Peres: More Jewish settlements will go

[oberliner]

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert remains committed to the dismantling of Jewish West Bank settlements, but the scope of removal depends on whether the Islamic militant Hamas recognizes Israel, his deputy said Saturday.

Olmert was elected a year ago on a pledge to draw Israel's borders unilaterally by dismantling dozens of settlements, but keeping and annexing large settlement blocs close to Israel.

However, Olmert shelved the unilateral approach after last summer's war with the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Israel had acted unilaterally in 2000 when it pulled out of Lebanon, but the action emboldened Hezbollah militants, who took it as a sign of Israeli weakness.

The withdrawal was widely seen as a seed for the 2006 war, sparked by a Hezbollah cross-border attack on Israel.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070303/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_settlements_1

[breakaleg]

1. Some, not all, not most. Meanwhile the illegal outposts are in the news and apparently here to stay

It's hard to take them seriously, and even if I did, it's such a minimal effort to begin with.

[Violet_Crumble]

2. Related thread about Olmert's committment to removing settlements...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x126084

[Tom Joad]

4. Of course, he only committed to removing some of the settlements,

not most of the settlers.
ending colonialization was never offered.

[oberliner]

5. Nor has ending a committment towards Israel's destruction been offered

Jihad vows more attacks on Israel

GAZA CITY (AFP) - Thousands of Palestinians rallied in Gaza City in support of Islamic Jihad on Friday, setting fire to Israeli and US flags as the radical Islamists vowed to make more attacks on the Jewish state.

"Talk about a ceasefire is premature because our priority must remain resistance," Islamic Jihad leader Nafiz Azzam told the gathered masses.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070302/wl_mideast_afp/mideastpalestiniandemo_070302132746

[Violet_Crumble]

17. And that makes the fake committment to removing settlements acceptable?

How, exactly?

[Tom Joad]

3. Truth in advertising: More Jewish Settlements will Grow.

Let's be honest.

[oberliner]

6. What do you think should happen to the settlers?

Some of them are children, after all.

[breakaleg]

7. Interesting question. What do you think should happen to the settlers?

[oberliner]

8. I think the Geneva Accord is a good starting point

Pardon me for citing Wikipedia but I think its summarized fairly well there:

"Palestinians will recover most of the territory captured during the 1967 war by Israel. Israel will annex several densely populated areas near the Green Line (such as Gush Etzion, Maale Adumim which will be connected to Jerusalem via a road that would be annexed as well, similar to the situation of Mount Scopus after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War). Other cities (such as Ariel); communities, such as Hebron; and settlements will be removed and their residents will be transferred. In return for areas annexed by Israel from the West Bank, the Palestinians will receive territory adjacent to the Gaza Strip."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Accord

[breakaleg]

9. According to that link,

the population of Ma'ale Adummim is 32,000. It was about 25,000 in 2001 and they expect it to be 45,000 this year. That's quite a bit of growth.

Why should Israel be rewarded for padding this town?

[cali]

10. I can give you one good reason:

If Palestinians want a dedicated connection from Gaza to the WB on Israel territory, they'll need to make some concessions.

[breakaleg]

13. Israel proposes that Palestinians are the only ones making concessions.

And given the Apartheid roads running up and down the West Bank, I hardly think a road connecting the two Palestinian areas is that big a deal.

[cali]

15. I knew you were going to say precisely that

It gets boring when people are so entrenched in their positions. And just what concessions have the Palestinians made or proposed?

[Violet_Crumble]

18. Palestinian concessions...

Personally, I think changing from wanting all of historic Palestine to the 20 something percent that remains in the West Bank and Gaza is a big concession. Also, there were a lot of Palestinian concessions made during the Oslo era.

[Tom Joad]

14. Hence the unfortunate truth, the Jewish Settlements will grow.

Continuing displacement of Palestinian children, and Palestinian adults.
whole families displaced and dispossesed.

[Tom Joad]

11. They should be welcomed in Israel, don't you think? Why did

Israel send them to the West Bank? Why are they being used like pawns?

[Tom Joad]

12. Or perhaps they can all be part of a shared state.

[cali]

16. You think it's a bloodbath now?

Just wait. A one state solution is no solution at all.