With freeze over, West Bank settlements ready to dive into construction
Israel, Palestinian Authority working to reach compromise on issue of settlement construction, following expiration of 10-month building freeze on Sunday night.
By Barak Ravid, Chaim Levinson, Jonathan Lis and Avi Issacharoff Tags: Middle East peace Israel settlementsBarring last-minute delays, construction will begin on Monday morning on a few dozen housing units whose owners have waited patiently for an end to the 10-month moratorium on construction in the West Bank.
Construction is ready to begin on just over 2,000 units, but because not all the future homeowners have obtained a mortgage, hired a contractor and gone through the complicated paperwork, work on 500 to 600 homes is expected to begin in the coming months.
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Settlers in Kiryat Netafim laying cement for a new daycare center on Sunday, September 26, 2010. |
| Photo by: Moti Milrod |
Construction is expected to begin on Tuesday at a number of sites including Shavei Shomron, Adam, Oranit, Sha'arei Tikva, Yakir, Revava, Kokhav Hashahar, Kedumim and Karmei Tzur. A cornerstone is to be laid for a new neighborhood in the southern West Bank settlement of Beit Hagai, with construction set to start soon.
After the Sukkot holiday, the Yesha Council of settlements and local West Bank councils are expected to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into approving new construction.
The number of housing units put up in the West Bank during the Netanyahu government is the lowest under any prime minister since the first Rabin government.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Jewish leaders in Paris yesterday he believed a solution would be found to the crisis over the end of the freeze. A French source at the meeting said Abbas told his interlocutors that both sides knew that compromise was necessary.
Meanwhile, talks continued in New York between senior U.S. officials, chief Israeli negotiator Isaac Molho and his Palestinian counterpart, Saeb Erekat.
According to the source at the Paris meeting, the Palestinians would be prepared to give up their demand for a full freeze if Netanyahu declared he is willing to discuss the issue of the 1967 borders and a land swap. Abbas told the French-Jewish leaders that the moment Netanyahu stipulates where he sees the border with Palestine, much of the issue of construction in the settlements will be solved.
Netanyahu spent Sunday at his home in Caesarea and spoke by phone a number of times with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who returned in the afternoon from the United States. Netanyahu also spoke with Molho, who updated him on his talks with the Americans and Palestinians.
A senior Israeli official familiar with the talks said that if the current negotiations ended successfully, the compromise would be announced publicly. This a Palestinian demand, so they can present an achievement that would allow them to stay at the negotiating table.
It is still unclear whether the inner cabinet will have to approve a compromise. "The solution being discussed is somewhere between the construction policy of the Olmert government and the freeze," the Israeli official said, indicating limits on construction.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu told ministers on Sunday not to give interviews on the renewing of construction. His staff asked settler leaders and MKs who are against the freeze to keep a low profile.
Netanyahu also released a statement calling on settlers and politicians to show "restraint and responsibility," as they did during the freeze.
Sources in Netanyahu's office said they were concerned that photographs of bulldozers and cement mixers working to put up thousands of new homes in the settlements would only increase international pressure on Israel to renew the moratorium.
Netanyahu's efforts were only partially successful. The ministers from Yisrael Beiteinu, Shas and Labor cooperated, except for Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who gave an interview to the BBC before returning to Israel from New York. He said he believed there was a 50-50 chance of renewing the freeze, and that the chance of reaching a peace agreement was much higher.
In the settlements, festivities to mark the end of the moratorium were not called off, but no cabinet ministers and only a few MKs were on hand: Danny Danon, Ayoob Kara and Tzipi Hotovely from Likud, Nissim Zeev (Shas) and Michael Ben Ari (National Union).
"This is what I wanted to see - blue and white in every corner," said Kara, speaking to around 2,500 people at the annual World Likud convention at Revava. "I came to be with you all. Residents here respected the freeze; the most important thing is to continue the peace process. The result of the freeze was zero. It gave us nothing and it gave the Palestinian Authority nothing. As a wounded Israel Defense Forces veteran I think Israel's security depends on your settling here."
Quoting a Talmudic saying, he said, "If [a man] comes to slay you, slay him first."
Zeev said: "This day unites the entire people of Israel, not only World Likud. The residents of Judea and Samaria are native to Israel through a historical link. That's the issue that should lead us today regarding our rights in the face of the Quartet and the United Nations. We were born here and this is the land of our fathers forever. In the name of God we will succeed."
Hotovely told the crowd she was "proud to be a member of a party that was elected to preserve our right to exist in this country."
Hotovely said the end of the freeze would test the government's ability to keep a promise and the future of the West Bank settlements.
When the speeches were over, Danon counted backwards, symbolizing the approach of the end of the freeze, and balloons were released.
Key Arab League summit
Meanwhile, Abbas said that at the Arab League's October 4 summit, its committee monitoring the Arab peace initiative would meet at the request of the PA. It would decide whether direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians should continue after the end of the building freeze.
After Abbas returns from Paris, he will call a meeting of the Fatah Central Committee and the PLO Executive Committee to decide on the future of direct talks. Fatah, the PLO and the Arab League are expected to decide to end the talks if the moratorium is not renewed.
However, Abbas told the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat he would not announce a suspension of the talks on Monday, but would decide with the other Arab countries. Abbas is essentially giving another week to continue negotiating on the freeze.
Fatah Central Committee member Mohammed Dahlan said Fatah opposed continuing direct talks if construction resumed. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the second largest group in the PLO, released a statement saying it would not take part in the organization's Executive Committee meeting if direct talks and construction in the territories continued.
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This story is by:
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Barak Ravid
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Chaim Levinson
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Jonathan Lis
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Avi Issacharoff
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Once the borders are defined by negotiations, then settlements will not be an issue. Those in Palestine will be able to live there, pay taxes there, vote there but they will not be living in Israel. So please people, stop making such a big deal about it and continue the talks to determine the borders.
B'qalil - I agree except that no doubt the borders Israel demand will inculde all the places they want for future expansion and current illegal settlements. Give Palestine the original 1948 borders and keep Israel for the Jewish people as they wish.
You, settlers and zionists alike, rejoyce at stealing somebody else's land ... That is utterly obscene ...
Hasn't anyone told the settlers no one will ever recognize their claim to Palestinian land in the territories. That is-- no court or state ...No, not even their own .....see the URL below. (http://pamolson.org/ArtIllegalColonies.htm ) (Indeed, make that no one on planet earth.) Dutch
I am not surprised they added insult to injury by releasing balloons. That people who care so little about the human rights of others, not part of their ethnic group, and so little about the future as to deliberately stoke violence and wars that will kill people on both sides, are also mindless environmental vandals happy to pollute the land and oceans and kill wildlife with their plastic garbage, is entirely what I would expect. Unless they do rapid t'shuva, the plague that will descend on them will be fully deserved.
People should be free to settle anywhere and anytime. The PA is wrong to object. What they should ask for is reciprocity. i.e The right for Palestinians to build and reside anywhere in Israel. Ha Ha !!
Why is it imperative that the Israelis expand via these settlements? Since they know that this is the major block to peace in the Middle East then why do they persist? It doesn't make sense.
1: ARABS GOVEREN ED BY ARABS. JEWS BY ISRAEL 1:1-Israel will hand over to Palestinian government land inhabited by Arabs from Israel and Jews from settlements should be governed by Israel 1:2-Both Arabs and Jew will remain in their current homes nobody will have to move physically. 1:3 Artificial boarders or imposed boarders are major conflict reasons. Avoid future similar conflicts while defining boarders Examples: Canada-French want state: Belgian Flames separations. Basques in Spain. Irish and Scotts independence from UK . Wars in Africa because tribes have been separated or united by Europe. Kashmir- Cyprus- Kurds in Turkey, Balkan wars. wars in Russia. 2; DEAL WITH THE CORE ISSUES. Don’t be fooled again by the Arabs tactic to get real estates in exchange to uncommitted words, not peace and open doors for conflict continuations and terror. 2:1 – Arabs refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the Jews to a state in their 3500 old homeland. 2.2- The refugees: 1.000.000 Jews from Arab countries -650.000 Arab refugees from mandatory Palestine. 2.3- Jerusalem Arab will govern Muslim holly. All the other governed by Israel. Arabs have a very poor record of protecting or offering equality to infidel cultures.
Build,Build, Build.
Including the Vote!
Occupation of Palestine. The fate of these settlements will be the same as the one's that were in sinai and gaza.
Come on Israel. Don't be the schmuks
Yes?
You will get what you deserve!
The day I was born in 49' there was hope ,prayers, and peace offered to our holy G-d for Israel and her neighbors safety and for holy prayers of promise to G-d, Allah and Jesus of Nazareth to share the State of Israel for, 1 Preservation of Holy and Sacred ground through out all Israel for the sake of History, 2. Enjoyment for all humans that share the same sunsharing the sun c Just say "no to building" ! Divide up, back off and stop. Just like the little game played by myself growing up on Los Angeles and the little ones now play. The concept is extremely easy. Children run to claim a tree, a bench or a path and they can change their mind and take a key. BUT once the refferee yells out FREEZE. The game stops and you must keep what you have AND NO MORE BUILDING
You love the USA and their billions of dollars in wasted aid each year so as a US citizen, she has every right to comment. Especially when the US economy is at the whim of the US Jewish community.
We in the US have been channeling money to you since 48. We are now hated around the world because of you and you come now and tell me to shut up?? You are a mere American colony subjetct to our wish.
When one looks back, it is clearly seen that the greater the "friendship" of a US President to Israel (meaning that he applies less pressure on Israel to pursue peace), the less is accomplished. Our greatest "friends" were Clinton and G. Dubya Bush. Clinton did everything Barak asked him to do, including in Camp David. The result: no peace, only Intifada II. Dubya Bush came up with the Roadmap, a plan but no pressure on Israel. Nothing useful resulted. Looking back at the "bad" presidents, Nixon helped Israel with military equipment in Yom Kippur, but then prevented Israel from vanquishing the Egyptian Third Army. He preserved Egypt's honor, and peace became possible. Carter was even insulting in his pressure on Begin. But he ended up god-fathering the Peace Agreement with Sadat. Papa Bush was publicly pushing Shamir, even causing his regime to fall, This resulted in the Madrid Conference which led to Oslo. Obama seems to be made of different stuff. He aspires to do what is "right", more than what political considerations dictate, as he did with healthcare. If the Likud brings upon us an imposed international solution, so be it. The cure will be better than the continuation of the present diseased situation.
If Obama was serious he would impose conditions on the 3 billion aid that the US gives to Israel and if Israel continues with illegal settlement and blatant discrimination against Palestinians simply withdraw all aid and see how Israel manages without what many of its citizens regard as American 'interference'
You need to check your facts. The land belongs to Israel. Also, 80% of the $$ given to Israel MUST be spent in the USA. So, check your facts.
This land of Palestine belongs to the people of this land the Palestinians. Israel might do now with american help but a reversal of fortune will bring about things the way they should be
The settlers have "won." But what exactly have they "won?" They will get to stay on their land for a few more years, then there will be massive war and they will be evicted from their land and the entire ME. Their children will NOT be living on the land they so delusionally covet. How can they think that Israel will be able to suppress the Arabs forever? Do they really think that the Arabs will just "forget" this? They should remember that the Arabs remember the Crusades and how the Brits took their oil and left poverty. Unless there is a fair and just agreement with the Arabs (requiring the removal of 500,000 settlers from the WB), the Arabs will eventually get their land back. There is no way the Jews can stay in the ME without permission from the Arabs and right now the Arabs are not going to grant that. The settlers are just screwing themselves (and all Israelis in the process).
"Fair and Just" would be for the arabs to recognize the Jewish State of Israel, and stop raising their children (as they have done for three generations) as as vile antisemites who believe the made-up people "palestinians". The arabs who have invented the "palestinians" could choose have them reintegrate into their countries of origin: Egypt and what is now Jordan (and wherever else they came from). Dimmhiwit antisemites who imagine that Jews will allow themselves to be destroyed by their arab enemies are "delusional".
"Fair and Just" would be for the Zionists to recognize the equal rights of the palestinians, and stop raising their children (as they have done for three generations) as as vile Islamophobes who believe the right to a jewish majority state. The Zionists who have invented the "Jewish state" could choose have them reintegrate into their countries of origin: Europe and what is now Russia (and wherever else they came from). Dimmhiwit Zionists who imagine that Palestinians will allow themselves to be destroyed by their hebrew-supremecist enemies are "delusional".
...is that the Israeli government, in its current form, needs to come to grip with the realities that they must withdraw from the occupied territories, with the only two alternatives being partial annexation or they grant Israeli citizenship to the Palestinians. Annexation of West Bank territory is impossible to contemplate because this would involve annexing another 20% of the West Bank as well as the water resources on the Eastern Bank. The result would be a true Bantustan type enclave for the Palestinians, which would only further serve to demonize Israel as an Appartheid state. The latter is impossible for reasons that are obvious to any Zionist. There is only one answer, negotiate and evacuate.
Appeasement never got Israel anywhere except more terror.
How has it come to be that 300,000 fanatics dictate the future of Israel? How can it be that just 300,000 people can determine the moral values of a society? What society with 7 million members have it's entire future controlled by 4% of it's population? Israel, that is who. The goal of that 4% is clear. They live large, in big houses, subsidized by common Israelis who are taxed to support that 4%. For the average Israeli, the Settlements are a simple equation. Your money is paid and they prosper, your money is paid and they rule.
Mark your stupid calculus depends on your assumption that you think you know something about what you are talking about. Sorry chum, you don't have a clue about Jewish history or culture, and of course how could you be expected to— being buried in your insatiable hatred of Jews and their homeland.
Explain, dear Mark, how expansion improves the situation in the Middle East. Or why, historically, Israel deserves the territory.
Arab Majority in ten years
Settlers occupy land illegally. They construct their cities and villages in violation of International Law. Many western and Arabic nations have called for a halt to settlement construction. Several UN resolutions reinforce these observations. Yet Israel continues as an affront to the peoples of the world, supporters of human rights and the many people that support historic Jewish values. Settlements must stop immediately.
That's why the Arabs in the region have been murdering the Jews in the region since 1920. It's also why very few Jews are left in the Arab world. Just because Jordan captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem and ethnically cleansed those territories of Jews for 19 years doesn't mean Jews were obligated to keep it that way -- particularly since Jordan attacked them again.
the arabs use for no peace. The reality it, the arabs do not want peace...and neither does the leadership.
The land, illegaly annexed by the Hashemite Kingdom in 1950, was won in 1967 in a defensive war. Israel's "occupation" is 100% legal. (The term occupation is dubious because the "West Bank" had no legal sovereign after the British relinquished Palestine in 1948.)
The occupation is indeed not illegal for it does concern disputed territory as you said. However, the UN charter from 1946 describes very clearly the first hard fundamental rule of International Law. No land whatsoever, regardless of it's former or present status and regardless whether disputed or occupied, can be legally annexed and/or brought legally in ownership when violating existing private property rights by political declaration, economic developement or re-population and building by victor after it has come de facto under control of the victor after war, regardless whether offensive or defensive war. So occupation is legal, annexation is illega, all private property must legally be respected as long as disputed land lacks final agreed legitimate status. Re-populating it witrh Jewish settlements and Jewish inhabitants is jurisdictially seen completely irrelevant regarding the eventual final lstatus of the disputed land and creates no relevant claim or first right on future decision who will get it whatsoever . Legal occupation of disputed land simply creates nothing relevant or meaningfull regarding which partyn is entitled to lawfull final future annexation and legitimate final future posession and ownership. One can never say in international Law: I defended myself, I conquered the land , my presence in the land is legal, I live and invest in the land which is legal and so all this creates a legal and legitimate claim for me on future posessionand ownership/annexation of the land. Sorry but that is jurisdicial poppycock.
The people of this land the Palestinians has opposed all foreign powers the British, Jordanians, and most certainly the illegal immigration of jews to palestine and the illegal declartion of a jewish state in 1948 and the expansionist policy of ben gurion and his disicples. We will never abandon Palestine and one day, one day we'll go back to olive and orange groves, to our cities and our bays, to our hills and to our desert.
It's always a question I need to ask as a foreigner living in Israel. I don't this is about hatred of Jews - it's about the Palestinians having somewhere to call home just like the Jews wanted and argued for until 1948. How about we forget the religious crap and treat all people as human beings.
Israel was born and bred in battles forced upon her and the hard-fought-for strategic depth she won can only be partially negotiated away under the most stringent security arrangements and complete cessation of hostilities by both the Palestinians and their militant supporters. As to how much Israel even with her formidable defense capabilities can trust even these security and peace arrangements? She will naturally not be fully convinced and will therefore both retain and build on some of these conquered territories. This is the price of Palestinian aggression, violence, and resistance for the past 62+ years and the Israelis will not be picking up their terror tab.
Each side would pick an arbitrator. The two arbitrators pick a third arbitrator. The two sides present their arguments to the three arbitrators who would render a decision. Majority decision prevails. Enough of this insane childishness and bloodshed! Whatever the outcome it cannot be worse than what you guys have been doing to one another for 62 OUTRAGEOUS YEARS!
The settlers have defied the law over and over. A price should be paid for that if for no other reason than to reinforce the rule of law, which these squatters seem to not understand. If there is to be peace, if there is to be civilization, then the settler mentality needs re-education.
If so, I can send you some cash, and you can buy some toy handcuffs. Then you can go and arrest the settlers for their violations of the "law." Skip over Kim Jong Il, Ahmadinejad, etc.. etc.. of course.
Israeli construction in occupied territory is an insult to those genuinely interested in a two state solution. It is the continuation of the strategy of creating facts on the ground. This Jew is disgusted with this move that clearly stains the credibility of the Israeli government.
When Jordan kicked all the Jews out of those territories and took all their homes and build Arab-only communities there, that wasn't an establishment of facts on the ground? When Jews recaptured their properties (after Jordan attacked again) and built communities -- THAT is an establishment of facts on the ground? Jews were only absent from those territories for 19 years. What "facts on the ground" are you yammering about?
Relocating the Palestinians to Jordan might be a better idea than negotiation that will, in all likelihood, go nowhere. If the current Israeli Government cannot reinstate the settlement freeze because of political opposition, then what hope for an evacuation of some of all of the settlements as part of a peace agreement? If the Western Alliance funds a massive housing, infrastructure and nuclear powered desalination project, then Jordan could be quite a pleasant place to live. King Abdullah might need to be elbowed aside, but so what.
relocating the settlers to Florida might be a better idea than negotiation that will, in all likelihood go nowhere.
you'd like to be rid of those pesky Palestinians, whose land you covet, but Israel has it's own territory. GO BACK TO IT.
Jordan WAS part of Palestine. Israeli territory has yet to be determined through negotiations and mutually recognized borders. Jews were already ethnically cleansed once (1948-67) and attacked again. Why should they ethnically cleanse themselves AGAIN to satisfy an imbecile like you?
A few simple logistics questions for you Wogga Wogga ... How do you convince Jordan to allow this massive (several million) dumping of humans into their country? Even if you kill the King, what makes you think the Jordanians will agree? How do you get people to move off the land that has been in their family for hundreds if not thousands of years? Cattle prods? How do you transport the people to this "magical land" you have created? covered trucks, freight cars? You really are delusional. The Arabs between the Jordan River and the Med Sea are NOT going anywhere (just like you would resist being forcibly "transferred"), so maybe you should rethink this whole idea. BTW - this terrible idea has been tried several times in history and has ALWAYS caused the people trying to do it massive problems.
Why not re
Similar to the German liebenstum to clear Slavs and other undesirables from the eastern lands to make room for Germans or the Serbian ethnic cleansing of Croats and Muslims from Bosnia. Now it's Jews calling for the same. Shame!!!
But it's nice that you at least admit that Palestine exists.
Arab Israelis are also forbidden by the GC's from illegally settling in "territories occupied" belonging to the non-state entity of Palestine