What Netanyahu really thinks about settlements
Did the PM agree to a settlement freeze due to U.S. pressure, or were there also domestic reasons?
By Aluf Benn Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu Israel settlements Israel news Middle East peaceWhy did Benjamin Netanyahu alter his stance and agree to a Palestinian state and the freezing of settlement construction? Was he only giving in to pressure from Barack Obama, or were there domestic reasons? Did his assessment of the situation alter since he returned to power, or is this that "same old Bibi," who simply got hold of a new list of slogans?
More than previous premiers, Netanyahu considers himself a leader and an intellectual. It is important to him that his policy rely on an extensive worldview, and he has written books presenting his political and economic viewpoints. It is, therefore, worthwhile listening to what Netanyahu has been saying in recent weeks in a series of speeches revealing his strategic outlook; they express deep fear of the threats facing Israel and introduce preferences for countering them.
This is Netanyahu's fear scale: "First, Iran must be prevented from developing a military nuclear capability. Second, we need to find an appropriate solution to the missile and rocket threat. And third, we must reinforce the right of Israel to defend itself."
What to do? Netanyahu wants the international community to rally and impose strict sanctions on Iran and undertake actions to undermine the regime. He is proposing a peace agreement with the Palestinians, based on territorial compromise in the territories and the establishment of "secure and recognized borders" for Israel. Central to the agreement would be security arrangements and disarmament aimed at blocking the smuggling of rockets and missiles into the West Bank. This is the main problem, from the prime minister's point of view, and it will not be resolved by agreeing on a peaceful border. The defense solution must combine effective means for securing the border and intercepting arms shipments into the territories, as well as the development of missile defense systems. Israel will also request international guarantees that "bypass Goldstone" and will be based on Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism.
Netanyahu estimates the security requirements will cost tens of billions of dollars, and for Israel not to collapse economically, it will need to retain annual growth of 4-5 percent. He thinks the money can be found in bureaucratic efficiency, privatization of state lands and incentives for high-tech industries and entrepreneurs. But economic reforms will not be enough. Netanyahu's security model relies on broadening Israel's dependency on the United States. The prime minister wants America to neutralize Iran, back it up in its effort to curb the smuggling of rockets, assist in the development of missile defense and take action to shelve the Goldstone report.
It is worthwhile paying attention to what is missing here: Netanyahu does not consider the settlements a component in the security of Israel. It is important for him to block the border against rockets, and maybe this will require the presence of a military force in the Jordan Valley. But the fact that Jewish settlements exist on the hills offers nothing. In his view, Elon Moreh does not protect Tel Aviv. This does not mean that he has decided to remove Itamar or Yitzhar, only that Obama's support is more important to him.
Netanyahu was not nurtured by the Yesha Council, and it is hard to recall his tours of settlements beyond the separation fence. He stopped at Ma'aleh Adumim and Ariel. The harsh criticism of him from the settler leaders, as a result of the building freeze, is not affecting his supporters the way it did Ariel Sharon. Netanyahu did not climb the hills with bulldozers like Sharon did, and did not sit with Zambish (Ze'ev Hever) to discuss maps and plans, but fought for the rights of Israel in television studios and at the United Nations and considers international support a lot more important than a few prefabricated houses. His support for settlers, in the argument with Obama over the freeze, centered on the call to allow them to have a normal life, not more growth.
During his speech at the Eilat journalism conference on Sunday, Netanyahu said: "The people in Israel and the Palestinians are tired of long-lasting war and want to reach a peace agreement." Like Menachem Begin, who went from "not a single inch" to "no more war," and like Yitzhak Rabin, who was shocked by the pathetic show of resolve among Tel Aviv residents during the Gulf War and opted for a compromise with the Palestinians, Netanyahu, too, understands that the majority of the Israeli public wants quiet and considers the settlers a nuisance. And this means the decision to freeze settlement construction for 10 months is just the first taste of domestic confrontation.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. |
| Photo by: (Tomer Appelbaum) |
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aluf benn misreads the big picture.there are thankfully many settlers.they serve in the armed forces.they are to be found among combat soldiers quite out of proportion to their numbers in the nation.they are politically strong.a nuisance?more to the point benn are you naive?
Bibi, there is ONE simple way to bypass Goldstone and that is an Israeli investigation which REFUTES Goldstone. Otherwise, the righteous Jew Goldstone will stay as a millstone around yourneck ! As he should. David
Settlements are a way to expand the grip of Israel on the Palestinian people. More settlements connected by Israeli highways pushes the Palestinians into more closely controlled ghettos. The Palestinians are stripped of their livelihood and made into dependents of Israeli hand-outs. Netanyahu fully recognizes the settlement movement and its aspirations for free Palestinains land are critical to his political survival. He will not compromise his base political support for a vision of just peace. Nor does he have the courage to lead Israelis towards the application of historic Jewish values.
"The prime minister wants America to neutralize Iran, back it up in its effort to curb the smuggling of rockets, assist in the development of missile defense and take action to shelve the Goldstone report. " As an American, I want MY country to do none of these things. I dislike the Iranian regime, but the costs of a new war far outweigh any benefits. The rockets are not my problem (and are directly correlated to the level of Israeli oppression). Missile defenses are expensive and they don't work. And the Goldstone report was very fair. As an American, I want America to cease its embrace of Israel and treat it like Peru or Belgium or Morocco.
the security of the State of Israel, why not freeze construction on them indefinitely?
Benjamin Netanyahu has one priority. Power and profit for Bibi Netanyahu. To retain Power (and thus profit) he must not lose his 'political base' which is the ultra-right Likud and the Settlers. He also cannot afford to alienate his racist Yisrael Beiteinu allies. He is no doubt aware that losing support from the smaller Settler movement brought down Prime Minister Netanyahu once before. Mr. Aluf Benn needs to remove his rose colored glasses. Netanyahu, Barak, the Attorney General, and others have all sent clear signals that the current 'freeze' is nothing more than a stalling tactic. The Settlement of Judea and Samaria leading to their annexation once the Arabs still residing there are not a 'demographic threat' (which is to say there are no Arabs living there), has been a primary goal of the Israeli right for 30 years. Netanyahu is smart enough to know that the right will bring him down if he ACTUALLY does anything substantial.
Ben Gurion was prepared to grab the Jewish State that the UNGA offered in Nov 1947 consisting of 3 bantustans and without Jerusalem. Because he realized that having a State is evcerything and taking refuge in maximilist demands and big talk is nothing. No Pal leader has ever had the balls to make those sorts of hard choices.
the reason he cowers to the settlers is he does not want his government to collapse and be on the opposition benches. he also has the task of pretending to the americans and the rest of the world that he is ok with a 2 state solution. he cannot deliver this because he understands because of neglect and cowardice of israeli leaders the settler sympathisers have infiltrated the idf and other organizations and are ready to start a civil war if any israeli goverment withdraws from the west bank. so everything he does is to dodge having to make a peace deal which will result in a civil war. barak knows this too and that is why he is playing the same game.
in sophistication and sheer numbers the syrian rockets are of a different dimension. they too are deterred by the israel air force. we had best continue arming and modernising.that will be our best defense.
hizballah has been deterred.shia civilians are i think now keeping nasrallah on a tight leash. rockets are now based in shia villages.they become an easy target for israel.hizballah would in all probability now avoid war.
we need only look at the minimal damage caused by hizballah rockets in the 2006 war.when compared to terrorist actions in the intifadha the rockets are relatively ineffectual. using huge amounts of money to fight these rockets is not wise.far better to invade gaza if the rockets increase in frequency.
Is it fair to assume that the main reason behind it, is the hope to get a preferred (interview) treatment...???
...and that both (a) the majority of israelis, and (b) Prime Minister Netanyahu consider the settlers to be an in-the-way nuisance to overall national security--what are the odds that the settlers (who arguably will be really ticked off over that "nuisance" thing)--will, as the poet wrote, "go quiet into that good night"?
Like the religious and nationalist Jews Netanyahu would like to settle the West Bank, He recognizes, however,that most Jews want peace and doesn't want to separate himself from the US and the rest of the world.He tries to walk the line between nationalism and pragmatism. The result is a temporary freeze but not in Jerusalem. He will give peace a chance but will not wait forever as the Palestinians wish.There is really nothing surprising in any of his moves so far.
Actually, Netanyahu not yet considers settlers a nuisance. He'll do like any former PM did because of continued US pressure and consequent brain-washing but it's just not yet done. Otherwise, he'd be giving the settlements or totally freezing construction. Why is he not doing? 2 reasons: - Jewish Settlements are the secret of Palestinian stability in Samaria like there's none else in the Arab world. My brother is a settler in Ytzhar and watches over the nearby Arab cities from his mount, ready to intervene for any crime or protest. They're also the shield of Jerusalem and the center of the country. - There are 300.000 Jews there and a few millions more Zionists in Israel (that's why they came over to here). Netanyahu doesn't want to leave this public support yet (almost unanimous by now). Obama's pressure helps him say he was forced to do it, letting Zionists calm, for now.
If he thinks that he will solve Israel's problems by turning his back on the "settlers" he will be greatly surprised. What price will we have to pay for his mistakes?
The article was pretty benign until the end, where the author states what he clearly views as an indisputable fact: "Netanyahu, too, understands that the majority of the Israeli public wants quiet and considers the settlers a nuisance." While this may be the opinion of the majority of the author's friends and cocktail party comrades, to assert that a population which voted overwhelmingly for the right-wing parties in the last election considers the settlers a nuisance and want the package deal of concessions and appeasement which the leftists call "peace" is to deny the facts of reality. The Israeli public was made victim of the leftist's "peace" for the last decade and a half and demonstrated clearly that it is not the settlers who are a nuisance, but rather the leftists. Netanyahu's policies of course run counter to the wishes of his voters because Israel is not really a democracy in the pure sense of the word, but rather is a mixture of democracy and leftist totalitarianism.
the freeze, shalit, pollard must be linked. no deal for shalit and the freeze,unless pollard's freedom is included. not only is pollard a fighter for israel, he is one of it's greatest hero's. would netanyahu not pay a 'king's ransom'if it was pollard's namesake [the other yonatan and hero of israel] yonatan netanyahu, that was in jail? 'od yoninu chai'! yoni's spirit is still alive. it must be restored to israel through jonathan pollard's freedom.
Why did he make it only a ten month freeze? Perhaps because he'd rather die of natural causes.
netnayahu's priorities are mostly correct. it is yet to be seen whether obama will fully assist israel in the figth against iran's nuclear weapons program. whatever promises might have been made, israel's increasing dependence on the u.s. is problematic.
... and, if I understand Aluf Benn correctly, he wants to achieve that by hermitically sealing the borders of that state. Yeah, well, THAT'LL work a treat, just like it did in Gaz....oh, yeah, sorry.... Benn, Bibi: the way you stop rockets getting into a future "Palestine" is the same way that Ben Gurion stopped weapons getting into the newly-minted state of Israel i.e. by allowing a strong-willed government to assert the central authority of the state. In short: not by making the West Bank and uber-prison - i.e. a gigantic Gaza Strip - but by making Palestine into an Arab version of Israel. Do THAT and there simply won't be any rockets being smuggled into Palestine, because the Palestinian govt won't allow it.
Spot on - superb article. Nice to see a sharp sober analysis instead of another tired ideological tirade