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Uriel Sinai / Getty Images, file
A donkey roams at a Bedouin camp in the E1 area at the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumimin in the West Bank.
TEL AVIV -- To the outsider, it looks like a poor piece of land to fight over: A sand and scrub hillside where, on a winter’s day, a chill wind whips over the boulders and blows through to the bone.
On one side stand the minarets of Arab East Jerusalem, hemmed in by Israel’s security wall. Ahead, across a valley, lies the Jewish settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim, a sprawling suburb of neat streets and anonymous housing blocks.
Between the two feels like a bleak no-man’s land despite the presence of many Bedouin families.
But that is deceptive: No patch of ground in the Israeli-occupied West Bank is more bitterly contested, or more important to White House hopes of restarting peace talks.
At the heart of the dispute is Israel’s policy of building homes for Jewish settlers building communities built on land that the Palestinians feel is vital to a future state.
“We are a force to be reckoned with,” said Yigal Dilmony, deputy general manager of the Yesha Council which represents 360,000 Jews who have settled in East Jerusalem and the West Bank (what they call Judea and Samaria). “The reality on this territory is that we can’t be ignored.”
Late last year, the Israeli government announced it would speed up the start of construction of around 3,500 homes for settlers, connecting Ma’aleh Adumim to Jerusalem in an area known as E1 on the planners’ maps.
The settlers’ progress appeared unstoppable. But in 2013, the political landscape at home and abroad shifted.
Shifting balance
In December, in a rare public show of unity, every member of the United Nations Security Council except the United States condemned the expansion plans. In January, U.N, human rights investigators said Israel must stop settlement expansion and remove all Jewish settlers from the occupied West Bank, saying that its practices could be subject to prosecution as possible war crimes.
Ariel Schalit / AP, file
A Palestinian man works at a new housing development in the Jewish West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim.
President Barack Obama’s impending visit to Israel and the West Bank in March will only highlight the issue of the legality of settlements.
And within Israel, January’s elections saw the balance of politics shift, if not decisively then certainly significantly, toward the center and away from reflexively supporting the settlements.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still struggling to knit these disparate strands into a governing alliance, but it is likely he will need to bring together his traditional right-wing supporters and the new more moderate voices.
And few issues divide the Israeli establishment more than that of settlements.
Here’s the outgoing Deputy Prime Minister, Dan Meridor, speaking on Israeli radio on Feb. 7:
"There is a discrepancy between our claim that we are willing to accept a two-state solution and the fact that we don't limit the construction in the settlements to the settlement blocs.”
Meridor is a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party who failed to win re-election. But his voice has always tended toward the pragmatic.
"I'm not saying we should stop construction in Jerusalem and in the settlement blocs, but we must not build beyond them, because by doing so we promote a very dangerous situation to Zionism, of one state from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, which endangers us more than anything else," he said.
Israeli media cite anonymous sources in Netanyahu’s office to say he’s not planning another freeze on settlements. On Monday he reiterated his support for two state-solution, albeit unenthusiastically.
The battle over settlements centers around mutually exclusive visions of Israel’s future – a two-state solution versus an Israel decisively laying claim to land captured in the 1967 war with Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
Clouds gathering
For Palestinians, settlements and an eventual Palestinian state cannot be seen as separate issues. E1, the plot of land near East Jerusalem, is a vital corridor without which their territory would be severed, north from south.
Abir Sultan / EPA, file
A Bedouin shepherd puts a newborn lamb in a bag on his donkey in the E1 area between Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The construction of the thousands of homes would render impractical if not impossible the foundation of a meaningful state of their own.
“My family has been here for 80 years,” said an Arab farmer tending his sheep and chickens on the disputed parcel of land known as E1.
“This is our land but they’ve told us we’ll have to go,” said the farmer, who preferred his name not be used. “I don’t know what will happen to us.”
So upon this seemingly barren corridor rests America’s chances of reviving a peace process that has been comatose for two years.
Leaders of the settler movement see clouds gathering as Obama’s visit draws closer. But they remain defiant.
"We understand that Obama as a second term president is much more dangerous to the settlements than the first term Obama and we need to keep our eyes wide open,’’ Dilmony said.
"When he comes here he should meet us, the settlers, and see the situation for himself,” Dilmony said.
On only point is Dilmony likely to be in agreement with the US administration.
“Peace can only come from the people who live here,’’ he said.
Related:
Israel faces European backlash over decision to expand settlements
US slams Israel's decision to expand settlements
UN panel's report: Israel must withdraw all settlers from West Bank
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I am anti-Israel. Not anti Jewish. The settlers and the history of the country will be the never ending cause of war in the area and I resent having to pay for their pathologically aggressive actions. I wish the country didn't exist. When I say I don't like Israel, I'm referring to the country as a whole, their politics, and their military. I think many Israelis have the same feelings and I'm not about to lump a whole nation of people under one blanket statement. I'm sick of the world constantly being on the edge of war because of them, and their crazy neighbors. Of course I think religion is insane so that tends to carry over to people who are religious zealots/crazies, including many Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Worst invention in the history of man. The latest revelations about the Catholic church ignoring abuses for money are a good example. That ignores the current pope's active support of pedophilia.
Rick-1103809, I agree with you 100%. Religion is about destruction and has been since its inception of Christianity or other spin-off of this cult. Today our political Republican machine is fueled by Evangelicals hell bent on reinventing this country and then the world in their myopic view of the world. These christian crazies are very happy and work themselves into a fervor when this country starts another war with a country that are not Christians. It provides an opportunity for these evil doers to fire up their missionaries of destruction of societies to send to the country we attack. All one need do is look at the death and destruction caused by bible thumpers on the North American continent.
San Louis Obisbo in California is a prime example of a mass grave on site caused by the Catholic faith and let's not forget the papal bulls that justified this wholesale murder of non-Christians, Doctrine of Discovery, that to this day is still enforced and has not been revoked by the Catholic propaganda machine even when they know it is wrong. The Catholic Church can do no wrong. All we need to do is look at the pedophilia that they have hidden for centuries. It has only been prosecuted here in America due to outrage of its citizens. Religion is evil and the destroyer of mankind.
What you are witnessing is Overt News Media Bias, against Jews who live in Israel. The media's "traditionally Arab East" Jerusalem never existed. Jerusalem has been a unified city, except for 19 of the last 3.000 years. Capital of 3 native states, All Jewish. And with a renewed Jewish MAJORITY since the 1800's. Jordan's 1948-67 seizure of the Old City with their Jewish and Christian historic and holy places, did not create a new city. And Palestinian-Arabs Never ruled Jerusalem even for one day, ever. For those 19 years between 1948-67 it was Jordan (Not the Arab-Palestinians)..
"Judea-Samaria" has been the name for Israel's hill country for 3-millennia. Even the UN used that name for them in 1947. But the news media erroneously and continuously uses the name for "West Bank" (a name Jordan coined in 1951).
More than half of Jews currently living in Israel are immigrants from Arab countries, not Western Europe..
And that's just the tip of the iceberg of continual News Media Bias used against Israel.. If you want to read it all from A-Z, get the book "Pressing Israel"..
The problem is that Israel has done to the Palestinians exactly the same it was done to them by the Nazis. I guess when you have the backing of the most powerful country in the world, 3.5 bn in aide, U.S. made nuclear weapons, you could do whatever you want.
When you "match" M-16's against rocks, that is hardly a war, but more of a genocide....
That's right, hr...the Israelis have killed off half the Palestinians in the world...NOT!!!! In fact, the Palestinian birth rate is soaring, thanks to the prenatal care that is provided free of charge to Jews and Muslims alike at Hadassah Hospital...named for the people who support it, the American Women's Zionist Organization.
Cassandra...Israel is acting like an instigator of its own troubles and then wails that it needs help from its allies. Sorry but when you provoke trouble, you settle it on your own.
Israel at present is refusing to return taxes to the Palestinians in Gaza that the Palestinians need to keep their schools open. There may be some who see Israeli commando tactics as fun and games. Those who suffer from Israel's heavy handedness while Israel makes it appear benevolent have as much right to land ownership and ROI for the taxes they pay to Israel as we have in the US.
You can stow your double biased standard.
I guess we would never know the real numbers, since Israel is so secretive about their clandestine activities against the Palestinians.
Israel don't want peace, and as long as the U.S. continues to back their illegal actions, negotiations for peace are just a mirage and unattainable.
It is about time the Jewish community did something for the Palestinians, other than killing them. Kudos to the AWZO.
Yes, those 'evil Joos' are so despicable and clever. Why, they even sneak into Gaza and fire rockets back into Israel just so the evil "Joo Army" can go into Gaza and kill women and babies....
Yes, Cassandra, you've figured it all out....
Don't we have the same Problem HERE, with the HOMELESS!
Not really. There are no international borders involved, or the UN, and no aid packages, military tech hardware, or American-designed nuclear weapons in the hands of the homeless.
So, basically, you're comparing apples and pufferfish.
Israel will be on its own if the Arab world believes Israel is deliberately settling land that doesn't belong to them. That Biblical claim of "Promised Land," has no basis in fact when you consider there is no documented proof of that claim anywhere in existence other than the minds of Israelis.
Now, these settlers are brazenly showing their chutzpah by hurrying to build and expand so there can't be land left for a Palestinian state. That's one that will backfire on Israel big time. If Israel can have a state, how dare Israel deny the Palestinians a state? What makes Israel so righteously entitled to have a state of their own but not Palestinians? Israel is spiting the nose on its own face and will long live to regret it.
Other neighbors of Israel will view these settlments and expansions as brazen eminent domain and won't fail to retaliate. The US cannot save Israelis from their own brazenness.
Very true! The problem is that Israel hates the UN and we don't hold them to the fire like we should.
Lets not forget that the UN in 1975 declare, in the 3379 resolution, Zionism to be pure racism...
What has the U.N. ever done for us except rob us of our money and tie up traffic in New York?
It is in violation of UN resolutions.Colonialism at its best-who cares about the Palestinians ? You and I will care when the rockets will start flying and you will not be able to get gas in the US. Unfortunately it will be too late. It would be much easier to have peace as Jimmy Carter suggested, but somehow greed rules.
Yes, how dare those Jews have any place to live...
They do, but they just want more and more! Kind of what the Nazis did during WWII...
No, they don't.
How do I know?
Because since the re-establishment of Israel in 1948, the Israelis have fought no less than 5 existential wars that sought to eliminate Israel completely.
And three of those major conflicts occurred BEFORE the '1967 borders'.
Kind of makes you look foolish, huh?
Additionally, the Nazis waged a massive campaign of extermination, while both Gaza and the West Bank have experienced population growth, and in the case of the WB, a better quality of life than when the WB belonged to Jordan, the real "Palestinian Homeland".
.
Steven,
You really don't see any parallels between the Nazi idea of Lebensraum (room for our people) that was used to annex Austria and Bavaria, and the Israeli expansion of settlers into the "Palestinian zones"?
Just curious.
We'll take a brief time out from the Jew-bashing and general anti-Semitic blather of the liberal media to delve into a story you WILL NOT see on NBC news:
Just because some of us disagree with Israeli government policies doesn't mean antisemitism. I also disagree with the policies of the Mexican government, the Italian government, the Chinese government , etc.... but I do not hate its people. So, stop the insults in your comments or you will sound like ignorant imbecile.
Perhaps you've been living in a cave?
Anti-Semitism is rife here, just read the comments about "Jews having all the money" and "Jews control this, and they control that" and "Jews are like Nazis".
As for me, I notice that YOU seem to forget that Israel lives in a very rough neighborhood. Israel has proved she can keep the peace, because there is PEACE between Israel and Jordan, and Israel and Egypt.
Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt all share a border with Israel. ONLY Gaza is continually launching terrorist attacks into Israel, AFTER Israel traded 'land for peace' by unilaterally totally leaving Gaza, including removed the dead buried in Jewish cemeteries!
Did Israel get peace? NO. Israel got attacked by Hamas, sworn to destroy all of Israel no matter what.
As I type this, the Egyptians are flooding smuggling tunnels used by Hamas and other terrorist groups.
Didn't read that in the liberal media, did you? Are you going to bash Egypt now?
So, spare me your 'impartiality'.
It's not selling.
I wonder why Israel exists in a "rough neighborhood".
Perhaps it's because the arrogant and colonialist attitude enacted by their government makes them a sh!tty neighbor.
See how that works, Steven? I didn't Jew-bash or engage in anti-Semitism, as all I have issue with is the policies enacted by the Israeli government. I also didn't grovel around trying to justify their actions. I don't have to. I'm an American, and MY country comes first when I must prioritize.
I also remembered when Joe Biden went to Israel, they did the same crap. This is just total disrespect towards the United States, and the more I think about it, the President should not even go. The Israeli government should issue an apology for this actions.
If they want to be such bada$$es, fine. Give us our money back, reject any further military aide, return our nukes, and go on with your happy warmongering life.
Leave us out of your dustbowl, we don't need more wars!
Israel rolls their own.
And, since people like J. Robert Oppenheimer (chief scientist), Otto Frisch, Felix Bloch, Eugene Wigner and a host of others were Jews, we have them to thank.
And Edward Teller worked on the Manhattan Project as well as the hydrogen bomb, along with fellow Jew Stanislaw Ulam.
So, YOU have to thank those JEWS.
.
If they roll on their own, why we keep giving them money? That is money we can use at home....
Sure, nuclear weapons, if that is their legacy, I rest my case.....
Did you even read the article? The Palestinians started it! And that is coming from the extreme left Jew haters, NBC. What did the Jews "Start"? Should they stop defending themselves just because the mighty obama is gracing their country with his presence?
Since you're obviously ignorant in this matter, allow me to educate you:
Jewish Contributions to Society
Albert Einstein Physicist
Jonas Salk Created first Polio Vaccine.
Albert Sabin Developed the oral vaccine for Polio.
Galileo Discovered the speed of light
Selman Waksman Discovered Streptomycin. Coined the word 'antibiotic'.
Gabriel Lipmann Discovered color photography.
Baruch Blumberg Discovered origin and spread of infectious diseases.
G. Edelman Discovered chemical structure of antibodies.
Briton Epstein Identified first cancer virus.
Maria Meyer Structure of atomic nuclei.
Julius Mayer Discovered law of thermodynamics.
Sigmund Freud Father of Psychotherapy.
Benjamin Disraeli Prime Minister of Great Britain 1804-1881
Isaac Singer Invented the sewing machine.
Levi Strauss Largest manufacturer of Denim Jeans.
Joseph Pulitzer Established 'Pulitzer Prize' for achievements in journalism, literature, music & art.
At least 187 Jews and people of half- or three-quarters-Jewish ancestry have been awarded the Nobel Prize,1 accounting for 22% of all individual recipients worldwide between 1901 and 2012, and constituting 36% of all US recipients2 during the same period.3 In the research fields of Chemistry, Economics, Physics, and Physiology/Medicine, the corresponding world and US percentages are 27% and 39%, respectively. Among women laureates in the four research fields, the Jewish percentages (world and US) are 38% and 50%, respectively. Of organizations awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 24% were founded principally by Jews or by people of half-Jewish descent. (Jews currently make up approximately 0.2% of the world's population and 2% of the US population.)
Or, since I personally don't give a crap about what people's religions are, and think that identifying "Jewish" as if it were a race or nationality is the height of absurdity, your list could read
German,
American,
American,
Italian,
English,
English,
Turkish,
German,
English,
American,
Italian,
Austrian,
English,
American,
American,
Swedish
It's all about perspective. I guess "self-identity" and "massive inferiority complex" are just two sides of the same shekel.
No We give Israel a lot more , in Billions , in different concealed free money as well as military weapons and aid. The U.S. does this knowing that the Israeli has nuclear weapons that it should not have , they have spied on the U.S. government trying to steal secrets. One spy was bought and jailed for life, but he was sent back to the Palestinian home land now called Israel. the UN is a farce now as it was when it gave the immigrants the land from under the households of the real Palestinians. Israel cries and bemoans the killing of Jews during WWII, and for me that was a tragedy. But The Jews fail to remember that first there were millions of Catholics murdered in Poland and Germany also. But no mention is ever made of that or that it ever happened. If they decide to intervene and or not support the Free Palestinian State i would support a total boycott of Israel and stop all aid period. Let the chips fall as they may and see who comes out the victor in the end. I would hope that the U.s. troops are not used to defend another non friend of America
It is so sad we have a Muslem/Socialist/Pro-queer President. It is so disgraceful for the United States of America, which has become the DIVIDED States of America. It's Israel against the world, but you folks need to look out,....the Catholics will NOT allow the muslems to take over even though the Americans are guttless. There is a new world order coming,....and we've allowed it. Sorry, it's the one AFTER the next that counts and it will be GREAT and TREMENDOUS......"and the blood shall be to the horses' bridles". I wish the US House of Representatives would cut the purse strings of this traitor we have in office. As an American, I do NOT answer to or bow down to the United Nations. I didn't vote for them and neither did YOU.
What a bunch of Morons you all are! You wouldn't know the truth if it bit you on the butt!!!The land belongs to Is rael,it always has and it always will!!! There is nothing you ,the UN or obama can do to change this. God does not change,neither does His Plan!!!
Yeah, I forgot, because the Bible said so, LOL....
realitycheck73, just as all the land in North America belongs to the indigenous people here. As they say in America, you lost it to us so shut up and move on. Hmm, sounds like a double standard to me but Jewish people are Caucasian whereas the indigenous are not but Red people of different separate race perceived as inferior to Caucasians.
So here come all the jews and israeli supporters with all sorts of lies (even misleading us) about who owns the land of Palestine and who has been there the longest.
They will use every ounce of lies and fabrication and there will be many of them that will try to convijnce the american public that basically jews are in the right and that Arabs and Muslims are evil people ...
Absence any pother view point ( They attack personally anyone who defends the truth and Palestinians), the majority of the christian american public (including me) are supposed to just fall in line with the israeli point of view since we are biblically close and are supposed to favor them.
Well, I for one have experienced the israeli ways and absolutely KNOW that they are lying and simply trying to steal the land. Period. Well, the entire world has condemned them for doing so and no amount of jewish american support can clean this up in any way.
I can't wait till all those shiny new homes are handed over to Palestinians. This WILL happen and you can count on that. Sooner or later, a UN resolution will come out to that effect, then somneday when the ineviteble rift forms between americans and israelis (because israelis are always stealing our tax dollars) , WE will abandon israel politically and they will be on their own.
At that point, I don't want anyone to WHINE when israel gets beaten militarily (conventionally). No nukes will be allowed to be fired by america since our oil will be in jeopardy and we will allow a certain weakening of israel since their usefullness has been exhausted.
These uppity thieves and their supporters will be rooted out of the american system someday. Pogroms may be revived again since their targets never changed their ways within humanity. Parasites till the end.
You will give it ALL back one day. The 300 million Arabs are not going anywhere except your homes someday. Just wait :-)
"uppity theives"
"parasites til the end"
You paint with a pretty broad brush, there, friend. You do know that even among Israeli citizens, there is protest against the actions of their right-wing government?
You need to research the term "Zionist". It will help your understanding of the problem.
touch it , spit on it , burn it - just like with cross , FREE JESUS
None of my business. We poke our noses into too many other places as it is, & look what it gets us. Leave this one alone for a change.
If we were just "leaving it alone," it would be one thing. In actual fact, we are funding this land grab and murder of Palestinians through our huge foreign aid grants every year. Israel receives the largest "foreign aid" gift from the US than any other country in the world and they're not even an developing country!
If I hear one more Time God said so , I am going to throw up , You all Christians freaks should become Jews , Because we don't have room for you in our Christian faith , If you all really think that the Jews are God chosen people , all off you should believe in the Gods that the Jews worship when Moses went up to Carve Gods ten's comm. The Jews are a religion and a Good one , Israel is a Terrorists State in every word possible and what so bad , Our Government gives them everything and defends them , even if it means killing our troops to protect such a terrorists nation , They attack and kill civilians in the name of their safety , B.S .
my turn-5304605, amen.
If God gave the land to Israel what is the problem? There should be no dispute! Produce the legal documents and that should be the end of it. NOT!
The US should stop protecting Israel in the UN. Israel is a land grabbing "country" intent on murdering anyone who gets in its way. We need to stop funding this injustice through our annual "foreign aid" gifts to Israel.
There is an eerie déjà vu about an unmistakable and oft-repeated process in the Arab–Israel conflict. The process started in 1937 and has repeated itself with minor variations many times over the subsequent 74 years. The process is as follows: Arabs go to war with Israel, promising Israel’s destruction and the annihilation of its Jews. Israel wins the war and offers peace. Arab leaders reject Israel’s peace offer, renew their promises of destruction and annihilation; and after a while they go to war again, and lose again, and Israel again offers peace. Repeat this process 31 times and you have the history of the Arab-Israel conflict in a nutshell.
The conflict in Lebanon against Hezbollah didnt go as you seem to think, even Arabs do learn to Israels great regret. Israel as we did originally went to fight a traditional war but thats a good way to lose if you dont have tanks, modern aircraft or artillery. The Arabs have learned and Israel will never have a cake walk like they had in the past.
Who cares about the dam Jews,,,
Settlers are the religious right in Israel and that requires them to isolate themselves from contamination from the rest of the world, they are supported financially by Israel and donations from other religious right communities. These orthodox Jews feel they deserve the right to do as they please because its Gods desire. I wonder how they would do without all that financial support they receive.
Nuke the whole region,,lmao
more dildos for you
No one should kiss their asses,,let them kiss our asses
wash your ass first
I'm hoping Obama boldly initiates new peace talks and a two state solution. Netanyahu would be forced to go along given the growing moderate base in his own country, and the increasing pressure from the international community (the U.N.)
And we still have Jimmy Carter. Now's a good time to do this.
OPO, almost everyone is hoping for a two-state solution, Netanyahu included. As for the UN and Jimmy Carter, they can kiss our grits.
Who the hell is the US to be telling these people what they should or should not do...leave these people alone...this is their way of life...they'll still be fighting each other 1,000 years from now...
A 3.5 bn a year landlord. But your point is well taken :-)
I am beginning to believe we should keep our $$ and stay home, let Sheldon Adelson, et al support the insanity. It would appear that the Israeli's as well as the Palestinians love the drama and have absolutely no intention of ever reaching a peace--state of mind, keep the conflict going, keep everybody occupied and zero in on fomenting unrest.
Tired of sending money down both rat holes, Israel also needs to stop spying on the US, well known open secret, quit it boys.