Comments on: Netanyahu Announces Settlement Freeze http://www.israelsituation.com/2009/11/netanyahu-announces-settlement-freeze/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:26:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Anthony Reich http://www.israelsituation.com/2009/11/netanyahu-announces-settlement-freeze/comment-page-1/#comment-421 Anthony Reich Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:06:51 +0000 http://www.israelsituation.com/?p=1667#comment-421 Eric. There is a great deal of political innuendo involved here that may be worth speculating about. As I wrote in a recent blog published here, I believe that Bibi needs to do more to gain the support of the American administration. This is not because I believe that we should be pandering to everything that Obama, Clinton and Mitchell demand, but because I believe that peace will never be achievable without the support of the US administration. Agreeing to freeze expansion in the settlements has already caught the imagination and support of the US government with Mitchell and Clinton making some fairly strong supportive noises. The "freeze" does not stop sites already under construction, does not include Jerusalem and does not include public buildings (such as Synagogues). it is also limited to 10 months. How many residential projects were due to have been started in the next 10 months outside of Jerusalem is hard to count. I suspect not too many given the current economic climate. I am not convinced that this signals a wholesale withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. Although I did support the Gaza pull-out (not the way in which it was undertaken), I don't support massive withdrawal from these areas. I don't believe that this is on Bibi's agenda. Instead, I think that this is a smart tactic by Bibi to put the ball back into the court of the Palestinians. It has already achieved this. Because I don't believe that the Palestinians will be able (or willing) to do what the US requires of them as a next step towards peace, it probably won't be too long until the construction in Judea and Samaria continues. Like Barak's offer to give up part of Jerusalem at Camp David, this tactic will show the Palestinians for what they really are. Unwilling to really invest in a peace treaty with Israel. When the building freeze is lifted in 10 months' time, it will give Bibi a much freer hand with the Americans to do what he wants. Eric. There is a great deal of political innuendo involved here that may be worth speculating about. As I wrote in a recent blog published here, I believe that Bibi needs to do more to gain the support of the American administration. This is not because I believe that we should be pandering to everything that Obama, Clinton and Mitchell demand, but because I believe that peace will never be achievable without the support of the US administration. Agreeing to freeze expansion in the settlements has already caught the imagination and support of the US government with Mitchell and Clinton making some fairly strong supportive noises.

The “freeze” does not stop sites already under construction, does not include Jerusalem and does not include public buildings (such as Synagogues). it is also limited to 10 months. How many residential projects were due to have been started in the next 10 months outside of Jerusalem is hard to count. I suspect not too many given the current economic climate.

I am not convinced that this signals a wholesale withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. Although I did support the Gaza pull-out (not the way in which it was undertaken), I don’t support massive withdrawal from these areas. I don’t believe that this is on Bibi’s agenda.

Instead, I think that this is a smart tactic by Bibi to put the ball back into the court of the Palestinians. It has already achieved this. Because I don’t believe that the Palestinians will be able (or willing) to do what the US requires of them as a next step towards peace, it probably won’t be too long until the construction in Judea and Samaria continues.

Like Barak’s offer to give up part of Jerusalem at Camp David, this tactic will show the Palestinians for what they really are. Unwilling to really invest in a peace treaty with Israel. When the building freeze is lifted in 10 months’ time, it will give Bibi a much freer hand with the Americans to do what he wants.

]]> By: Eric http://www.israelsituation.com/2009/11/netanyahu-announces-settlement-freeze/comment-page-1/#comment-420 Eric Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:19:24 +0000 http://www.israelsituation.com/?p=1667#comment-420 Maurice, thanks for the vote of confidence and agreement. Maurice, thanks for the vote of confidence and agreement.

]]> By: Maurice http://www.israelsituation.com/2009/11/netanyahu-announces-settlement-freeze/comment-page-1/#comment-419 Maurice Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:24:10 +0000 http://www.israelsituation.com/?p=1667#comment-419 AGREED. You are 100% correct. AGREED. You are 100% correct.

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