Short Takes
Settlement Report | Vol. 12 No. 7 | March 2002
Unless there is willingness in Israel to change its
mentality or to evict settlements, and not only the isolated ones;
unless Israel seriously considers going back to the1967 borders--some
minor adjustments here and there will be fine--then the conflict will
continue for a very long period of time.
No Palestinian leader in his right mind will ever accept a situation in which Israel can keep its settlers happy and achieve peace.
Khalil Shikaki, Associate Professor of Political Science at Bir Zeit University and Director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah, in Palestine-Israel Journal, Vol. VII, No. 3, 4, 2000
Every time I have gone to Israel in connection with the peace process on each of my trips I have been met with the announcement of new settlement activity. This does violate United States policy. It is the first thing that Arabs--Arab governments--the first thing that Palestinians in the territories--whose situation is really quite desperate--the first thing they raise when we talk to them. I don't think there is any greater obstacle to peace than settlement activity that continues not only unabated but at an advanced pace.
U. S. Secretary of State James A. Baker, May 22, 1991
A cessation of Palestinian-Israeli violence will be particularly hard to sustain unless the Government of Israel freezes all settlement activity. The Government of Israel should also give careful consideration to whether settlements that are the focal points for substantial friction are valuable bargaining chips for future negotiation or provocations likely to preclude the onset of productive talks.
Report of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee (The Mitchell Report) May 20, 2001
The Sharon Government, with the backing of the Labor Party, is continuing the settlement policy in the territories. The creation of new settlements inflames the conflict with the Palestinians and endangers more Israeli soldiers and civilians. The settlements policy also jeopardizes Israel's position in the new world constellation formed in the wake of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. The Settlements are an obstacle to any future agreement, and, as in the past, the settlers are endangering Israel's security and leading us on a suicidal path.
Prof. Arie Arnon, Peace Now Update, October 4, 2001
The settlements established in these territories through miserable decisions by all the governments of Israel, are draining the economy, undermining social solidarity and creating huge and harmful gaps between the settlers--who are granted encouragement and benefits by the government--and the citizens who live within the Green Line and carry a heavy burden. The injuries to innocent civilians, the unbearable delays at the roadblocks, the humiliation of hundreds of thousands of human beings, the insolent construction of new settlements--these are the bitter fruit of the occupation of the territories. The occupation is not only eroding the ability of the sovereign state to defend itself, and is not only undermining its moral standing in the eyes of the world, but is also splitting Israeli society. It is retarding its development and sowing violence and hatred within it.
No Palestinian leader in his right mind will ever accept a situation in which Israel can keep its settlers happy and achieve peace.
Khalil Shikaki, Associate Professor of Political Science at Bir Zeit University and Director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah, in Palestine-Israel Journal, Vol. VII, No. 3, 4, 2000
Every time I have gone to Israel in connection with the peace process on each of my trips I have been met with the announcement of new settlement activity. This does violate United States policy. It is the first thing that Arabs--Arab governments--the first thing that Palestinians in the territories--whose situation is really quite desperate--the first thing they raise when we talk to them. I don't think there is any greater obstacle to peace than settlement activity that continues not only unabated but at an advanced pace.
U. S. Secretary of State James A. Baker, May 22, 1991
A cessation of Palestinian-Israeli violence will be particularly hard to sustain unless the Government of Israel freezes all settlement activity. The Government of Israel should also give careful consideration to whether settlements that are the focal points for substantial friction are valuable bargaining chips for future negotiation or provocations likely to preclude the onset of productive talks.
Report of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee (The Mitchell Report) May 20, 2001
The Sharon Government, with the backing of the Labor Party, is continuing the settlement policy in the territories. The creation of new settlements inflames the conflict with the Palestinians and endangers more Israeli soldiers and civilians. The settlements policy also jeopardizes Israel's position in the new world constellation formed in the wake of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. The Settlements are an obstacle to any future agreement, and, as in the past, the settlers are endangering Israel's security and leading us on a suicidal path.
Prof. Arie Arnon, Peace Now Update, October 4, 2001
The settlements established in these territories through miserable decisions by all the governments of Israel, are draining the economy, undermining social solidarity and creating huge and harmful gaps between the settlers--who are granted encouragement and benefits by the government--and the citizens who live within the Green Line and carry a heavy burden. The injuries to innocent civilians, the unbearable delays at the roadblocks, the humiliation of hundreds of thousands of human beings, the insolent construction of new settlements--these are the bitter fruit of the occupation of the territories. The occupation is not only eroding the ability of the sovereign state to defend itself, and is not only undermining its moral standing in the eyes of the world, but is also splitting Israeli society. It is retarding its development and sowing violence and hatred within it.
Ha'aretz, Editorial, February 15, 2002
The Six-Day War was forced upon us; however, the war's seventh day, which began on June 12, 1967 and has continued to this day, is the product of our choice. We enthusiastically chose to become a colonial society, ignoring international treaties, expropriating lands, transferring settlers from Israel to the occupied territories, engaging in theft and finding justification for all these activities. Passionately desiring to keep the occupied territories, we developed two judicial systems: one--progressive, liberal--in Israel; and the other--cruel, injurious--in the occupied territories. In effect, we established an apartheid regime in the occupied territories immediately following their capture. That oppressive regime exists to this day.
This is the harsh reality that is causing us to lose the moral base of our existence as a free, just society and to jeopardize Israel's long-range survival. Israel's security cannot be based only on the sword; it must rather be based on our principles of moral justice and on peace with our neighbors--those living next door and those living a little further away. An occupation regime undermines those principles of moral justice and prevents the attainment of peace. Thus, that regime endangers Israel's existence.
Michael Ben-Yair, Attorney General, Israel 1993-1996, Ha'aretz, March 3, 2002
The only way for Israelis to have security is, quite simply, to end the 35-year-old occupation of Palestinian territory. Israelis must abandon the myth that it is possible to have peace and occupation at the same time, that peaceful coexistence is possible between slave and master. The lack of Israeli security is born of the lack of Palestinian freedom. Israel will have security only after the end of occupation, not before.
Marwan Barghouti, General-Secretary of the Fateh Party (West Bank), The Washington Post, January 16, 2002
The Six-Day War was forced upon us; however, the war's seventh day, which began on June 12, 1967 and has continued to this day, is the product of our choice. We enthusiastically chose to become a colonial society, ignoring international treaties, expropriating lands, transferring settlers from Israel to the occupied territories, engaging in theft and finding justification for all these activities. Passionately desiring to keep the occupied territories, we developed two judicial systems: one--progressive, liberal--in Israel; and the other--cruel, injurious--in the occupied territories. In effect, we established an apartheid regime in the occupied territories immediately following their capture. That oppressive regime exists to this day.
This is the harsh reality that is causing us to lose the moral base of our existence as a free, just society and to jeopardize Israel's long-range survival. Israel's security cannot be based only on the sword; it must rather be based on our principles of moral justice and on peace with our neighbors--those living next door and those living a little further away. An occupation regime undermines those principles of moral justice and prevents the attainment of peace. Thus, that regime endangers Israel's existence.
Michael Ben-Yair, Attorney General, Israel 1993-1996, Ha'aretz, March 3, 2002
The only way for Israelis to have security is, quite simply, to end the 35-year-old occupation of Palestinian territory. Israelis must abandon the myth that it is possible to have peace and occupation at the same time, that peaceful coexistence is possible between slave and master. The lack of Israeli security is born of the lack of Palestinian freedom. Israel will have security only after the end of occupation, not before.
Marwan Barghouti, General-Secretary of the Fateh Party (West Bank), The Washington Post, January 16, 2002
