NewsGuy
10-28-2002, 03:08 PM
There is a hardly a single issue on which all Israelis agree, but there is hardly a single issue on which Israelis disagree more vehemently than the topic of the settlements. Last week, violence broke out in Israel when hundreds of Jewish settlers resisted the directives of Israeli troops, an incident that evoked widespread condemnation, and which sparked internal debate in all sectors of Israeli society.
Center-Left Minister of Defense, Binyamin "Fuad" Ben Eliezer, now threatening to bring about the collapse of the Israeli coalition government, last week instructed the IDF to dismantle an Israeli settlement known as the Gilad Farm, located near the Palestinian-occupied city of Schem. It should be noted that the farm is named after Gilad Zar, a settlement security official murdered by Palestinian terrorists at that location in May of last year.
While the world struggles to find an appropriate response to Arab terrorism, Israeli settlers have introduced a novel and highly effective idea: Build a Jewish settlement in every place where Palestinian terrorists murder a Jew. After all, if the aim of the Palestinians is to ethnically cleanse the land of Israel of its Jewish residents through violence, then the response of the Israelis should be to establish even more Jewish population centers, proving the Palestinians violence is counter-productive. On the other hand, Palestinians claim that the Israeli government's refusal to halt the construction of Jewish settlements is, in itself, the cause for Palestinian terrorism.
Polarizing society
The Gilad Farm incident has taken on additional significance, far beyond the scope of its relative share of the overall issue of settlements. It is the confrontation between settlers and the IDF that has given ammunition to those who oppose the concept of settlement in general. The unfortunate incident has had the effect of crystallizing mainstream Israeli public opinion against the settlers, at least for the moment.
Rather than focusing on the longstanding refusal of the Arab world to come to terms with the existence of the Jewish state, which has given rise to the settlements in the first place, many Israelis are angry with the settlers. Those who risk their lives daily for their unshakable belief in the right of the Jewish people to live freely in the Jewish homeland, are now seen by many of their countrymen as thugs who would wrestle with the protectors of Israel, the IDF.
Certainly, there is no justification for citizens of a democratic country like Israel to violently resist the lawful actions of its police force or its military. But at the same time, the settlers have ample reason to hold their ground, literally, and make use of the country's legal system to resist all attempts to restrict Jewish settlements in the Jewish homeland. Indeed, there is no reason for the existence of the State of Israel, other than for Jews to settle the land and live there independently, freely and securely.
Natural growth and unnatural constriction
Despite the formidable forces pressuring Israel to abandon, or at least water down, its Zionist ideals, every government since its creation, has supported the growth of settlements. What have now been termed "settlements," are actually vital, bustling suburbs of Israel's metropolitan areas. They tend to start out small – even a few caravans -- and then reach larger proportions, by coalescing with other nearby suburbs. Ariel, for example, is a settlement with a population in the tens-of-thousands that had modest beginnings.
There are two ways, then, that settlements have expanded: The first is through natural growth, i.e., the existing population increases through birth rate and by attracting more residents. The second plan for expansion is by starting new, independently formed settlements. Under past peace plans, the Israeli government has agreed to prohibit the creation of new settlements, but has refused to restrict the natural expansion of existing suburbs.
Consistent with this policy, today Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced that, while Israel accepts the Mideast Quartet's new "Roadmap" for peace, it cannot freeze the natural growth of existing settlements, because Sharon knows that such a freeze would result in placing a virtual stranglehold on Israel's growth epicenter.
Threats, and countermeasures
Defense Minister Ben Eliezer, however, views the issue of the settlements as an opportunity to create a plausible election platform. He has announced that he will demand a reduction in budget spending on the settlements, in line with across-the-board budgetary cuts throughout most of Israel's social programs. If Sharon refuses to reduce funding for the settlements, according to Ben Eliezer's ultimatum, the Labour will leave the coalition and act to collapse the government and bring early elections.
Reading between the lines, Fuad has finally found an issue to galvanize the faltering Labour party, that has the potential to garner popular support, for the first time in years. But, notwithstanding Ben Eliezer's grand plans, early elections might not bode well for his party. In fact, Labour may be forced to forge alliances with Israel's extreme Leftist parties to reach an electoral critical mass.
In response to Labour's threat to leave Israel's fragile ruling coalition, Sharon would act to create a narrow majority coalition without Labour, and has already offered Ben Eliezer's position of Defense Minister to former IDF Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz in the event the Labour bolts. The popular general has announced that he accepts the offer.
Facts on the ground
Rather than harp on the politics of passing an annual budget and political power-plays, let's remember that the big picture is Israel's support for its ideals. To claim a larger share of the land of Israel, the Jewish people must establish irreversible facts on the ground by settling the land en masse. Rather than battling settlers, the IDF should stick to its mission of maintaining the power to defend Israel's newest suburbs against Arabs trying to violently lay claim to crucial parts of the Jewish homeland.
In the centuries-old conflict between Israel and its Arab enemies, which may arrive at a final determination in the relatively near future, now is the time to act to ensure an equitable outcome. The Jews, who continuously offered peace and were time and time again rebuffed by their Arab enemies, have earned the right to live freely and independently in the Jewish homeland, which includes Judea and Samaria.
Center-Left Minister of Defense, Binyamin "Fuad" Ben Eliezer, now threatening to bring about the collapse of the Israeli coalition government, last week instructed the IDF to dismantle an Israeli settlement known as the Gilad Farm, located near the Palestinian-occupied city of Schem. It should be noted that the farm is named after Gilad Zar, a settlement security official murdered by Palestinian terrorists at that location in May of last year.
While the world struggles to find an appropriate response to Arab terrorism, Israeli settlers have introduced a novel and highly effective idea: Build a Jewish settlement in every place where Palestinian terrorists murder a Jew. After all, if the aim of the Palestinians is to ethnically cleanse the land of Israel of its Jewish residents through violence, then the response of the Israelis should be to establish even more Jewish population centers, proving the Palestinians violence is counter-productive. On the other hand, Palestinians claim that the Israeli government's refusal to halt the construction of Jewish settlements is, in itself, the cause for Palestinian terrorism.
Polarizing society
The Gilad Farm incident has taken on additional significance, far beyond the scope of its relative share of the overall issue of settlements. It is the confrontation between settlers and the IDF that has given ammunition to those who oppose the concept of settlement in general. The unfortunate incident has had the effect of crystallizing mainstream Israeli public opinion against the settlers, at least for the moment.
Rather than focusing on the longstanding refusal of the Arab world to come to terms with the existence of the Jewish state, which has given rise to the settlements in the first place, many Israelis are angry with the settlers. Those who risk their lives daily for their unshakable belief in the right of the Jewish people to live freely in the Jewish homeland, are now seen by many of their countrymen as thugs who would wrestle with the protectors of Israel, the IDF.
Certainly, there is no justification for citizens of a democratic country like Israel to violently resist the lawful actions of its police force or its military. But at the same time, the settlers have ample reason to hold their ground, literally, and make use of the country's legal system to resist all attempts to restrict Jewish settlements in the Jewish homeland. Indeed, there is no reason for the existence of the State of Israel, other than for Jews to settle the land and live there independently, freely and securely.
Natural growth and unnatural constriction
Despite the formidable forces pressuring Israel to abandon, or at least water down, its Zionist ideals, every government since its creation, has supported the growth of settlements. What have now been termed "settlements," are actually vital, bustling suburbs of Israel's metropolitan areas. They tend to start out small – even a few caravans -- and then reach larger proportions, by coalescing with other nearby suburbs. Ariel, for example, is a settlement with a population in the tens-of-thousands that had modest beginnings.
There are two ways, then, that settlements have expanded: The first is through natural growth, i.e., the existing population increases through birth rate and by attracting more residents. The second plan for expansion is by starting new, independently formed settlements. Under past peace plans, the Israeli government has agreed to prohibit the creation of new settlements, but has refused to restrict the natural expansion of existing suburbs.
Consistent with this policy, today Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced that, while Israel accepts the Mideast Quartet's new "Roadmap" for peace, it cannot freeze the natural growth of existing settlements, because Sharon knows that such a freeze would result in placing a virtual stranglehold on Israel's growth epicenter.
Threats, and countermeasures
Defense Minister Ben Eliezer, however, views the issue of the settlements as an opportunity to create a plausible election platform. He has announced that he will demand a reduction in budget spending on the settlements, in line with across-the-board budgetary cuts throughout most of Israel's social programs. If Sharon refuses to reduce funding for the settlements, according to Ben Eliezer's ultimatum, the Labour will leave the coalition and act to collapse the government and bring early elections.
Reading between the lines, Fuad has finally found an issue to galvanize the faltering Labour party, that has the potential to garner popular support, for the first time in years. But, notwithstanding Ben Eliezer's grand plans, early elections might not bode well for his party. In fact, Labour may be forced to forge alliances with Israel's extreme Leftist parties to reach an electoral critical mass.
In response to Labour's threat to leave Israel's fragile ruling coalition, Sharon would act to create a narrow majority coalition without Labour, and has already offered Ben Eliezer's position of Defense Minister to former IDF Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz in the event the Labour bolts. The popular general has announced that he accepts the offer.
Facts on the ground
Rather than harp on the politics of passing an annual budget and political power-plays, let's remember that the big picture is Israel's support for its ideals. To claim a larger share of the land of Israel, the Jewish people must establish irreversible facts on the ground by settling the land en masse. Rather than battling settlers, the IDF should stick to its mission of maintaining the power to defend Israel's newest suburbs against Arabs trying to violently lay claim to crucial parts of the Jewish homeland.
In the centuries-old conflict between Israel and its Arab enemies, which may arrive at a final determination in the relatively near future, now is the time to act to ensure an equitable outcome. The Jews, who continuously offered peace and were time and time again rebuffed by their Arab enemies, have earned the right to live freely and independently in the Jewish homeland, which includes Judea and Samaria.