Premier: Israel to keep parts of West bank forever

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Israel's prime minister declared on Sunday that his country would retain parts of the West Bank forever — a statement that infuriated Palestinians and could complicate the year-old peace mission of a visiting U.S. envoy.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid claim to disputed territory just hours after meeting with George Mitchell, the Obama administration's Middle East envoy. Mitchell has been shuttling between Israeli and Palestinian leaders since late last week in hopes of breaking a deadlock over construction in Israeli settlements.

"Our message is clear: We are planting here, we will stay here, we will build here, this place will be an inseparable part of the state of Israel for eternity," Netanyahu proclaimed at a tree-planting ceremony celebrating the Jewish arbor day at a settlement just south of Jerusalem.

Netanyahu's participation Sunday in tree-planting ceremonies in two West Bank settlements near Jerusalem were an apparent attempt to soothe Jewish settlers who vehemently oppose his decision — taken under intense U.S. pressure — to slow West Bank construction."

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[Christa]

1. No comment

as I am sure my comment will be deleted.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Quell surprise.

[sharesunited]

3. It is bad luck to speak of eternity. That is a very long time.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. 'disputed territory'?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid claim to disputed territory just hours after meeting with George Mitchell...


Who wrote this article? The territory's occupied, not disputed...

[Ken Burch]

5. The term "disputed territory" is favored by the Israeli hard right.

They use it to avoid ADMITTING they're occupying Palestinian land in the West Bank, and are hoping that the term "disputed" will somehow enable them, if they are ultimately FORCED to accept a Palestinian state, to both make sure that state is as pathetically small as possible AND to establish the destabilizing and insulting notion that the existence of that state is a privelege granted by Israeli generosity rather than the natural right of self-determination possessed by ALL people(a notion that further allows the Israel hard-liners to reserve the right to later WIPE OUT the Palestinian state if they feel the need to do so.

[Shaktimaan]

7. of course it's disputed...

haven't you noticed the dispute? it is what this forum discusses for the most part.

From a legal standpoint, it's obvious that much of the territory is disputed. I mean, look at the old city or most of east jerusalem or hebron. Clearly disputed territory, in the most neutral sense of the word.

[Violet_Crumble]

9. No, it's not.. It's occupied territory...

Let me be very clear about this. The West Bank and Gaza are as disputed as Israel is. As Ken pointed out, it's a term favoured by the hard-right in Israel...


From a legal standpoint you can find a whackjob to argue anything, shaktimaan, and there are whackjobs who do indeed use the false argument that the occupied territories aren't *occupied* but *disputed*. Israel has no legitimate claim to that territory and for the Israeli right and the US media to pretend otherwise is indulging in dishonesty imo...

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. thank you - I was about to trot all the references and facts - but, I even get tired of that

There has never been any dispute among sane and rational people that all of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem is Occupied Territory. Everyone knows this and everyone has always known this. To pretend that this is debatable is at the intellectual level of utter lunacy and constitues the rejection of reason itself.

[azurnoir]

6. Gosh like we'd never have guessed

well at the very least he's honest

[Jefferson23]

8. Forever, as if he had any other agenda...schmuck.

[Alamuti Lotus]

11. as if Israel will last for long, much less for-ever

while this is in some respects an open declaration of well-known Likud policy of permanent occupation, this represents more drool thrown to the settler goons to keep them off his back more than anything else.

[Violet_Crumble]

12. I wonder if Likud have ever changed their Charter document thingy?

The one that says they won't be happy unless Israel is a Greater Israel taking in the West Bank and Gaza? I guess I should stop being so lazy and go take a look and see if I can find out..

[azurnoir]

13. here ya go

The Foundations of Peace
Peace is a primary objective of the State of Israel. The Likud will strengthen the existing peace agreements with the Arab states and strive to achieve peace agreements with all of Israel's neighbors with the aim of reaching a comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The Likud will seek to achieve peace and permanent borders in the framework of peace treaties between Israel and its neighbors and will seek cooperation with them on the practical level. The peace agreements will include full diplomatic relations, borders open to free movement, economic cooperation, and the establishment of joint projects in the fields of science, technology, tourism, and industry.

The Arab states' desire for peace will be measured by their efforts to prevent hostile activities by terrorist organizations from their territory and to dismantle the infrastructure of the organizations. This includes closing their headquarters and preventing economic and political warfare and all hostile acts during the negotiations.
The Palestinians
Declaration of a State

A unilateral Palestinian declaration of the establishment of a Palestinian state will constitute a fundamental and substantive violation of the agreements with the State of Israel and the scuttling of the Oslo and Wye accords. The government will adopt immediate stringent measures in the event of such a declaration.

Settlements

The Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza are the realization of Zionist values. Settlement of the land is a clear expression of the unassailable right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel and constitutes an important asset in the defense of the vital interests of the State of Israel. The Likud will continue to strengthen and develop these communities and will prevent their uprooting.

The Partition of the Negev

Israel rejects out of hand ideas raised by Labor Party leaders concerning the relinquishment of parts of the Negev to the Palestinians. The practical meaning of this plan is that the "Green Line" should no longer be viewed as a "Red Line", which draws us closer to the partition plan of 1947 as it opens the door to the principle that the fate of the Galilee, the Triangle and additional areas within Israel is negotiable. The Likud asserts that such proposals by the Labor Party leadership may literally cause the dismemberment of the State of Israel.

Oslo & Wye River Accords

The Government of Israel will safeguard the state's vital interests in the negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. Having established and meticulously adhered to the principle of reciprocity in the negotiations and implementation of agreements, including the Wye River Memorandum, the government will continue to condition implementation on the fulfillment of Palestinian commitments. The government will continue to insist on the fulfillment of the following Palestinian obligations:

The War on Terror

The Palestinian Authority must wage a systematic war on the terror organizations and their infrastructure. The PA must not only intensify its efforts to prevent attacks, but act with determination to prevent potential terrorist acts by dismantling the terrorist infrastructure that has developed and expanded in PA areas since the Oslo accords.

Halting Incitement

Halting incitement against Israel in the Palestinian media, educational system and all other Palestinian institutions, and turning the Palestinian media and educational system from their current anti-Israel mode to recognition of Israel and developing peaceful and good neighborly relations between Jews and Arabs.

Weapons Collection

The confiscation of illegal weapons held by Palestinian civilians and the removal of weapons held by the PA forces in excess of those permitted under the agreement to areas outside PA territory.

Reducing the Size of the PA Police

The size of the PA police must be reduced to the level permitted under the agreement.

The Permanent Status

The overall objectives for the final status with the Palestinians are: to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians on the basis of a stable, sustainable agreement and replace confrontation with cooperation and good neighborliness, while safeguarding Israel's vital interests as a secure and prosperous Zionist and Jewish state.

The Likud government will honor all the international agreements signed by its predecessors and strive to achieve a final status arrangement with the Palestinians. The only way to reach a final status arrangement is via dialogue and political negotiations.

The permanent status arrangement will minimize the security dangers implicit in the Oslo accords. The primary such danger is the presence and the possible expansion of the Palestinian security forces within close range of Israel's population centers, government offices, emergency warehouses and staging areas of the Israel Defense Forces.

The permanent status arrangement shall be based on the following principles:

Self-Rule

The Government of Israel flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan river.

The Palestinians can run their lives freely in the framework of self-rule, but not as an independent and sovereign state. Thus, for example, in matters of foreign affairs, security, immigration and ecology, their activity shall be limited in accordance with imperatives of Israel's existence, security and national needs.

Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the eternal, united capital of the State of Israel and only of Israel. The government will flatly reject Palestinian proposals to divide Jerusalem, including the plan to divide the city presented to the Knesset by the Arab factions and supported by many members of Labor and Meretz. The government firmly rejects attempts of various sources in the world, some anti-Semitic in origin, to question Jerusalem's status as Israel's capital, and the 3,000-year-old special connection between the Jewish people and its capital. To ensure this, the government will continue the firm policies it has adopted until now:

No diplomatic activity will be permitted at Orient House. The government stopped the stream of visits by heads of state and ministers at Orient House, begun under the left-wing government.

The presence of the Israeli police in eastern Jerusalem will be increased. This in addition to the new police posts and reinforcements in the neighborhoods.

The Likud government will act with vigor to continue Jewish habitation and strengthen Israeli sovereignty in the eastern parts of the city, while emphasizing improvements in the welfare and security of the Arab residents. Despite protests from the left, the Likud government consistently approved the continuation of Jewish living within the Old City and in 'City of David'.

The Jordan River as a Permanent Border

The Jordan Valley and the territories that dominate it shall be under Israeli sovereignty. The Jordan river will be the permanent eastern border of the State of Israel. The Kingdom of Jordan is a desirable partner in the permanent status arrangement between Israel and the Palestinians in matters that will be agreed upon.

Security Areas

The government succeeded in significantly reducing the extent of territory that the Palestinians expected to receive in the interim arrangement. The government will insist that security areas essential to Israel's defense, including the western security area and the Jewish settlements, shall remain under Israeli rule.

http://www.knesset.gov.il/elections/knesset15/elikud_m.htm

[Violet_Crumble]

14. Thankls, Az. I see they haven't changed their spots at all... n/t