/Photo: One of the many Israeli colonies spread in the Palestinian Territory (West Bank). Next to it Palestinian boys riding a donkey. Currently there are around 400 000 settlers living in these isolated enclaves./
I carefully listened to Mr. Netanyahu’s speech, hoping for a change. Naïve me.
Most TV stations and analysts, to my surprise, pronounced this a breakthrough or a shift in the peace process. I wonder if we were listening to the same speech.
To me, Mr. Netanyahu's speech brought nothing new. Indeed he says he wants to reach out for peace and is ready to negotiate, these are very nice and promising words.
The conditions he establishes however, are clear to the people that are familiar with the facts on the ground. Firstly, he is talking about the Jewish state, while 20% of Israeli citizens are Palestinians or Israeli Arabs (depending who says it), it makes them second class citizens. Secondly, saying that the "refugee issue is to be resolved outside of Israel's borders", means taking no accountability whatsoever for the refugees' fate Israel (and of course the international community) is responsible for. And last but definitely not least, the topic of the Israeli settlers, which deserves another paragraph.
I have been living in Hebron and witnessed what occupation means and who the settlers are. And trust me they are anything but bridges to peace. Settler violence is known to all Palestinians living in the West Bank, of course Hebron being the special case. Mr. Netaniahu's saying settlers are "pioneers and people of principle" is actually true but the principle he is supporting here is taking all means to regain the "land God promised to them" as the settlers say themselves, which translates into expropriating public or private Palestinian land and intimidating Palestinians to move out with multiple methods from verbal harassment to stone throwing, olive tree burning, setting cars and houses on fire, shooting (which I all witnessed myself). This is combined with the impunity the settlers have and Palestinian defenselessness (over 90% of settler violence incidents are not punished). I could write pages about it. Forgive my bitterness but living in Hebron one almost can't believe a situation like this can be taking place. (Just to be fair, apart from these ideological settlers there is a whole lot of so called economical settlers who live in the West Bank only because they are encouraged by the state with cheaper rent and better living conditions.)
Netaniahu says settlements will stay there. How then a viable Palestinian State could exist with a net of settler only road infrastructure. An independent Palestinian state with this separation and Israeli colonies inside is just not feasible. This, to me, means occupation won’t end because the settlers, as it happens now, will need to be protected.
And lastly, in relation to Mr. Netanyahu's call for demilitarization of the Palestinian state, I wonder if the settlers will be desarmed as well. I honestly don't believe that will happen.
you spread so many lies and one-sided stories in this blog. you need to open your eyes and see the terrorists and murderers that you support. the settlers are good people that are ready to live in a dangerous place, becouse they believe in the holliness of this land, that G-d gave to the nation of Israel.
ReplyDeletemaybe you should open some history books and learn who is guilty in this conflict.
The UN which is not known in great affection to the jewish people declared on both jewish and arab states. the arabs of course didn't accept any jewish autority on any part of this land. so they opened in a war toghether with arab countries to distroy the jewish new state. Thanks G-d they faild. In oslo agreement, the israeli army left the cities and israel let the "palestinian"(a doutful nation that was created along with the building and development of the Jewish settlemnts and the return of Jews back to their land) rule themselves and brought to Arafat and his gang weapons. And what happened? A war. the "palestinians" didn't prove that they wanted progress. they went out to buses, streets, resturants, clubs, malls and murdered in cold blood babies, children, women, elderly! Evil murderers that many of them came from Hebron! They shot in the head of a baby settler girl in Hebron. only when Idf came back to cities and fought the terror atacks got weaken. In the catastrophic disangagment plan 8000 good people were exiled from their homes under rockets. The great "occuption" ended. Did the "palestinians" prove that the settlements were the problem and stop shooting? of course not!!!! they continued to try and murder israelis inside the borders of 48'!!! In sderot! because the settlements were never the problem! they don't want any jewish state here! they don't acknowledge the right of the jewish state to exist (although they claim they want us to acknowledge a "palestinian" state). they keep lying to us and to world. and the world keeps believing in their lies because of anti-semic opinions. prime ministers before Netanyhu offered them so generous (and unsafe for israel)suggestions on 98% of the srea!!! and of course they said no becouse they want Tel Aviv and not only Hebron! the solution is that they will leave to other counries (their universities come with survies that say that many of them want to leave). 75% of the people in Jordan are "palestinian" so maybe they should ask their undemocratic king for a state.
Most of the areas in Hebron are forbidden for Jews!!! only the army goes inside sometimes to arrest murderers...
this is a divided city (with discrimination of the jews) only becouse of our bad experience with these people. the can only blame themselves.
Mister Anonymous,
ReplyDeletemaybe you're a funny guy
maybe you're a victim of your system
maybe you're just not very clever
what's sure you're wrong
when someone with no prejudice come to your country what he can see is very different from the situation you describe.
i don't want to say you're a liar
i just would like to ask you to leave for a minute your God on his highest cloud and to open new eyes on this conflict.
So many Jews disagree with what your government do. I'm sure you're able to understand why. Please try once...
Patrick