Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama and The Truth About Settlements
Gush Etzion is where the settlement movement began, when just after the Six Day War, Israel resettled the Jewish areas destroyed by Jordanian soldiers in May 1948. After visiting Neve Daniel (pictured) in Gush Etzion today, Jimmy Carter expressed support for permanent Israeli retention of Gush Etzion.
It is possible that Carter will change his mind tomorrow, but regardless, what this demonstrates is the degree of ignorance about the communities in Judea and Samaria.
Almost all of the world, including many Jews - even some observant Jews - are under the impression that settlements are some trailers placed on Palestinian land, with the owners displaced.
The reality - this is obvious to most readers of this blog - is that Judea and Samaria are largely empty - mountain after mountain and hill after hill with nothing there. There are Arab villages, a few large Arab cities, and pockets of Jewish communities. But mostly Judea and Samaria consists of empty land.
It is not surprising that Arabs would oppose Israel using the empty land for further development. But the Netanyahu government has already agreed not to construct any new settlements, nor to expand settlements beyond present built-up lines.
A visit to most settlements will demonstrate - like it has to Jimmy Carter - that it is neither necessary nor appropriate to stop Jews from living there, that peace is attainable without Judea and Samaria being completely emptied of Jews.
President Obama claims to be a proponent of dialogue. Perhaps he too will pay a visit to Gush Etzion. Perhaps then he too will learn the truth about the Jewish presence in a small part of Judea and Samaria.
posted on 6/14/2009
