Settlers, tell us, what do you think will happen?

Powerful, thought-provoking writing- Gideon. Unfortunately the righteous stance of the Settlers seems to beckon back to the Apartheid white supremecists of the US and South Africa. I'd like to see Gideon explore this avenue with more thought-provoking articles or perhaps a book.

hcs: "The Torah preceeded international law by over 3000 yrs" And cannabalism and slavery predates the Torah by at least as much again. So, there ya' go, hardcore; a practical answer to the problem presented by those pesky Palestinians. Just throw 'em all in a big boiling vat, and then you can eat the lot of 'em with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Why not, heh?

hcs: "There is no violation of the law for a jew to reside in hebron!!!!" The illegality revolves around the NATIONALITY of the settler ("Israeli"), and not their ETHNICITY ("Jew"). hcs: "There is no occupation in the West Bank because there never ever was a Palestinian state!!" Belligerent occupation applies to TERRITORY. It is therefore perfectly possible for an army to occupy territory that belongs to no state. That happened often in WW2 where armies occupied any number of "mandated territories". New Guinea. Nauru. Caroline Islands. Marshall Islands. Marianas Islands. Syria. Not one of those were "states" during WW2, yet all came under belligerent occupation at one time or another. hcs: "So what country is Israel occupying?" *sigh* S.T.R.A.W.M.A.N. Armies occupy TERRITORY, not COUNTRIES.

Bravo to Haaretz. In a part of the world where the media is so one sided (on both sides), You have the courage to publish articles that show your balance. I am amazed. Thank you for true journalistic integrity!!!

Thanks for a wonderful challenge ! Shalom el kol Israel !

... should be recommended reading in every school, every forum... especially for the settlers themselves... discussion groups should take it up... settlement has reached dangerous proportions... dangerous attitudes...

Yes, sir. The best Israel can do is to abandon them to their fate. Otherwise a bloody civil war can erupt, with a destructive outcome. We are already two separate Jewish peoples living west of the Jordan river. Let us not generate more conflict and hatred. Why can't Tel Aviv have its peace and Jerusalem its security? They need not Tzahal. They can surely defend themselves and support themselves. Most of coastal Israelis hate them. And they are afraid of them. So why keep together like two brothers who don't get along? Your arguments against their land ownership, valid or not, are the thought of 50% of Israelis. Their arguments are different and they have unity, and despite any feelings they can be legally validated. So they do have a case. Let's secede them before it's too late.....

The Boers are still living where they lived before. The political landscape around them changed, but they did not move. If you think that's what will happen to the settlers, that's an interesting thought. If you think some other resolution awaits the settlers, then your analogy is confused. I think the possibility of some settlers remaining where they are and becoming Palastinian citizens has not been properly explored even though it offers an obvious logistical solution. If Palastinains are unwilling for settlers to become citizens and want to see them expelled, then perhaps the analogy would be to expulsion of Muslims from Serb lands in Bosnia in the 1990's. Was that an ok expulsion? If it was not, would expulsion of Jewish settlers nevertheless be ok? Does it matter whether the settlers moved there of their own accord or were born there? Does it matter whether the settlers can integrate into the local economy or cannot?

a so called settler is an Israeli. Often a suburbanite who at times was encouraged by the gov't to move where to an area over the old green line.Similar to many Kbittzim a and moshavs in the 30's and 40's. In the eyes of the enemies of Israel ALL ISRAELIS ARE SETTLERS. Even the jordanians have laid claim to Tel Aviv. The settlers are Israelis in a se of hostility

And the future awaiting them is identical as well.

... and all the future of the children of israel !

The Israeli government is completely incapable of standing up to the settlers. The only thing that could possibly make any difference is for the U.S. to do what Bush the First only talked about: cutting aid commensurate with those funds spent on settlement building. And we all know that's not happening with Obama. The world saw how he backed down on a settlement freeze. The only thing that's certain is conflict for the foreseeable future.

Hey Tony no problem. Let these galilee arab towns be traded to the Palestinian authority for the Jewish settlements. Then they don't have to suffer any more all this terrible apartheid. Funny how 88% of Israeli arabs (including their loud israel bashing leadership) rejects being part of their brethren's new country but insist on remainin israeli. Must be real glutton's for apratheid hell.

1. Land under the control of Arabic municipalities has been cut by half since the beginning of the state of Israel, despite the fact that their population has grown by a factor of 7. 2. Israeli Arabs constitute 20% of the population yet they only live on 3.5% percent of the land. 3. Urban plans for Arabic towns take on average twice as long to be authorized compared to Urban plans for Jewish towns. 4. Land around Arabic villages in the Galilee have been confiscated by the government to build Jewish only settlements, along with industrial and other complexes to support them, leaving Arabic towns with no room to expand to, turning them to extremely crowded places. Yet no body talks about "Natural Growth" for Arabic Towns. Please stop the Hypocrisy

They should be told to go in compliance with the law .... Plus, they are in such denial as you pointed out it would be more deceptive ideology. You shouldn't waste your time... It's like asking a drug addict to be responsible in a sense when he or she has lost his or her sense of proper social boundaries. People realize this and they are acting accordingly with stepped up boycotts and divestments programs. You know, in the end money can often speaks louder than words.....Dutch

Arab states never had to push Palestinians to fight. Palestinians have lived there for generations under a region called Palestine in the Ottoman Empire; and just like the Jews, they are ready to fight to death for their land (I think both sides have proved that by now). On the contrary, today it is Arab states who want the Palestinians to reach peace with Israel to stabilize the region. Sorry but for the last 20 years the ball has been in Israel's court. If you wanted peace you could have had it. But like an article on Haaretz stated, your goal seems to be "relative peace" not peace. Peace would mean an end to the settlements and we know settlers don't want that. Thus settlers don't want peace.

I tend to be more on the left, but I have to say, I know a right-wing girl from a settlement in the West Bank, and she is in college with me in the US and has many Muslim friends and even a Palestinian friend - so I know for a fact that it is false to say that all settlers hate Palestinians, and some can even be quite the opposite.

"Some of the highways on which he drives are cleansed of Palestinians" And some of the op-ed writers' brains are cleansed of seychel (yiddish for smarts). I live in Efrat. Do tell me Gideon Levy, just which highways are "cleansed". None of the highways in my area. This Palestinian propaganda lie is only one of the many urban legends Levy loves to propagate. The Nazis were right - repeat a lie enough times and people thinks it's the truth. I challenge you, Gideon Levy, to come to Efrat and stand with me at the entrance in order to count the Palestinian cars and trucks (that in reality outnumber the Israeli settler traffic). Then we'll get in a car and drive, and you will navigate and show me were the cleansing is, because I, the settler, know that all the roads around here are open to Palestinian traffic. Do you accept my challenge? Or will you hide behind your lies and continue to ignore the real truth behind your hate campaign? Liar liar your pants are on fire...

Israel is the state of Jews. Cannot be divided. The Arabs who have now come to be known as "Palestinians" have been abused by Arab countries to keep their fight with Israel alive. Settle Palestinians in Arab lands, leave this tiny piece of holy land for the Jews. No other way will succeed.

Those who warned against Oslo had their vision of the future and their own understanding of how the world works. This vision has turned out to be correct. Oslo has not helped the Palestinians and it certainly has not helped the Jews. The only positive thing it has done is to give support to Arafat?s Salami vision of taking away pieces of Israel, slice by slice. Oslo has put Israel and the US on a collision course and those who warned against Oslo could see this coming with this really bad agreement. What Gideon and friends fail to understand is that those who rejected Oslo are not happy that they were right. All are losers. If I was Gideon Levy I would not be so quick to belittle a point of view that seems to be less up in the air but more fixed in reality.

One day the settlers will wake up to the truth, and Israel will dismantle itself stone by stone.

You enable them. Let them pick up their own tab.

them are our friends, they are better off thanks to us, we have the right to the land... Hard Core Settler, or Hard Core Africaaner? Or maybe both. Remember, less than 100 years ago, the Africaaners had the support of the Western world, less than 50 years ago, the idea that the Blacks who turned down the 2 state solution could ever get more than what was being offerd was ludicrous. And for most of his life, Mandella was a terrorist. By the end of his life, Khalid Mash'al might be thought of as a statesman.

Kaska, millions of people on this planet believe and live by the 3000 year old fantasy stories. Please visit the Vatican and tell them that their beliefs are fantasy. Perhaps, your International Law is fantasy. At best, it is an open subject if it even applies to this conflict. Perhaps, if anybody has a claim, it is Jordan, who lost the land via war. In any event, there was no Palestinian people and, at best, it is an open question if there is International Law in this matter.

"The idea that settlers stay in Palestine as Pal citizens is nice in theory but unworkable." Hence a compromise over the amount of territory allocated to the future Palestinian state is necessary. Funny how it's "workable" for Israel to have 1.5 million Arabs as citizens, but it's not (meaning - RACIST) to have Jews as Palestinian citizens. You do understand there was a large Jewish Palestinian minority all the way up until 1948, don't you cummings? You think Jews don't have the right to live in the Jewish Quarter, cummings? They were only absent from the Jewish Quarter for 19 years.

Sounds idyllic but you didn't answer the question about the fate of the vineyards belonging to your arab neighbours. I think you know about the irregularity of the water supply in the villages - I don't know when I last saw a hose pipe, never mind one which was wasting water! Its true that Jews used to visit Beit Jala - mainly those from Gilo who came to the Pork Butcher! We don't mind integration but it must come with equality and justice.

Truly all of my respect to you

We don't want to comprimise with you on the WB. We already comprimised at Oslo. Israel gets Israel in the 1967 borders with the Arab population that lives in there. PA is to have the full authority on the west bank in 1967 borders, clean of illegal israeli settlements. That is what international law dictates. In 2010 we follow international law and not 3000 year old fantasy stories. I don't want Hamas, I don't want crazy lunatic Liebermans and racist Netanyahus. I want international law. The world can only work with international law. International law says you need to move out of the West Bank.

Now tell us what part of this great Gideon Levy article don't you understand? TATA

The Jewish people do not follow all God's commandments written in the Torah, otherwise you'd have four wives on your hands! It's interesting but true that you claim the Torah proceeded international law by over 3000 years, however not all that's written in the Torah is factual and commanded by God. Probably some of the Torah narrative is factual and we've seen archaeological evidence, but as far as following its exact dictate as it's written - I don't think most Rabbis would agree that all of it applies to today. For example, my father just had an article of his published last month, just two weeks after he passed away, comparing the Biblical story of Noah's Ark and the flood, which is in the Book of Genesis, with the Babylonian myth of the Epic of Gilgamish which was a story which proceeded the Bible 1,500 to 2,000 years older. It's obvious of the similarities. However, a Sephardi Rabbi here in the community stated that almost all classical civilizations had stories of floods.

other than a temporary truce? Whether you're talking about 20% of the West Bank or 5% of the West Bank, you're talking about a pretty small area. If you were just talking about real estate, there would have been a deal long ago. What you are talking about is symbolism. Palastinian Brit finds it bad that there are swimming pools in Gaza and car washers in Efrat while he says Pals get water every two weeks. The angst sounds far fetched as Pals would build pools if they could afford it and wash cars if they had them, but once more, Palastinian Brit is concerned about the symbolism. This is the nub of the problem. If symbolism is the problem, why would Palastinain Brit stop there if Israel returned to the green line? Would Israel not remain a symbolic cause of angst? An explanation for Palastinain failure? A focal point for Palastinian beligerence? Does Pal. Brit. ultimately have more to offer than Hamas: a decade worth of truce?

to the wrong people. You said Israel needs to recognize and accept diversity. Preach to the Palestinians and their Arab/Moslem bretheran. They have NEVER recognized or accepted Israel even prior to 1967..before occupation.

Israel will submit to it's masters, the Haredi and Settlers.

The idea that settlers stay in Palestine as Pal citizens is nice in theory but unworkable. If the settlements must be exclusively Jewish, then they are going to have to be self-contained and large enough in population to provide Jewish-only hospitals, senior schools, public administration, etc. There cannot be Jew-only roads all over the place. That means a population of 5,000 minimum, more like 10,000. Then there is the issue of security. The PA with its 'restricted' forces cannot provide 24/7 security protection for 160+ settlements, many remote villages. As much of their land was illegally and forcibly acquired and Arabs have suffered theft and violence, there are inevitably deep-seated scores to be settled. That too argues for large communities with sufficient security. There are about a dozen large villes like Ariel and Kiryat Arba that maybe qualify. Small towns like Batya's Shilo (popn 2,300) are just unsustainable blots on the landscape.

and we will live happily ever after in the promised land

Sure there are some nutty settlers, and the entire settlement enterprise was insane from the start. Just know that they are people with families who are trying to do what's best for their kids. Very, very few of them have actually committed violence or killed anyone. For the most part, they are regular people who were lured into a government-led trap. Blame the governments who allowed this horrible situation to happen, not its victims. I think you and many on the Left lose a lot of us middle-of-the-roaders when you start ranting about horrible the settlers are as people. Focus on the governments (Arab and Israeli) that created this mess, and you'll get more sympathy for your views.

Endless war for all the Land from both sides.

We're in Shiloh since 1981, and you're describing some fancy Leftist tzfoni place, with lots of well-paid government people whose kids are jobniks, far removed from the worries of ordinary Israelis. The tough questions should go to your neighbors and their parents who shot fellow Jews on the Altelena and turned in their neighbors to the British. Get off your high horse and weed your own garden!

"The solution is simple. The Arab areas should go to the PA with land contiguity. The jewish areas should be annexed to Israel." - HS Both elements are flawed. If by building on occupied territory, a country can gain that territory, loads of countries will be off seizing neighbours' territories at sun up. That is why the Geneva Conventions, which are international law, prohibit gaining territory by force and settling occupied land. The thief cannot keep the spoils or international law is dead in the water. On the practical side, there cannot be both a contiguous Palestine AND a spider's web of settlements and settler roads there ruled by a foreign power. They are mutually exclusive. It would only work if all accepted that Arab Palestine could only be a collection of isolated islands or bantustans. But all except Israel's hardcore right reject this idea absolutely as (a) land theft (b) racist.

If the settlers want to remain Israeli citizens they will move when the time comes. If they want to be Palestinian citizens then they will stay where they are. There is no need for forcible evictions or civil war. The settlers will be given a choice.

The Torah is not recognised as being valid as a way of solving border disputes. Fact that you are resorting to a 3000 year old book for Jews written by Jews probably means you realise you would be better off packing your bags and finding a place to live behind the greenline of 1967. Or learning Arabic for your new life as a Palestinian Citizen.

Love thy fellow man is what guides us!! If the arabs want peace that includes compromise and tolerance - Ahalan and saalan!!! but at the same time Hakam L'horgecha Hashkem LeHorgo! If one attacks you - you hv every right to defend yourself. We will continue to hv the most compassionate and moral army in the world and if you aren't aware of that you are totally ignorant to reality on the ground!! The overwhelming majority of Israelis and residents of yosh want to live in peace with the arabs and are willing to compromise and provide the PA arabs with some form of self rule with land contiguity and a viable police force.

a- I do take arabs as trempistim all the time but only after I am sure I know them. I would be more than happy to pick up Palestinians on the roads but since the intifada I am really scared. b - there are rich arabs and poor arabs and rich jews and poor jews.. We are not to blame for the situation that the arabs residing in the WB are in. They can only be thankful to Israel that they are more educated than their brothers in Jordan and other places. They can come to the negotiating table and work out a plan for resolving the conflict.

There is no violation of the law for a jew to reside in hebron!!!! There is no occupation in the West Bank because there never ever was a Palestinian state!! So what country is Israel occupying? Are we occupying the british or the ottamin empires?? your comments are beyond ridiculous!!! 10% of Israel live beyond the 67 borders and we don't need any approval from you or the UN!! Any law that states a jew cannot live in hebron is a rascist law!!! There is a palestinian and jordanian law that makes it a capital offence to sell land to jews!!! That is overwhelming rascism. I've read the geneva convention multiple times and it has nothing to do with Israel and the WB.

If Israel cannot solve the problems with the settlers as listed by M. Levy, this state of Zionists will vanish. Only this was the prediction of the Iranian president and not the annihilation of the Jewish people by Iranian A-bombs. It would be a human catastroph, if Israel is destroying themself due to the "devine mission" of their religious zealots after being nearly annihilated by the Nazis some decenies before.

Efrat is a lovely Jewish community that is situated on hill tops as is nearly every community in the Judean hills. Beit Jala is a nice village as well and there is no water shortage as I remember it. We conserve our water in Efrat as all considerate Israelis should. I have seen far more water wasted in Arab towns with hoses left running for hours, leaky pipes, illegal piping to siphon off stolen water so maybe its not Israel to blame but its easier for you to blame everything on Israel. Beit Jala makes nice neighbors and often in the pass when it was safer I would hike there and have tea with friends. How many hills have Beit Jala stolen? My last sad memory of Beit Jala is of terrorist shooting at Jews from there when we have always been good neighbors. I realize you had no choice when Fatah terrorist seized Arab homes to turn into terrorist firing positions but since then I do not have the same warm feelings I once had for Beit Jala. Efrat is lovely, and here to stay.

Hello CJ, well, don't forget that those people (settlers) are mostly brain washed by their nationalist or religious spiritual leaders. So in fact you can't expect from them an own opinion and not to speak of enough education or knowledge to deal with terms as international law. Those kind of people might be once responsible if this state of Israel will manage it in a long term to destruct a third time. As well, if people like FM Lieberman are still in the government, what can we expect. There are a few political clowns in the int. arena as Berlsuconi or Chavez, but that we post deploy one of our politicians in that leagues as well, I am embarrassed!

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"We want peace- and are willing to pay reasonable price" To continue breaking International Law. "Israel can never go back to 67 borders!" They are armistice lines. You moved in, you can move out. "We have no interest in controlling the Palestinians lives!" Uh huh. http://wp.me/pDB7k-l5 "We respect them and respect their culture!" So you break International Law to take their land. "If they are willing to accept us - we can accept them!" Who wants to accept thieves? "The best solution is to split the WB" How about going back to Israel? "Jewish settlement should be annexed to Israel" So it ISN'T Israeli... what are Israeli citizens doing there illegally? "The solution is simple!! The Israeli left must encourage the Arabs to accept part of the WB" Why should they pay for your greed?

for your courage to call a spade a spade!

Read the Holy Torah and review the Jewish prayer book and you will understand the long standing connection we have to Hebron , Yerushalaim, bet-el, shilo, shechem, migdal eder Every single portion of Bereishit(Genesis) from Lech lecha on - focuses on our longing for eretz yisrael. Read all about how Moshe yearned to enter eretz yisrael read about king David who had his capital city 3000 yrs ago in hebron and yerushalaim read about the 2 temples - see our prayers that we say 3 times a day all about returning to jerusalem every meal we eat we thank Hashem about giving us the land of Israel and pray for the return to Jerusalem. THIS COUNTRY IS OURS!! YOU CAN LIVE VERY WELL IN JORDAN, SAUDIA ARABIA, SYRIA, IRAQ - WE JEWS HAVE ONLY ONE HOME!!! LEARN TO LIVE AND LET LIVE- LEARN TO RESPECT! LEARN ABOUT TOLERANCE! LEARN ABOUT DIVERSITY! LEARN ABOUT COMPASSION!!

You also have 20-40 arab or muslim countries. We have only one jewish country You have Jordan that is 4 times the size of Israel with 70% Palestinians. The WB is 100% Israeli territory and if you can't split it then you'll continue to live under the IDF, because the 600,000 settlers are not moving anywhere.

Gideon Levy is not my favorite writer b/c he totally associates with an Arab side of conflict, but i agree with this piece: ISRAEL is under dilemma: either separate itself from palestinians, but it means to move settlers which mean civil war and so on... the other alternative is a single state palestine with jews and arabs: one person one vote. sounds like utopia, but is israel ready to give israeli pasports to hamas-cheering people in gaza and west bank? Are israelis ready to renounce the law of return if new Pal citizens would vote for it? Is Israel ready for communists 30% and balad 20% in Knesset? So separation is only realistic alternative, even if it may be suicidal for israel security or will it be? Reality on the ground is that two people - jews and Arabs share a country and mutual dislike, and i do not see a binational country possible. So settlers should be moved within Green Line. Maybe countries like Australia, Canada and USA may give settlers alternative to emigrate?

because they have got use to the good things in life, on a plate. But in reality there is no issue. When a two state solution to the Palestinian Israeli conflict comes to fruition. All Israel has to do is give settlers two choices, remain in your homes and becoe citizens of Palestine, or move back to Israel and we will help you do so. There is no issue apart from the one the settlers are artificially creating.

Palestinian Arab Muslims wish to control the West Bank and Israel proper. There are Palestinian Arab Christians among the supporters. So what?

Well that sounds a bit hardcore one-sided to me! The idea is two states living side by side isn't it? You already have yours. Just move on back there and leave the Palestinians to develop theirs without harrassment.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the foundatin of Fatah. The celebrations in the Bethlehem area were hosted at the Arab Orthodox Club in Beit Jala. Many Christians are members of Fatah, or didn't you know? The man who acts as spokesman for Abbas is a Christian also - did you know that?

Yesterday was the anniversary of the foundatin of Fatah. The celebrations in the Bethlehem area were hosted at the Arab Orthodox Club in Beit Jala. Many Christians are members of Fatah, or didn't you know? The man who acts as spokesman for Abbas is a Christian also - did you know that?

Right on, Petra. The Settlers are our heroes, the finest of Israel. May G-d Bless and strengthen them.

They are pump us our gas at the gas station, and pour the cement in our settlements. Maybe we treat them well, with respect..sometimes even lend a real helping hand in time of some drastic need..but basically we are blind to their daily existence once they leave our fenced in/fenced out settlement. They live on the next hill, 5 people and more in one room, with a building freeze that has been going on for years. We ignore them when the walk on the road to and from work, even when it rains. But we feel good, cuz we pour them a cuppa coffee when they build our homes. Wake up Mr. Settlerman.

check points came about due to the intifada your leaders started. The day you accept Israel and are willing to compromise - we can split the WB. Israel is not going bk to 67 borders. The arabs have 800 times more land than Israel which is 10 times per capita. There are also swimming pools in bethlehem and ramallah and ceratinly all ove saudia, kuwait etc.. The Palestinians can just ask their leaders why they turned down every offer for peace. The longer you wait the less there will be. Gush Etzion and Hebron are jewish areas for years and jews can live along side arabs. There is endless amount of empty mountains in the areas for the arabs to plant grapes and olives. Tell your leaders to sit down and accept 60-80 of the WB and you'll hv a Palestinian state in 2 years.

And Palestinians can't accept that the West Bank AND Israel proper shall not be both ruled by Palestinian Muslims.The Palestinian dilemma is how to accomplish it.Their vision is the same as the settlers, to control everything.

Are you willing to live in total equality with your Arab neighbours? No special security roads - freedom for all to go anywhere? Equal quantities of water? No checkpoints?

Efrat is a particularly nasty type of settlement. It spreads thinly over more than 7 hillsides in the Bethlehem area. It is not densley populated but the amount of land it has appropriated is tremendous because of the way it strings out accross what was glorious countryside. How many Palestinian farmers lost their vineyards to make way for the Settlers? How much water is diverted from surrounding villages to Settlements, which have the luxury of washing their cars and watering their gardens with it. We have water every 2 weeks. How often does your water go off Chaim? When the settlers left Gaza, we were astonished to see they had abandoned a lovely swimming pool. Imagine, a swimming pool whilst there is no fresh drinking water in the whole of Gaza!

Wow! That's the first I've heard of it, and I visit Hebron regularly. Are your neighbours the residents of H2 who have to suffer being spat at, their children need protection to reach the schools etc. Ask the workers of TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron) whether they think you have good relations with your neighbours....!

All of what Gideon said is totally false. Many residents in Yosh have warm relationship with their arab neighbors. Until 1994 we went to each other family events and only after the intifada did the relationship become strained. Now once again our interactions are improving and we again are visiting then and they visit us. All in all if there would be a drop in terror attacks the relationships would be okay

And that was two minutes hate of settlers.

Neither is it rocket science that peace is not to be 'given' one-sidedly by Palestinians. Maybe the Israelis should think more in terms of 'giving' than in a spirit of 'taking'.

The early nineties are only about 20 years ago... No weddings since then?

We have a very good relationship with our arab neighbors. We respect them and understand that peace means making compromises. Many of the Palestinians are willing to compromise. The residents of Yehuda and shomron are not going anywhere. The arab residents of ramallah Jenin are not going anywhere. The solution is simple. The Arab areas should go to the PA with land contiguity The jewish areas should be annexed to Israel. The Palestinian leadership is not willing to compromise The Israeli left should convince the arabs that Israel will never go bk to 67 borders. The longer they wait the less they'll get.

More guts and commitment than most in Israel. BUILD BABY BUILD!!!!! DEFEND DEFEND DEFEND.

There are 2 Jewish visions and Netanyahu is offering them both up.Since the majority of Jews would like to have peace (not at any price) and since Netanyahu wants to keep the support of the Americans (not at any price) he will pursue a peace that is acceptable to himself and most Jews.If Jews cannot have it and it is unlikely Palestinians are ready to give it under any circumstances that leave a Jewish state then Jews will continue realizing the second Jewish vision of settling biblical Israel. It's not rocket science.

although i doubt that any amount of questioning will remove the blinders to which they've grown so accustomed. nor will they have any answers to the questions you pose; because all they care about is that which lies within their artificial sphere, and they're completely indifferent to any consequences. they've been subsidized, protected, and exalted to the point of believing they're vital to the existence of israel; when in fact, they have become its greatest threat. how do you tell a "god" that he's really NOT? that's the israeli government's biggest dilemma.

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i love this guy,its sad cause its a rare voice in israel , a rare heart beat thats trying to get those settlers to see what the inevidable future of oppression,aggression and occupation holds, a lots of havoc and over_due pay backs....

in a car where multiple kids roam free, settlers are surely the drivers.

is that the left will cause the destruction of the State of Israel. It is the left that is blind to the results of their policies. It is time for the left and right to think together of alternative solutions and let go of their mantras.

thank you..you are right as always...isreali leaders should have some wise people around them such as your self...it is bad ten years from now they gonna come back to you and say you were right then it is too late. keep up the good work and fear no one cause you are telling the true facts.. thank you

Levy knows what he is talking about. The settlers are in denial and will viciously attack anyone that attempts to tell them the truth. Israeli leaders pander to the settlers for political survival. Having been in the West Bank, I know how ugly the occupation has become. I also have seen how ugly the settlers can be to the Palestinians. Arrogance and zealotry prevail. Yet Israeli and USA funds are being used to subsidize settlers so that they can continue to be a catalyst for violence. The future of Israel is in recognizing and accepting diversity within Judaism and our Arab neighbors, especially Palestinians. They have human and economic rights which must be restored in order to bring peace. Otherwise the future is bleak for ever achieving peace as well as the survival of an Israel that we can take pride in.

Have you answered these question yourself? Will giving the Arabs a state make peace and end the bloodshed? After giving the Palestinians the Judea Samaria and Gaza will the terrorist give up there arms and a accept living side by side with a Jewish State or is it possible they view the Jews as an enemy period? Why have the Palestinians rejected every peace offer? Include what we just found out very generous offers by Ehud Olmert? Why do Arab Fundamentalist want to kill American women and children when they dont have any settlements? How can we have a Palestinian State 30 Km from Tel Aviv when we haven't solved the rocket crisis? We all love fantasies of peace but always ask yourself the same question, will it work?

We feel secure that what we are doing is the moral and legal thing to do. We are living our lives on land that is ours. We stole nothing and if so by that logic Gideon lives on stolen land as well and is a settler. Who owned the land Gideon lived on and is not that very land also slated for the future Palestinian state according to Fatah and Hamas leaders and well all of the Muslim world and much of the non-Muslim world. Gideon can think somehow he has rights to TelAviv but this is not agreed to by the PLO or other enemies of Israel. Gideon is settler by his own definition. I am not a settler, I am an Israeli who lives in Efrat which is in Israel and always will be G-d willing! Amen!

People that have been brainwashed into thinking that they are the only people that matter,are contagios.

who knows i think for once Israel maybe needs to be heavy handed on its own people. If it really cares about the peace process, all the settlements need to go

Mr. Levi, I understand your frustrarion and your pain, but truly why is it important what a settler thinks since he is totally dependent on what the state does. His livelyhood, nay, his very exixstence depends on what the state does- if it pulls the rug from under his feet he is as dead as a door nail. As long as the state supports him he does not have to think, believing God is with him. If the state decides to return the territories he has only two options- to return to pre 1967 Israel or stay where he is as a palestinian citizen. He does not have to think, only decided which of the two options is the lesser of two evils. So, Mr. Levi- relax. Until the state decides if it wants or needs to return the occupied territories, neither the settler nor you have to think much about it.

You happen to be very wrong! We have a very warm relationship with some of our arab neighbors. We visit them daily and they visit us daily. We care deeply about them. We help them in many ways - mostly medical but also socially. Our relationship was better prior to Arafat's arrival in 1994 and became somewhat uncomfortable during the the years between 2000-5 at the height of the intifada, however things are slowely going back to normal. IN the eighties and early nineties we went to their weddings and visited them on holidays, We hope things get better - from our perspective peace with mutual respect is a real possibility. For the sake of peace the Israeli left who have a positive relationship with the PA leadership should explain to them that Israel will never go back to 67 borders but if they come to the table today they will get more than if they start another intifada. They turned down peace in 38,48,67,and 2000 each time the offer got less.

Reasons for settling the occupied territories, Biblical Israel or the West Bank are varied as are the people who chose to settle in the disputed region since 1967, but the source of this development are the successive Israeli governments. It's not particularly right to blame the settlers as we're all vulnerable to being misguided once or twice in our lives. But in this case, both the Israelis and the Palestinians have paid a heavy price. The West Bank settlements remain internationally illegal since the boundaries had not been decided immediately after the 1967 Six Days War, between Israel and the Jordanians (today the inheritors being, the Palestinians). Interest groups and governmental bureaucracies over the years contributed to the development of the West Bank rather than the settlers.

Israel can never go back to 67 borders! The PArabs aren't leaving. We have no interest in controlling the Palestinians lives! We respect them and respect their culture! If they are willing to accept us - we can accept them! The best solution is to split the WB. Arab areas to the Arabs with land contiguity. Jewish settlement should be annexed to Israel The Arabs can have between 60-80 of WB. We should attempt to dismantle as few jewish towns as possible!! Some of the Israeli arab towns like Um El Facham should join the PA The solution is simple!! The Israeli left must encourage the Arabs to accept part of the WB.

It is no accident that the Jews, after long years of being discriminated againt and targetted find themselves (Israel) in a position to do the same thing. That's what you call poetic justice, except there is nothing poetic about it and justice is nowhere to be seen.

It will go on, and on, and on... Until such time as we pull the plug. Then it will stop.

I didn't expect to find such a realistic article in Haaretz. Gideon Levy, I am sure lots of readers will jump on your back. Telling the truth is not very popular. It is too hard to look in the mirror and much easier to terrorize others.

Your prototypical settler is delusional about the realities because of national group-think. This is very hard to watch.

One State solution is closer than ever - and is the more realistic one.