Israel To Exit Gaza

[Biggles]

Sharron has proposed that Israel removes all settlements from Gaza.

Is this participation in the Road Map or bunker mentality? (or perhaps a little from column A and a little from column B?)

Without descending into entrenched positions (too much), will this help kick start the peace process or will it result in internecine politics in the Knesset?

[junkyardking]

Originally posted by Biggles@3 February 2004 - 22:53
Is this participation in the Road Map or bunker mentality? (or perhaps a little from column A and a little from column B?)

Could it be that Sharron is just playing politics?

[Billy_Dean]

It's a ruse, the land they really want is in the West Bank, the so called "Security Wall" will annexe that.

[mogadishu]

yea, IMO its public relations.. this kind of movement could take years to actually happen. But I dont want to sound like everything Israel does is bad... I mean, we shouldnt shoot down sharon, because theoretically doing this is good.

[Biggles]

Originally posted by mogadishu@4 February 2004 - 22:32
yea, IMO its public relations.. this kind of movement could take years to actually happen. But I dont want to sound like everything Israel does is bad... I mean, we shouldnt shoot down sharon, because theoretically doing this is good.

As there are over 300,000 settlers in Gaza and the west Bank whichever option is taken it will be a slow and delicate process. I suspect that some would like to make the new "wall" the border. All the settlements on the wrong side (and there are a fair few) will be sacrificed for a defendable border. This will not go down well with those who would prefer to clear Gaza and the West Bank of Palestinians and take all the land. Sharron will have his work cut out to sell this to the religious parties.

Those Palestinians on the wrong side of the wall won't exactly be dancing for joy either although potentially there may be some trade off for housing that is cleared by the settlers.

Those with unwavering views on either side of the divide that compromise equates to defeat will continue to make any political settlement a project fraught with difficulties.

[putty]

Originally posted by Biggles+5 February 2004 - 19:34--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Biggles &#064; 5 February 2004 - 19:34)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-mogadishu@4 February 2004 - 22:32
yea, IMO its public relations.. this kind of movement could take years to actually happen. But I dont want to sound like everything Israel does is bad... I mean, we shouldnt shoot down sharon, because theoretically doing this is good.

As there are over 300,000 settlers in Gaza and the west Bank whichever option is taken it will be a slow and delicate process. I suspect that some would like to make the new "wall" the border. All the settlements on the wrong side (and there are a fair few) will be sacrificed for a defendable border. This will not go down well with those who would prefer to clear Gaza and the West Bank of Palestinians and take the all the land. Sharron will have his work cut out to sell this to the religious parties.

Those Palestinians on the wrong side of the wall won&#39;t exactly be dancing for joy either although potentially there may be some trade off for housing that is cleared by the settlers.

Those with unwavering views on either side of the divide that compromise equates to defeat will continue to make any political settlement a project fraught with difficulties.[/b][/quote]
74% of settlers would be willing to pick up & leave if given compensation from Israel.

Regarding illegal outposts, 66 percent of respondents said they should be dismantled.

When asked whether they would oppose the evacuation of settlements, 90 percent of respondents said they would not break the law in response to an order to evacuate settlements,

According to the Peace Now poll, 64 percent of settlers believe that the Israeli government has the authority to decide on evacuating the settlements (compared to 54 percent in the last survey), while 26 percent accept the rabbis&#39; [I assume they mean settler rabbis here] authority to decide on the matter (down from 30 percent in the 2002 poll).

Just 14 percent of settlers say the rabbis represent their beliefs, while even fewer settlers (12 percent) said that the Yesha Council of Settlements represents their views


http://www.peacenow.org/PNintheN/haaretz29.html

Although settlers are commonly grouped together as a ideological zealots, the majority of settlers live in suburbs of Jerusalem and moved there for economic reasons. The wackos on hilltops make up a tiny minority of settlers. They do grab the headlines, however.

[Biggles]

Putty

Interesting statistics.

It is high time the media gave more prominence to those Israelis and Palestinians who are prepared to talk about peace and less to the whackos on either side.

[putty]

It is high time the media gave more prominence to those Israelis and Palestinians who are prepared to talk about peace and less to the whackos on either side.

Amen. The problem, though, is ratings. Extremists make headlines.

I&#39;m just always shocked by how so many eagerly accept the notion that US headlines focus on Palestinian extremists, while they pay no attention to the fact that their own media does the same wrt settler extremists.

These poll results are not new. The vast majority of settlers have felt this way all along.

[putty]

Contrast those poll results to these from Oct 03:

44.6% of Palestinians say the goal of the intifadah is to get Israel out of the occupied tettitries.

43% say that the goal is to "liberate all of historic Palestine"

61.8% support "suicibe bombings against Israeli civilians".

http://www.jmcc.org/publicpoll/results/2003/no49.pdf

[Biggles]

I have to say I am not surprised at these findings, or rather I am surprised they are not even higher.

With only a grievance to hold them all together and refugee camps that have become sprawling ghettos to nuture their children, it is not surprising that their emotions can be whipped up by those who preach the politics of hate.

Given that there is a bedrock of 40% who would appear still resistent to such calls just imagine what could be achieved if they actually had something worth holding on to. I tend to subscribe to the view that the Palestinians are so marginalised that they have little to lose from extreme and desperate action.

It will never be possible to stop individuals determined to blow themselves up, but it would be a mistake to allow them to dictate the speed of change and progress. it will, however, take a very brave, Israeli politician to make the necessary moves, it has already cost one Premier his life.