Settlers sow seeds for outpost growth

[Scurrilous]

Right-wing organization implements forestry project to expand West Bank outposts; Peace Now says ‘settlers planting seeds for next intifada’

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3355455,00.html

<snip>

"Settlers and right-wing activists began planting about 15,000 fruit seedlings around the illegal outposts in the West Bank this week as part of a forestry project.

The project was being implemented by “Hassidei Meir”, an organization established in memory of Meir Kahane, leader of the extreme right-wing Kach movement.

The purpose of planting the seedlings was to “tighten the grip on land in Israel ”, according to Bentsi Gupstein, a member of the organization.

Our goal is to expand the outposts as much as possible and to provide livelihood options for residents,” Gupstein said.

“We want to seize as much territory as possible in order to make it difficult to evict residents of the outposts, and so that the Arabs won’t be able to take over them,” he added."

[burythehatchet]

1. why you anti-semite

why do you hate freedom-loving settlers?

[oberliner]

2. show me where anyone has accused a poster of being an anti-semite

for being critical of the actions of settlers.

There are people who are critical of Israeli policies whose criticism has nothing to do with anti-semitism.

There are people who are critical of Israeli policies whose criticism has everything to do with anti-semitism. (i.e. David Duke, Pat Buchanan)

We can and should be able to have a discussion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without pretending that this isn't the case.

Anti-semitic rhetoric should be called out and condemned by progressives when it creeps into this debate.

Likewise, false accusations of anti-semitism towards someone who is simply critical of Israeli policies and not making comments about Jews acting like Nazis or Jews "controlling" governments should be condemned as well.

Pretending that one cannot be critical of Israel without being labelled an anti-semite is, in my view, unfair.

[breakaleg]

3. At least the settlers are honest about their lust for land in the West Bank...

now all we need to see is Israel directly admit that they have the same goal. It's obvious that they do since they are the ones authorizing the expansion, but it's about time they came out and said so rather than disguise it as other things.

[Englander]

4. Related thread -

"Peretz: Evacuation of illegal settlement outposts to begin shortly"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=126084&mesg_id=126084