Israel Matzav

At least the Israeli government is actually thinking

The timing of an announcement that the government is turning approximately 4,000 dunams (1,000 acres) of land near Gush Etzion into government land (what might be called a taking by eminent domain in the United States) for the Sunday of Labor Day weekend shows that at least someone in the government has their thinking caps on. It slowed the international reaction to a move that would inevitably be unpopular outside of Israel. But now the United States has criticized us, and so has Ban Ki-Moon. Is Netanyahu up to the challenge? This is from the first link.

The IDF on Sunday conferred the status of state land on 4,000 dunams in the Gush Etzion region, thus ending the civil administration’s investigation into the possibility that parcels were private Palestinian property.

The new designation for an area known as Gevaot opens the door for settlers to advance plans to build a fifth city in the West Bank on those dunams.

"We have long made clear our opposition to continued settlement activity," a State Department official said. "This announcement, like every other settlement announcement Israel makes, planning step they approve and construction tender they issue, is counterproductive to Israel's stated goal of a negotiated two-state solution with the Palestinians."

"We urge the government of Israel to reverse this decision," the US official said in Washington.

What if our 'stated goal' were not a 'two-state solution'? What if Netanyahu had the guts to reverse the Bar Ilan speech and say 'We tried. We've been trying for over 20 years. We failed. What we would need to secure us in the event of a two-state solution is much more than the 'Palestinians' are willing to agree to. It's time to move on.' Would Israelis agree?

Based on their political affiliations (at least in polls), the answer ought to be yes. But Israelis have been so conditioned - both by the media and by too many of our own politicians - to the idea that there is no solution other than the 'two-state solution' that much must be done to reverse this boxlike thinking. Perhaps this morning was a start.

I turned on the radio briefly this morning (I've avoided it entirely since we left Jerusalem on Sunday) and heard that Labor party leader Yitzchak Herzog and Meretz party leader Zehava Gal-On said that this is the time to make a big move forward in the 'peace process.' Huh? MK Zev Elkin (Likud) slammed Herzog (Gal-On spoke in response to Elkin) saying that he's out of touch with what Israelis want and that having seen what happened in Gaza, almost no Israelis would agree to taking the chance of turning Judea and Samaria into another Gaza.

Would Netanyahu agree? Would he say so?

By the way, note that the condemnation comes from a 'State Department official' - not Obama or Kerry. Could they finally be getting the idea that this is not the time to push for a 'Palestinian state'?

If you read the whole thing, you will discover that the plan to turn this into a Jewish city has been in place for nearly 30 years. Hmmm....

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Judea and Samaria, Judea and Samaria construction, Yitzchak Herzog, Zeev Elkin, Zehava Gal-On

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:18 PM