Jeff Cooper (the law professor) responds to my comment about removing settlements with a reasonable post:
Given the continuing suicide bombings, this isnt an appropriate time for large-scale removal of settlements, as any such action would likely be seen as proof that terrorism works. And the settlements present a practical political problem for Sharon, whose governing coalition depends in part on those who support the settlements. At some point, though, its going to have to be made clearboth as a carrot to the Palestinians and as a message of reality to the Israeli far rightthat the majority of the settlements ultimately will have to be dismantled.
I agree that it would be a mistake to reward murder-bombings through a meaningful reduction in Israeli presence in the West Bank and Gaza; in fact I think the reoccupation is a Good Idea.
But in part, I negotiate for a living, and one principle I’ve found to work well in contentious negotiations (like the ones we’re going through right now on the house we will buy on Tuesday) is to periodically show the other side a little daylight. Show them that they can in fact get something if they cooperate.
Now I remain unconvinced, as I’ve said earlier, that there is anyone to negotiate with on the Palestinian side. But if I’m wrong, and there is, the question is how to show them some daylight without giving up anything material. And it looks to me like the Israelis have done exactly that.
Date: 07/07/2002 00:00:00 AM
So, my question is this. Why does Israel have to negotiate with anyone? Those settlements are wrong. OTOH, The Palestinians have no moral high ground at all. So, why doesn’t Israel just pick the area of land that they can live with. Annex it, give everyone inside the choice to stay or to leave and make everyone who stays a citizen. Then, build some serious walls and stop letting into the country non-citizens.As far as I can tell, that should solve most of the problems. East Jerusalem would be the main outstanding problem.
Date: 07/04/2002 00:00:00 AM
From my point of view there are two camps in the Palestinian side. One, primarily Islamist, is using terror to try and make Israel non viable as a state. Here I’m thinking of Hamas currently resident in the West Bank and Gaza, with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria.The mainstream secular Palestinians used terror (and still would if they could get away with it) to make life impossible for the settlers.Israel needs to wean this second group away from terror and back to talking. The first group will be around for a while.Trying to lump them together isn’t going to get anywhere. Israel’s main difficulty is that it cannot fight a long war. If it’s enemies succed in dragging it out (viz Lebanon 1982 onwards , War of Attrition 1970,71) then Israel will lose no matter how strong she is militarily.
Date: 07/03/2002 00:00:00 AM
The question to me is simple: who are we negotiating with? If in fact there are now power centers other than Arafat and the Islamicists, OK then, that’s Plan A (or Plan Pu,technically). If there is another power center…and there are some glimmers of encouragement that there might be…then it’s Plan B…
Date: 07/02/2002 00:00:00 AM
Still, the assumption that all Jews living on the West Bank will have to be evacuated if and when a Palestinian state is declared says a lot, most of it ugly, about the assumptions regarding that state’s nature.It’s not necessarily a waste of time or of negotiating position to challenge that assumption.
Date: 07/05/2002 00:00:00 AM
It’s OK by me if Jews remain in the Palestinian State, but the settlements will still have to go or the underlying land be purchased instead of stolen. No one’s going to buy these settlements as a bargaining chip, and the idea that illegal settlers (check out Art 49 of Fourth Geneva Convention) will trade for Israeli Arab citizens of many generations’ standing is just another delusion.I’ll tell you what motivates most of the American settlers: the acronym for West Bank and Gaza means “salvation” in Hebrew.
Date: 07/02/2002 00:00:00 AM
Israel absolutely should not remove any settlements right now. Regardless whether the terrorists seek more than the removal of settlements, they would view the removal of settlements as proof that their attacks can successfully force Israel to retreat.Yesterday, a friend told me about a very interesting CNN report about Jews moving from the U.S. to the settlements. They interviewed a married couple ? both doctors ? who were selling their expensive Atlanta home to move to the West Bank. The obvious question was why? Their response has given me pause to re-think the settlement issue:The doctor basically stated that when a Palestinian state is created, the Palestinians will be left with 2 choices. Either they allow the Jews on the West Bank to live within their state, or they declare their state to be “Jew free” and force all the Jews to move. If the Jews stay, then that’s fine. No harm, no foul ? Jews live in the Palestinian state and Arabs citizens live in Israel. Nobody can really come up with a good argument for why Jews should not be allowed to live in a Palestinian state, anyway.But, if the Palestinians commit themselves to ethnic cleansing, and require Israel to re-absorb the Jews from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, then 1) Israel would have the right to insist that the Palestinian state re-absorb the Israeli Arabs citizens (which would end the danger of the Arabs gaining a majority through their higher birth rate); and 2) the world would have no basis to complain since what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
Date: 07/02/2002 00:00:00 AM
But the terrorist-murderers are not asking for a removal of the settlements. They are asking for the destruction of Israel– the only way to let them win is to destroy Israel.Most Palestinians and most Israelis, on the other hand ARE just asking for the removal of the settlements. They should be moved. Keep the occupation, build the fence, maintain control over the Palestinians if necessary, assassinate the terrorists… but the settlements must go. Saying that you can’t remove them because that would let the terrorists win is just another excuse, the same excuses that led to the settlements being built in the first place. If Israel removes the settlements, but keeps cracking down on the terrorists, maintains their control over the West Bank, it will be in such a better position to negotiate when that time eventually comes. As it stands now, Israel is acting against the law, against the wishes of the majority of its people, and in a manner this is just plain morally wrong. Not AS morally wrong as the bombers (should I even have to write that?) of course, but wrong nonetheless. Again, you are only rewarding terrorism if you are giving them what they want. In this case, you are making Israel stronger, not weaker, which is the opposite of what they want.