Thursday, December 28, 2006

Does Israel Really Want Peace With Palestinians ?

I have to wonder if Israel really wants peace with the Palestinian people. Israel tries to present itself as the innocent party in the Mideast conflict, even as it is making plans to violate international law.

Israel announced recently that it will be building a new settlement on the West Bank. The approximately 30 houses to be built in the Jordan Valley will be resided in by former Gaza Strip settlers.

This is not only a violation of international law -- it is also a violation of the 2003 Roadmap for Peace. In fact, this violation is so egregious that even the Bush administration sees it as wrong and destined to provoke the Palestinians.

United States State Department spokesman Gonzo Gallegos said, "The establishment of a new settlement or the expansion of an existing settlement would violate Israel's obligations under the roadmap. The U.S. calls on Israel to meet it's roadmap obligations and avoid taking steps that could be viewed as predetermining the outcome of final-status negotiations [with the Palestinians]."

The European Union has also expressed it's "deep concerns" with the Israeli announcement.

Israel has also said it might release millions of dollars collected in taxes for the Palestinians. Why have they been keeping this money in the first place? This is not their money -- it belongs to the Palestinians, and the Israelis had no right to withhold it.

If Israel wants the world to view them as the innocent party in the Mideast conflict, then they must stop breaking the rules themselves. They cannot accuse the Palestinians of failing to live up to their obligations, if they are unwilling to live up to their own obligations.

2 comments:

  1. they withheld the money when avowed terroists won in the election...and they shouldn't release that money to those terrorists

    ReplyDelete
  2. So it's OK to take someone's else's property if you don't like them?

    I didn't think you right-wingers believed in situation ethics.

    ReplyDelete

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