If the Palestinian wanted to have peace, we would have had peace by now, as Israel has peace with Egypt and Jordan. Only more settlements will convince the Palestinians to make peace with Israel.

Barak's move totally plays into the idea of Jews being greedy, sneaky, and not trustworthy.

'The PA announced today that it would soon be instituting a total terrorism freeze but in the manetime was issuing 500 permits for new acts of terrorism before the freeze came into place. The PA said it was sure Mitchell and Israel would understand that a total immediate freeze was completely impractical, and that there was a need to accommodate natural anger, but expressed the belief that the future freeze amply demonstrated the PA's commitment to peace and dialogue.' Presumably the supporters of settlement expansion would have no objection to that?

Joshua wrote: "I`m a Jew, and an Israeli, and even I must admit I have NEVER heard of anything funnier...." Except it isn't funny. All it does is spectacularly play into the anti-semitic idea that jews are greedy, ungenuine people, and see everyone else as stupid proles who can be hoodwinked with the most obvious chicanery. Israel would be better off simply annexing whatever lands it wants and saying flatly and boldly that they are the spoils of war, period, and having it out with whomever on those grounds. Instead it's endless game-playing and the world's perception of jews goes from seeing them as innocent historical victims to perceiving them as fundamentally deceitful people. This is not smart from any perspective other than that of the settlers. How long will world jewry allow them to speak and act in their name? In fact I fear for world jewry if this kind of thing goes on much longer.

These Palestinian leaders have lost credibility in my view and I am sick and tired of their pompous condemnations! Work on getting your houses in order and present a united front first. Put the Palestinian national cause back on the agenda and be SINCERE about it! Saeb Erekat and his ilk are not living under siege on top of rubble! Settlement construction unfortunately, will continue unabated with the blessings of the US administration!

In the so-called 'Oslo Years' Rabin and Peres continued with settlement building in direct violation of Israel's commitments. Barak is following that ignoble tradition of double-dealing. So much for the 'left' in Israel. Left or right, landgrab is the name of the game. And please don't tell me about Barak's 'big offer' to Arafat. Read Dennis Ross on that particular myth. The argument for imposing a boycott, sanctions and divestment is growing stronger day by day with these cynical actions by the Israeli government.

like my friend Joshua, I am also jewish and live in Israel and am still laughing at how right u were. I think we all know, in the end there will be a pal state, how secure i don't know but Israel cant put it off much longer as Obama wont take no for an answer, and he pays our defense bills. Construction or no construction is not really important, if we build we'll only have to hand it all over, so save the cash and building in Israel.

to settlements which will probably not be incorporated into Israel proper, that is, the permits are given to settlement blocs eventually Israel would not dismantle or evacuate. The Labour party joined this Likud coalition on the premise that they a) agree to the obligations of the Road Map b) agree to a two state formation by negotiating with the Palestinians for establishing their independent state. I don't foresee the continuation of this government should they not fulfill the obligations set out by the previous Israeli government and proceeding where the negotiations were left off between Olmert and Abbas.

As the Israeli governments have not so far responded positively to the two state solution according to the UN resolutions and the international community demands. I can only foresee one state solution is the only remains option and I hope Israel will push the Palestinians to accept this option to solve this conflict and live under one democratic roof away from racisms and anti somatic.

C'mon Dino, please define all of the material components of "a just peace." Your case could be persuasive were you to include reasonable assurances that Israel would be left to live in peace as a Jewish state. That would require, I think, specific and full renunciation (in Arabic as well as English) by all of its neighbors of anything to the contrary in their charters, etc. as well as affirmative and binding undertakings to adhere to such a peace. Lacking that change of fundamental Arab/Islamic policy and even philosophy, how can you possibly expect Israel to make material territorial concessions? Would you?

Are you asking why the Israeli government has become the laughingstock of the world? Their double-speak is deceptive, self-serving and they have squandered precious trust a long, long time ago. At least with this latest action, they are being consistent. There's one way and one way only to get Israel's attention. The US must cut off the $3B-$4.5B annual gratuity to Israel that enables them to act with impunity. Israel's response to that single US action will be instant and deafening.

In both Europe and US, public opinion is becoming more and more aware of the unfair and intolerant practises of this Israeli leadership. Joshua is right - it will be difficult to 'sell' this move to anybody. Instead, once more this will cost Israeli support.

The proper way to secure a future: Israelis back behind the green line, then negotiations, then peace and prosperity for both Jews and Arabs. Israel has no right whatsoever to consider conquered inhabited land as its own, no matter how many nationals it has planted in the territory. The int'l community has a duty to let justice prevail over alleged solidarity (remember how the West dealt with Saddam Hussein, friend of the West, when he decided to occupy Kuwait).

This is really idiotic. Can't Israel house its people in Israel? Eventually, when this land is ceded to the Palestinians these settlements will be abandoned, (like in Gaza), rendering the present effort a waste of time and money. Plus Israel is getting everybody angry for no good reason. As far as the settlers go, zealots that they are, they'll either have to leave or they'll become Palestinian citizens. We already have Israeli Arabs. Now we'll have Palestinian Jews with Palestinian citizenship who travel on Palestinian passports and spend Palestinian money. Enjoy!

why cant we build without informimg the entire world? we live on jewish land.just build.

I'm a Jew, and an Israeli, and even I must admit I have NEVER heard of anything funnier than the suggestion that a "freeze of settlement construction" is when one agrees to stop construction [apparetnly meaning current construction, and even then, only temporarily] in exchange for construction [new construction]. AHAAHAHAH As an Israeli and as a Jew, I cant even pretend that I or a fellow Israeli or fellow Jew could even try to make that argument, or find someone brain-dead enough to make the argument to, without falling on to the floor from hysterical laughter. We really are testing to see whether to world is brain dead. AHAHAHAHAH. This has to be the world's greatest historical attempt at hoodwinking. The attempt should be in Guinness World Records. LMAO. AHAHAHAHHAHA AHAHAHAH AHAHHAH, AHAHAHA, AHAHAH

This news story stipulates that this new construction will occur only in the settlements Israel intends to keep. What about the 20 new houses in Jordan Valley's Maskiot settlement which Barak signed off on yesterday. Is this Israel's way of saying to the world we intend to keep the entire Jordan Valley?

Mr. Barak, you are the leader of the Labour Party. You are in the opposition. You are NOT the executioner of Mr. Netanyahu's policies. Especially not when they contradict the principles of Labour. What a disgrace. All prior Labour PMs and party leaders must be turning in their graves at what you are doing, Mr. Barak. Please, get back to your roots and principles. Peace NOW!!!

I have strong doubt that Israel is sincere about peace. This is clear violation of the road map. In the mean time the entire world continue to ask Palestinian to their commitment to the road map. I am convinced only severe sanction against Israel can bring them to the peace like it was done with the apartheid in south Africa.

Maybe Barak has learned from his failure at Camp David when Arafat refused to even consider the offer he as Israeli PM placed before the Arabs. I believe that past experiences (Peres after all supported the Oslo accords which resulted in thousands of Jews being killed or permanently disabled) has finally penetrated their heads and they have come to accept that the Arabs mean what they said in 1947, and are still saying in the charters of both Hamas and Fatah.

This is a great leader of a social democratic party, the junior partner in the coalition of the Land of Israel - a member of the Socialist group of international parties. Hopefully in the future the people that live in the judea and samaria, all of the people, will also have nice houses built - and one day - get the right also to vote for the Knesset. Long live democracy forever!

Netanyahu and Lieberman (like most Israelis ??) don't want a just peace with the Palestinians and they don't even pretend to do so. Ehud Barak (and Shimon Peres ??) don't want a just peace with the Palestinians, but they still pretend to do so.... The problem for them: Even befriended nations don't trust them any- more.... ....that is what happens when "spoken words" never meet "actions on the ground".

One of the prime lessons of Jewish History is that authentic spirit nourishes and sustains. On the contrary, temporal power is temporary and corrupting. Unfortunately, the current Jewish leadership , both secular and religious seems to have drawn the wrong conclusion as they imitate the powers and abuses of the empires that paraded thru Jerusalem and now are part of the dustbin of history. Occupation, usurpation of lands, and subjugation of others are destructive habits of our previous rulers which we are now foolishly imitating. Who doesn't learn from history is condemned to repeat it. Bibi, change your ways while you still have a chance and disassemble settlements and stop being duplicitous.