(By AFP)
Israel wants to annex fourth settlement bloc: radio (via AFP)
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told US Secretary of State John Kerry that he wants to annex a fourth bloc of West Bank settlements, army radio reported on Sunday. Until now, Israel has always spoken of its intention to annex three blocs…
This post was republished using Repost. Please read it on Informed Comment directly: https://www.juancole.com/2014/01/netanyahu-kerry-palestinian.html
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It is time Obama, Kerry, and the US, told these arrogant land grabbers to go and jump in the Dead Sea…not only do they defy all international laws and keep building illegal settlements in disputed land, they also want the Palestinians to yield to their unreasonable demands. International laws go against them, yet they keep showing this unbelievable chutzpah when it comes to extracting all they can from their victims. This is why their actions have shown they want absolutely no peace with their neighbors, the status quo is much more lucrative, and pretending to be victims has huge benefits.
Bibi’s chutzpah will turn out to be smoke and mirrors:
link to mondoweiss.net
Support the boycott.
They’re fast heading to an apartheid state if they’re not there already.
Prof. Cole what is this with ads by AIPAC and other pro-Israel entities on your website. Have you gone commercial????
the Repost.us syndication service is paid for by their context-sensitive ads. Frankly I use Donottrackme and don’t see them. Eventually maybe I’ll be able to afford just to pay for syndicated newswires.
thanks.
I assume this 13% figure doesn’t include the Jordan Valley that Netanyahu want ‘temporary’ custody over?
The 13% number is just their initial demand. Israeli hardliners will ask for the remaining 87% in installments.
Here’s Norman Finkelstein on the state of the negotiations:
link to newleftproject.org
I assume that the 13% does not include E. Jerusalem.
I assume that the 13% includes prime Palestinian territory.
Bibi is playing this really smart. He knows that the more Israel grabs the more the Palestinians will not accept the deal. As long as the Palestinians do not accept a deal, the more Israel can grab. Obama and Kerry do not matter anyway. Remember the *29* standing ovations Bibi got from the U.S. Congress in May 2011? Bibi remembers. America has Israel’s back. Bibi knows.
“… and of course the idea of paying is unacceptable.”
I have seen this elsewhere in the Israeli media. They are assuming that any peace deal will involve the US taxpayer providing much cash to buy off the Palestinians (or at least pay off compliant “leaders” who will sign on the dotted line).
Writing large checks for a long time is assumed. We’ve been buying off compliant leaders in Egypt for 35 years. It’s nice to think that we’d spend our money more wisely in the West Bank (who could argue that propping up a klepto-military-dictatorship has served Israel’s or the region’s long term security interests? The brotherhood will be back). But, the US has little credibility, so we won’t get to direct the money where it should go.
Let’s hope the PA is truly interested in nation building and not theft. The good news is that -either way- funding the PA will be statistically insignificant vs what we’ve flushed on Iraq and Afghanistan
There is an interesting contrast to be made between the West bank and Gaza. In Gaza the Palestinians resisted the encroachment of settlements often with violence and at a terrible price. What did they get? No settlements, indeed Israel no longer even talks about Gaza as being God given land for the Jews.
In the West Bank things are quite different: ever encroaching settlements, water theft, check-points, and Israel talking about a God given right to the land. Palestinian leaders in the West Bank have been compliant and supine; even then they are accused of being “not partners for peace”.
What are the lessons from this? Israel says that they want “negotiations”, but that has been tried for 66 years with no useful effect. The lesson from this should be clear to everyone!