As soon as you see an article has been written by an ex-President of NUS, you know there's a fair chance it's bollocks. OK, that's my prejudice but it's born out by experience of this group of people which includes Jack Straw, Charles Clarke, Sue Slipman and David Aaronovitch all of whom supported the Iraq War. What is it about NUS ? In this case, Lorna Fitzsimmons condemns Nick Clegg for describing Israeli settlement building as "a deliberate act of vandalism". She argues "...the demand for a complete halt to all Israeli construction over the Green Line is now a road-block preventing the commencement of bilateral talks." which is a remarkable piece of doublethink. How about "Israeli construction over the Green Line is now a road-block preventing the commencement of bilateral talks" ? She wouldn't say that would she ? After all she is CEO of BICOM (the Britain Israel Communications & Research Centre),so clearly whatever Israel does is right.
Her article even argues that Palestinians must accept that Israeli settlement blocks will remain on the West Bank. After all President Bush agreed with Israeli that "natural growth" could continue. How kind of him to decide that Israel could continue to grab Palestinian land, but then he never took much notice of international law. In any case, what the fuck has it to do with him ? Pardon me, "What right does an American president have to give away other people's land ?". Better now ?
She also states, as if no-one could possibly disagree, "No Israeli government has ever enforced a complete 'freeze' on settlements, i.e. a freeze on all building not just in the West Bank but even those parts of East Jerusalem that are not even seen as 'settlements' in Israel. It is impossible politically, for coalition governments. But it is also impossible in human terms; existing communities, which have typically young and growing populations, cannot freeze their natural growth." This amounts to saying to the Palestinians that having occupied your land, taken your water, destroyed your houses, divided you from your crops and animals, obviously we must be allowed to take more and more ! Not much problem about freezing the growth of Palestinian communities then !
You would think that Israel of all nations would understand the immorality of a policy of lebensraum !!!
3 comments:
Do you really see Israel's settlements as being morally equivalent to Hitler's occupation of Eastern Europe? One surely cannot compare the undoubted suffering of Palestinian (and Israeli) victims of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict with the deliberate genoicde of millions of people?
Does your point about Israelis, of all people, surely being able to understand about 'lebensraum' means that you are saying that the past suffering of Israeli people's ancestors means that Israelis should be expected to behave better than everyone else? Surely Israelis are entitled to behave as well (or as badly) as anyone else?
Also, 80% of settlers live in the major settlement blocs that are on or near the Green Line. Many past peace plans (eg the Clinton Parameters that came so close to achieving a deal in 2000) assume that the Palestinians could agree that Israel would keep those settlement blocs in return for Israel giving the Palestinians some other land from 'Israel proper' (land swaps). That would mean that Israel and the Palestinian state each had a secure border with which it is happy. That is likely to be a feature of any peace deal that creates a Palestinian state.
Do you really see Israel's settlements as being morally equivalent to Hitler's occupation of Eastern Europe? One surely cannot compare the undoubted suffering of Palestinian (and Israeli) victims of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict with the deliberate genoicde of millions of people?
Does your point about Israelis, of all people, surely being able to understand about 'lebensraum' means that you are saying that the past suffering of Israeli people's ancestors means that Israelis should be expected to behave better than everyone else? Surely Israelis are entitled to behave as well (or as badly) as anyone else?
Also, 80% of settlers live in the major settlement blocs that are on or near the Green Line. Many past peace plans (eg the Clinton Parameters that came so close to achieving a deal in 2000) assume that the Palestinians could agree that Israel would keep those settlement blocs in return for Israel giving the Palestinians some other land from 'Israel proper' (land swaps). That would mean that Israel and the Palestinian state each had a secure border with which it is happy. That is likely to be a feature of any peace deal that creates a Palestinian state.
Matthew, sorry I didn't see your comment sooner. I didn't and don't compare Israeli treatment of Palestinians with Nazi genocide. I do compare the curious justifications people come up with for taking other people's land by force. Nobody, Nazi or Israeli or indeed British or American is "entitled" to behave badly. Given the history of persecution of Jews which preceded the founding of the state of Israel, I am surprised and saddened by the State of Israel's treatment of Palestinians and I am heartened and encouraged by the brave Israeli groups which resist it. The argument about exact boundaries is not the point. The current pattern of settlements on the West Bank and the settler roads which connect them makes a viable two-state solution impossible. Land swaps will not solve that problem. Continued growth of Israeli settlements whether within existing settlements or on new sites can only make matters worse.
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