ANALYSIS / Settlers have been working for months to undermine construction freeze

Just saw O'Reilly's interview with Sarah Palin, she enthusiastically inserted a plug for Israel during discussion on her plans for the Middle East--let Israel continue building on its own land, the US must "go to bat" for Israel. After that terrorist-loving, crypto-Muslim Obama has been expunged, Madame President will deliver Eretz Israel on a silver platter to the exulting Jewish nation.

What most people need to realize is that building in Hebron is the same as Jews building in Tel Aviv to the majority of the world's Muslims so do not listen to the enemies of Israel but do the just thing and build everywhere possible including one day hopefully on the East Bank where Jews once lived and were expunged by the Arabs.

Just because some Oil rich Arab nations told the state department to demand a freeze it does not mean that Israel agreed to freeze anything. All previous agreements have no bearing as Hamas controls Gaza and the PLO has broken every previous agreement with Israel making all of OSLO null and void as well as the drive off the road map.

Bibi is in power because palestinian terrorists have made every israeli peacenik look stupid. Anyone who has observed israeli politics over the decades (unless they are as dense as a Mark Lincoln) understands the connection between palestinian terrorism and what party wins israeli elections. When the missiles stop falling and the israeli masses start to feel less threatened, the leftist parties start to gain strength. But as soon as they take over, the palestinian leadership senses weakness on the part of israeli leaders and renews the attacks which then drives israeli politics back in the hands of those who will always choose aggression over compromise. Maybe someday they will get smart, but doubt that many readers will live to see the day that palestinians are smart enough to manipulate israeli election results to their benefit.

With the arrival of water and sewage connections, a planned out house at an illegal outpost has been canceled.

I've asked once before, and I'll keep asking it: how many "applications" have been "approved" but have not yet been "commenced"? Because THOSE are the only "projects" that are inconvenienced by this "moratorium". So it stands to reason that you can not judge the worth of this "freeze" unless you know how many projects fall into that category. Israel *must* know the answer, so why isn't anyone but me asking this (obvious) question: Q: How many pre-approved projects ARE INCONVENIENCED BY THIS MORATORIUM? The silence is deafening, so I'll hazard a guess that the answer is: "very few".

He hasn't crossed any "ideological Rubicon", he's just finally learned to play the "peace" game, the way that Sharon, Olmert, Livni, and Barak did before him. Tell the international community what it wants to hear, then continue doing pretty much exactly what you were going to do anyways (colonize the West Bank and East Jerusalem, destroying any chance of a Palestinian state being created). Absolutely nothing has changed, and anyone who thinks Bibi's cynical, empty words and gestures bring us one iota closer peace is a fool.

"Peace will come only when the Pals and the world will actually comprehend that all of West Bank belongs to Israel and the Jewish people and whatever we will donate to the Pals they should be grateful for." I'm sure everyone is eternally grateful for the beneficence and the selfless generosity you have shown recently and continue to show on a daily basis. I'm personally grateful for living in times that produce such as you, grateful indeed. P.S. Iletzter...stop playing with yourself!

"" Keeping an eye on new construction is not especially difficult. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz warned Thursday that there are insufficient numbers of inspectors working for the Civil Administration - only 14. But the defense establishment and many left-wing groups, not to mention the Americans, have sufficient means, technological and otherwise, to paint a cogent picture of what is happening."" So in other words if this statement is correct Mafuz is working with the left wing groups and Americans to get a picture what is happening. Is that in itself against the law to working with foreign and foreign paid interest as a government leader??

ottoman empire was illegal ? that the san remo conference of 1920 was illegal the 1922 mandate was illegal the 1924 anglo american convention was illegal. the un charter is illegal ? unscr242/338 are illegal ? or does he need doctoring ??

publicly opposes settlements because they are illegal? Explains to the public why it is so under the UN Charter, Geneva Coventions and so on? None of the 6 on the right do. Kadima doesn't and Labor doesn't. Does even Meretz use the word 'illegal'? It is thus hardly surprising if many Israelis show a strange - in the eyes of the rest of the world and the law courts - conviction about their right to own Palestine, to build settlements, even to expel Palestinian and Israeli Arabs one day. Israeli society seems to have bought into a set of ultra-nationalist myths and lies, a great national project to create a Greater Israel on others' land. Meanwhile, where is the national voice of opposition and reason? The moderate right, centre and left in Israel show an unparalleled political cowardice and hide behind the parapet on this core issue. 'For the triumph of evil, it is enough for good men to do nothing.'

No israel, No Palestine. One State Solution is the best for all. One Man, One Vote, Equality for all inhabitants. Equal Pay for Equal Work, Equal Water Rights. No Apartheid, No Segregation...A Very True Secular Democracy. Let us call it :?State of Holy Land?.

"A tiny fraction of Israelis control the fate of the nation, and none of them live within what the world recognizes as Israel." Mark Lincoln I'd have said "few of them live within what the world recognizes as Israel" and as a Palestinian reader points out, this does not equal a tiny fraction, yet there is still a silent, nonplussed majority that doesn't know what to do to set things back on track. Unfortunately they have no leader to show them. There are only a few ex-leaders, most of them taking feeble potshots only from the sidelines. Meanwhile the settlers make hay.

"The only question that now remains is wether the Americans and the Europeans decide that it is in their best interests to play a game of pretendies with Netanyahu i.e. to act as if it isn`t a sham even though they know that it is a sham." Indeed Obama is already playing Natanyahu's game. It goes very simple Obama: This freeze is not enough Natanyahu: Oughhh...WE will then freeze all ...but for 10 months. We prefer to be "domesticated" by Obama. It is a pain in the ass but we will be doing "a lot" in order to drop the ball to the palestinian courtyard Obama: That is fine Then what? Indeed the ball will jump to the palestinian courtyard which have nothing to offer. Obama knows that, the palestinian know that and Israel as well. After 10 months Israel will keep building in the West Bank

may you remember that nothing you've said counts to a hill of beans. Or, any of the anti Israel losers who never learn. These 'settlement's will be Israel's next great, developed, and bustling Jewish cities. And the silence from the pals made it soooo easy.

that he has never directed his formidable intellect to the most pertinent question in the palestine mess.to wit,what is the role of the u.s.a. in all this;and why is that its role?

They've done more to secure Israel's future than almost most anyone. Excellent, may their continued success continue many more times in growth and strength for Israel. They prove to the world that Israel wont be dictated to she answers to a Higher Power. Marvelous news.

with almost every western country already adamantly opposed to the israeli settlement enterprise, the more brash and defiant these settlers and their benefactors become, the more the world sentiment will harden against them. the u.s. veto in the unsc is NOT invincible, and given time, it's sure to be overridden if this fiasco continues unchecked... and that's IF the u.s. is still inclined to utilize its veto. it just may surprise everyone, or it may withold its vote, or it may veto as always, but then refrain from soliciting, pressuring, cajoling, and leveraging its friends against overriding it. the settlers, more than anything else, are eventually going to bring sanctions against israel. their's is a double-edged sword with one edge slashing at the state of israel, and the other at themselves.

this country is not afraid of so-called settlers.it might one day be,or be regretful.the settlement is not a private enterprise.all(as in 100.00%)that goes by name of "settlement",all it entails,is an act of state.a project only a state can carry out.it could not be otherwise for one second.the "settlers" are in the nature of state employees,directly or indirectly.they are also a smoke screen.they are not in the nature of massive infrastructure builders,nor tank-brigade deployers,as examples. i'm sure you knew that.peace.

The answer is that this country is not afraid of settlers. Its a settlers country. The vast majority of the Israelis came to settle a land that never belonged to them.

"A tiny fraction of Israelis control the fate of the nation, and none of them live within what the world recognizes as Israel" out of 4-5 million Jews in Israel there are about half a million settlers. If you just assume that there are only another half a million supporters in Israel, would you still think that they are a tiny fraction? Most of Israelis came to settle Palestine and they are mostly settlers. You always seem to want to find the good side of Israel. You need to keep looking offly hard to find any.

'nuff said.

by the Palestinians? Why not publish an article on that. It will make your readers very happy to have these figures.

....in the Israel of 2009. So the majority has taken over the state, not really surprising, is it...??? :)

We keep hearing that there are 3,000 approved projects that have ALREADY begun, and that each and every one of them must be allowed to complete. We also keep hearing that any approved projects that HAVEN'T already begun must now wait for 10 months before commencing. But what is missing is the FIGURE for that latter category. Israel must know how many permits have been issued, and so working out how many have been "frozen" is a simple matter of arithmatic i.e. it is (x - 3000). So what is the value? Dare I suggest that the reason why Israel won't release that figure is that it will be revealed to be vanishingly small i.e. everyone who already has a permit has ALREADY rushed to beat that "freeze".

... "pioneering" industry on stolen land in history... for which Israel has sacrificed its whole hinterland of small towns, industries have closed down, folk are down-in-the-dumps...

The time tested tactic of Fatah and Hamas wins again: 1. Dictate terms of surrender to the Jews. 2. Demand prizes up front as the price of the privilege of even "negotiating" (hearing more terms of surrender). 3. Keep the prizes and refuse to negotiate. Its a win-win for uncle Abbas and his mentors in the US state department and CIA. Obama and Clinton and Mitchell are toasting a brilliant chess move as Israel is backed further and further into the losers corner on the international stage. Bibi comes away empty handed yet again. Think this is connected to renewed hopes for Shalit or Israeli command and control software in the F-35? Dream on. Next comes a declaration of statehood and a long war against a well armed enemy literally a stones throw from the main target - Israel's civilian population. The only viable end game is to defeat and disarm the enemy, create a three-state solution, wall-off both Hamastan and Fatahland, let Egypt and Jordan trade and deal with them.

... six months ago, they have been working overtime morning, noon, and night to establish their facts-on-the-ground... and now they "triumph"... the Bibi family knew this well-in advance...

with almost every western country already adamantly opposed to the israeli settlement enterprise. the more brash and defiant these settlers and their benefactors become, the more the world sentiment will harden against them. the u.s. veto in the unsc is NOT invincible, and given time, it's sure to be overridden if this fiasco continues unchecked... and that's IF the u.s. is still inclined to utilize its veto. it just may surprise everyone, or it may withold its vote, or it may veto as always, but then refrain from soliciting, pressuring, cajoling, and leveraging its friends against overriding it. the settlers, more than anything else, are eventually going to bring sanctions against israel. their's is a double-edged sword with one edge slashing at the state of israel, and the other at themselves.

Thank you Harretz for enlightening me. I became pessimistic and thought that Netanya is a fool , playing into Obama and Clinton's hands and bowing to their pressure. Actually , it is just a show. This is good news. Actually , FM Liberman accentuated this. The gesture is for the world and not for the Palestinians. Peace will come only when the Pals and the world will actualy comprehend that all of West Bank belongs to Israel and the Jewish people and whatever we will donate to the Pals they should be grateful for. It is certainly more than their Arab brothers are willing to give them. Actually the Arabs look at the Pals as obnoxious and unberable . Hussein dreams of getting rid of them .So, other countries. They use them only to attack Israel. When Israelis will be realistic , pragmatic and look at the truth and stop deceiving themselves-only then will Israel have a chance at survival

This "breakthrough" has landed with all the bounce of a dead cat. Every newspaper report I've read has emphasised that there is nothing really new is this announcement, and that this has already been rejected - repeatedly - by the Palestinians. Read the comments from Koucher, Clinton, and Mitchell; they all praise it as a "step in the right direction", but none of them hail it as a breakthrough, and none of them have rushed to agree with Israel that "the ball is now in Abbas' court". And the reason why is pretty simple: they have grown weary of making excuses for Israel, and forever pretending that Israeli "half-measures" are "unprecedented breakthroughs". They are monumentally unimpressed, and while they will praise it they are damning it with very faint praise indeed.

d: "Why is this country so afraid of the settlers?" Answer: Bibi unscrupulously demonized Yitzak Rabin back in the early 1990's, and because of that rabble-rousing a settler loonie shot Rabin stone-cold dead. Netanyahu is scared that someone will now rabble-rouse against him, and as a result he will be Rabinized. That, in a microcosm, is why Israel is so afraid of the settlers. Even if you leave aside the *ahem* "personal" aspect of all this, it is blindingly obvious that the settlers are the only segment of Israeli society that has (a) the means and (b) the inclination to plunge the entire nation into turmoil for their own selfish ends. So nobody wants to lay a finger against them, because nobody can stomach the fight.

All this talk about freezing construction is obvious nonsense. If Israel wanted construction to stop, all that would be necessary would be to turn off the water and electricity.

And they have been most successful. No matter what Israelis think, and I think many would rather have peace than Settlers, the Settlers have won. A tiny fraction of Israelis control the fate of the nation, and none of them live within what the world recognizes as Israel.

This is so simple. Make it clear to settlers that if the land upon which settlers reside eventually becomes part of a Palestinian state, these settlers will become Palestinians,,,,,,,,,, Palestinian Jews who will travel on Palestinian passports and spend Palestinian currency. They`ll see Palestinian doctors in Palestinian hospitals. Palestinian police will investigate crime and Palestinian firefighters will put out their fires. They`ll pay taxes to Palestine. Israel has Arabs. Palestine will have Jews. It`s the same thing. Settlers,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, enjoy!!!

WHEN WILL THIS LEFTEST NEWSPAPER TELL THE TRUTH. tHERE ARE NO SETTLERS IN ISRAEL ONLY 'PIONEERS' Haaretz must change its anti government attitude and start showing that it is an Israeli company. Enough of the twisted lies and falsehood of the media. The press has lost its past power and glory.

Either the other shoe will drop soon or US/UN bigger fools than I thought. How can you have a freeze when there is record building going on? I think Obama has a plan that could change the playing field after the first of the year and likely put Netanyahu in a bit of a jam.

Israel will not genuinely freeze settlements activities regardless of Palestinians or world protests.

This "freeze" is a sham. Netanyahu always intended it to be a sham. Barak is already treating is as a sham. Every member of Netahyahu's cabinet understands that it is a sham. The Americans know it is a sham. The Europeans know it is a sham. The Palestinians are loudly shouting that it is a sham. Because It Is. The only question that now remains is wether the Americans and the Europeans decide that it is in their best interests to play a game of pretendies with Netanyahu i.e. to act as if it isn't a sham even though they know that it is a sham. That's the only thing that now matters i.e. wether the Americans and the EU 1) mouth the word "unprecedented", or 2) mouth this sentence: "err, sorry, what's actually being frozen here?" If it's (1) then Bibi "wins", and if it's (2) then Bibi is in a Spot O' Bother, because he really can't answer that question with anything even approaching "honesty".