Prospect of Palestinian settlement diminishing

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

22:20

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013






Prospect of Palestinian settlement diminishing


Ted Rudow III, MA, Encina Ave, Palo Alto, CA



photo: Reuters





While America’s need to forge Israeli-Palestinian peace has never been lower, the obstacles have never been higher: Israel has now implanted 300,000 settlers in the West Bank, and the Hamas rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza have seriously eroded the appetite of the Israeli silent majority to withdraw from the West Bank. While there may be fewer reasons for the U.S. to take risks to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there is still a powerful reason for Israel to do so.

The status quo today may be tolerable for Israel, but it is not healthy. And more status quo means continued Israeli settlements in, and tacit annexation of the West Bank. That’s why I think the most important thing Obama could do on his trip is to publicly and privately ask every Israeli official he meets these questions: Please tell me how your relentless settlement drive in the West Bank does not end up with Israel embedded thereforever ruling over 2.5 million Palestinians with a colonial-like administration that can only undermine Israel as a Jewish democracy and de-legitimise Israel in the world community? I understand why Palestinian dysfunction and the Arab awakening make you wary, but still. Shouldn’t you be constantly testing and testing whether there is a Palestinian partner for a secure peace?











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