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Amnesty: Time to act on removal of unlawful Israeli settlements
Report, Amnesty International, 24 March 2005
A aerial photo released by Americans for Peace Now clearly displays the development of an illegal outpost, Palgei Mayim, located near ''Eli'' settlement and east of ''Ariel'' settlement in the north of the West Bank. (ARIJ)
---
For the first time in four and a half years, we are witnessing some positive developments in the human rights situation Israel and the Occupied Territories. In recent months killings by both the Israeli army and Palestinian armed groups have significantly diminished, as has the destruction of Palestinian homes and properties by Israeli forces, and preparation is under way for the evacuation of the Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip.
These welcome developments have raised new hopes among the Israeli and Palestinian civilian populations, who have borne the brunt of the violence in recent years. Since September 2000, more than 3,200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and some 1,000 Israelis have been killed by Palestinian armed groups. Most of those killed were unarmed civilians and among them were more than 600 Palestinian children and more than 100 Israeli children.
But the cycle of killings has not been the only human rights tragedy which has wrecked the lives of so many men, women and children. Palestinians, who have been living under Israeli occupation for 38 years, have faced an unprecedented level of human rights violations in the past four and a half years. The unlawful destruction by Israeli forces of more than 4,000 homes, vast areas of agricultural land, commercial properties, and infrastructure throughout the Occupied Territories, has left tens of thousands of Palestinians homeless and destitute.
The impact of such mass destruction will be long-lasting. For the Palestinians who lost their homes and their livelihood overnight, it will take years to rebuild their lives and they will need the assistance of the international community.
Hundreds of checkpoints, blockades and roadblocks hinder the movement of Palestinians between towns and villages in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, arbitrarily curtailing their access to their land and their jobs, to education and healthcare facilities and to other crucial services. As a result, unemployment and poverty have dramatically increased, pushing a growing number of Palestinians below the poverty line, and a growing number of people are suffering from poor health and malnutrition. Children, women and others amongst the most vulnerable members of Palestinian society have been particularly affected.
The ongoing construction by Israel of a fence/wall through the West Bank has exacerbated the problems of access for Palestinians to crucial services in the affected areas. These problems and the resulting deterioration in the humanitarian situation have been well documented by several UN agencies and by the Commission's Special Rapporteur. The International Court of Justice, in its Advisory Opinion of July 2004, declared that the construction of the fence/wall inside the West Bank is illegal under international law and called for it to be dismantled.
The fact that most of the fence/wall lies inside the West Bank, and not on the Green Line between Israel and the West Bank, indicates that it is intended to encompass most Israeli settlements - rather than to stop Palestinian suicide bombers and other attackers from entering Israel, as Israel claims.
Israel's decision to dismantle all its settlements in the Gaza Strip and some sparsely populated settlement in the West Bank is a welcome development. However, the evacuation of some 8,000 Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip and from some very sparsely populated settlements in the West Bank must not be allowed to be used by Israel as an opportunity to expand other settlements in the West Bank, where some 400,000 Israelis live in violation of international law.
The international community has long recognized the unlawfulness of the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories. UN Security Council Resolution 465 (of 1 March 1980) called on Israel "... to dismantle the existing settlements and in particular to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem".
However, the international community failed to take any measure to implement this resolution. Most Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories were built after this resolution was passed, with the greatest expansion having taken place in the past decade. The establishment and expansion of settlements and related infrastructure in the West Bank is continuing on a daily basis, contrary to Israel's commitment under the UN-sponsored 2003 Roadmap peace plan. This week the Israeli government confirmed its plan to built 3,500 new settlement houses in the East Jerusalem area of the West Bank.
As well as violating international humanitarian law per se, the implementation of Israel's settlement policy in the Occupied Territories violates fundamental human rights provisions, including the prohibition of discrimination. The seizure and appropriations of land for Israeli settlements, bypass roads and related infrastructure and discriminatory allocation of other vital resources, including water, have had a devastating impact on the fundamental rights of the local Palestinian population, including their rights to an adequate standard of living, housing, health, education, and work, and freedom of movement within the Occupied Territories.
The Commission collectively and member states individually have a responsibility to take measures to ensure that the Israeli and Palestinian sides comply with their obligations to abide by international law and respect fundamental rights. The international community must support the parties concerned when they take measures towards improving the human rights situation and must bring pressure to bear on them if they do not.
A crucial factor in the collapse of previous peace initiatives has been their failure to address key human rights issues. A human rights agenda must be a central part of any solution to the conflict.
In recent months, pressure from the international community has undoubtedly contributed to breaking the cycle of killings of Israelis and Palestinians. This pressure must be kept up on both parties to encourage them to build on the progress achieved so far. This includes taking the necessary measures to ensure that Israel halts the construction or expansion of settlements in the Occupied Territories and evacuates Israeli settlers living there, in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 465.
It is essential that the international community puts in place an adequate mechanism to monitor the degree to which each of the concerned parties implements its commitments. An international monitoring presence would appreciably enhance and build on efforts made by the concerned parties and provide a useful framework for enhancing their accountability. Recognizing that the deployment of international monitors requires the agreement of all parties to the conflict, Amnesty International reiterates its call on Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as well as states with influence with the parties, to take the steps necessary for the deployment of international human rights monitors.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article3707.shtml
---
For the first time in four and a half years, we are witnessing some positive developments in the human rights situation Israel and the Occupied Territories. In recent months killings by both the Israeli army and Palestinian armed groups have significantly diminished, as has the destruction of Palestinian homes and properties by Israeli forces, and preparation is under way for the evacuation of the Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip.
These welcome developments have raised new hopes among the Israeli and Palestinian civilian populations, who have borne the brunt of the violence in recent years. Since September 2000, more than 3,200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and some 1,000 Israelis have been killed by Palestinian armed groups. Most of those killed were unarmed civilians and among them were more than 600 Palestinian children and more than 100 Israeli children.
But the cycle of killings has not been the only human rights tragedy which has wrecked the lives of so many men, women and children. Palestinians, who have been living under Israeli occupation for 38 years, have faced an unprecedented level of human rights violations in the past four and a half years. The unlawful destruction by Israeli forces of more than 4,000 homes, vast areas of agricultural land, commercial properties, and infrastructure throughout the Occupied Territories, has left tens of thousands of Palestinians homeless and destitute.
The impact of such mass destruction will be long-lasting. For the Palestinians who lost their homes and their livelihood overnight, it will take years to rebuild their lives and they will need the assistance of the international community.
Hundreds of checkpoints, blockades and roadblocks hinder the movement of Palestinians between towns and villages in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, arbitrarily curtailing their access to their land and their jobs, to education and healthcare facilities and to other crucial services. As a result, unemployment and poverty have dramatically increased, pushing a growing number of Palestinians below the poverty line, and a growing number of people are suffering from poor health and malnutrition. Children, women and others amongst the most vulnerable members of Palestinian society have been particularly affected.
The ongoing construction by Israel of a fence/wall through the West Bank has exacerbated the problems of access for Palestinians to crucial services in the affected areas. These problems and the resulting deterioration in the humanitarian situation have been well documented by several UN agencies and by the Commission's Special Rapporteur. The International Court of Justice, in its Advisory Opinion of July 2004, declared that the construction of the fence/wall inside the West Bank is illegal under international law and called for it to be dismantled.
The fact that most of the fence/wall lies inside the West Bank, and not on the Green Line between Israel and the West Bank, indicates that it is intended to encompass most Israeli settlements - rather than to stop Palestinian suicide bombers and other attackers from entering Israel, as Israel claims.
Israel's decision to dismantle all its settlements in the Gaza Strip and some sparsely populated settlement in the West Bank is a welcome development. However, the evacuation of some 8,000 Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip and from some very sparsely populated settlements in the West Bank must not be allowed to be used by Israel as an opportunity to expand other settlements in the West Bank, where some 400,000 Israelis live in violation of international law.
The international community has long recognized the unlawfulness of the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories. UN Security Council Resolution 465 (of 1 March 1980) called on Israel "... to dismantle the existing settlements and in particular to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem".
However, the international community failed to take any measure to implement this resolution. Most Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories were built after this resolution was passed, with the greatest expansion having taken place in the past decade. The establishment and expansion of settlements and related infrastructure in the West Bank is continuing on a daily basis, contrary to Israel's commitment under the UN-sponsored 2003 Roadmap peace plan. This week the Israeli government confirmed its plan to built 3,500 new settlement houses in the East Jerusalem area of the West Bank.
As well as violating international humanitarian law per se, the implementation of Israel's settlement policy in the Occupied Territories violates fundamental human rights provisions, including the prohibition of discrimination. The seizure and appropriations of land for Israeli settlements, bypass roads and related infrastructure and discriminatory allocation of other vital resources, including water, have had a devastating impact on the fundamental rights of the local Palestinian population, including their rights to an adequate standard of living, housing, health, education, and work, and freedom of movement within the Occupied Territories.
The Commission collectively and member states individually have a responsibility to take measures to ensure that the Israeli and Palestinian sides comply with their obligations to abide by international law and respect fundamental rights. The international community must support the parties concerned when they take measures towards improving the human rights situation and must bring pressure to bear on them if they do not.
A crucial factor in the collapse of previous peace initiatives has been their failure to address key human rights issues. A human rights agenda must be a central part of any solution to the conflict.
In recent months, pressure from the international community has undoubtedly contributed to breaking the cycle of killings of Israelis and Palestinians. This pressure must be kept up on both parties to encourage them to build on the progress achieved so far. This includes taking the necessary measures to ensure that Israel halts the construction or expansion of settlements in the Occupied Territories and evacuates Israeli settlers living there, in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 465.
It is essential that the international community puts in place an adequate mechanism to monitor the degree to which each of the concerned parties implements its commitments. An international monitoring presence would appreciably enhance and build on efforts made by the concerned parties and provide a useful framework for enhancing their accountability. Recognizing that the deployment of international monitors requires the agreement of all parties to the conflict, Amnesty International reiterates its call on Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as well as states with influence with the parties, to take the steps necessary for the deployment of international human rights monitors.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article3707.shtml
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Jerusalem is the Capiital City of Israel...If the Arabs want peace, they'll have to accept certain facts. But seriously, it doesn't matter how many concessions are made to the arabs, they will never be satisfied, they will never be happy and they will always look for an excuse to murder more inncoent people.
Jerusalem is NEVER mentioned one time in the Koran...It is however mentioned over 750 times in the Torah.
Jerusalem is NEVER mentioned one time in the Koran...It is however mentioned over 750 times in the Torah.
Abu-Mazen has been unable, or more likely unwilling, to disarm the terrorists in the cities handed over to PA control some time back, namely Jericho and Tul-Karm. Note the most recent events, i.e. the shooting attack on Abbas' main office in Ramallah and PA police tents being set on fore following two separate flimsy efforts at imposing the rule of law on a few unruly Fatah gunmen.
Therefore, to echo some anon., "how can the Palestinians be trusted with land control???".
The PA would be far better cleaning up its act before demanding more territory be handed over to them. I'd dismiss Amnesty's above protests as they couldn't care less about the problems the lack of rule of law in PA governed areas pose to Israeli security.
Therefore, to echo some anon., "how can the Palestinians be trusted with land control???".
The PA would be far better cleaning up its act before demanding more territory be handed over to them. I'd dismiss Amnesty's above protests as they couldn't care less about the problems the lack of rule of law in PA governed areas pose to Israeli security.
I remember once talking to a white S Afrcican duing the 80s who claimed they were not racist but that the situation in the country meant that nonWhites couldnt get a vote until they stopped fighting and cut connections with the USSR. Its easy to come up with tasks an oppressed population has to do before they can become free but when the tasks are impossible and new ones come up any demand is satisifed peopel stop listening to the demands and start realizing they are just justifications for oppression. The white S African even came up with "when they stop comitting crimes they will get their freedom", which was a more racist version of the pro-Israel demand; demanding that those living under apartheid without any real power even over their own neighborhoods make their neighborhodds the first crime free neighborhoods in the world was obviously an unreasonable demand but the gut appeal and racism against nonWhites allowed this to be a justficiation in the minds of S African whites. Demanding that the Palestinian leadership stop all attacks on Israel is probably impossible and the Palestinian leadership knows that part of the demans is to make it so the PA is forced to crack down on the freedoms of the Palestinians (taking over roadblocks but still stopping everyone and checking them and maintaining curfews) creat8ing a Palestinian civil war allowing Irsael anothr decade or two to make more settlements in the West Bank "facts on the ground".
Likewise, the "task" to be undertaken by the PA isn't impossible. The PA made a first paramount step by officially ceasing the "armed struggle" against Israel. The next steps -- imposing its authority over renegade gunmen, aren't impossible. Fact is, Abbas' aides have already issued threats that the perpetrators of the latest attacks on PA property will be dealt with harshly as they've "crossed a red line". The only question is when Abbas and his loyal officials will be willing to assert their authority over those "troublemakers". If they will it bad enough, they'll do it. (Sharon's increasing wherewithal to assert his authority to halt the construction of illegal outposts in northern Samaria is noteworthy in this context).
Pro-Palestinian folk don't encounter difficulty referring to Israel's having failed -- and note that your remarks demand the impossible *of Israel*, i.e. that Israel annex the disputed territories -- to apply civilian law instead of military law so as to grant everyone in those areas an equal voting rights, but never to focus on present Palestinian misdeeds and omissions. Never mind that Israel had a choice to do so only prior to the 1993 Oslo Accord signing ceremony, and the issue is nowadays a non-starter. People levelling such patently unfair and unrealistic criticism are doing the Palestinian cause a disservice.
If you're sincere about seeking peace and advancing toward a better outcome than renewed violence along the lines of the road-map, you can't expect Israel not to demand the PA comply with its own undertakings to do *its utmost* to disarm terrorists. It's not as if the road-map demands Israel first dismantle all the Jewish outposts before a serious attempt is made by the PA to neutralize terrorists' ability to strike at Israeli targets in areas it already controls.
Contrary to what you claim, many do have power over their immediate environs, e.g. members of the various terror factions, let alone PA personnel. Your portrayal of the situation is really skewed.
The demand made of the PA is that they act to the best of their ability, not necessarily that they achieve 100% success at stomping out crime or even terrorist capabilities amongst the Palestinian population.
A Palestinian civil war need not last a decade. However, when was the last time a pro-Palestinian pundit was aware of the danger of a possible Israeli civil war due to the extent of concessions being made to the PA but not reached on the basis of an intra-Israeli consensus, and its potential repercussions on the Israeli public's security, including a significantly heightened vulnerability to Palestinian terror attacks?
Like it or not, the bottom line is, most Israeli Jews, including their government, aren't about to gallop toward another false and illusory peace making all the concessions and not hold the PA to its part in the deal.
It barely gets pointed out here that also Palestinians have established quite many "facts on the ground" since 1967 in the disputed territories. Many Arab villages are in fact settlements. Which reminds me of just how kneejerkingly idiotic the shtick of calling a town like Ariel a settlement is.
Pro-Palestinian folk don't encounter difficulty referring to Israel's having failed -- and note that your remarks demand the impossible *of Israel*, i.e. that Israel annex the disputed territories -- to apply civilian law instead of military law so as to grant everyone in those areas an equal voting rights, but never to focus on present Palestinian misdeeds and omissions. Never mind that Israel had a choice to do so only prior to the 1993 Oslo Accord signing ceremony, and the issue is nowadays a non-starter. People levelling such patently unfair and unrealistic criticism are doing the Palestinian cause a disservice.
If you're sincere about seeking peace and advancing toward a better outcome than renewed violence along the lines of the road-map, you can't expect Israel not to demand the PA comply with its own undertakings to do *its utmost* to disarm terrorists. It's not as if the road-map demands Israel first dismantle all the Jewish outposts before a serious attempt is made by the PA to neutralize terrorists' ability to strike at Israeli targets in areas it already controls.
Contrary to what you claim, many do have power over their immediate environs, e.g. members of the various terror factions, let alone PA personnel. Your portrayal of the situation is really skewed.
The demand made of the PA is that they act to the best of their ability, not necessarily that they achieve 100% success at stomping out crime or even terrorist capabilities amongst the Palestinian population.
A Palestinian civil war need not last a decade. However, when was the last time a pro-Palestinian pundit was aware of the danger of a possible Israeli civil war due to the extent of concessions being made to the PA but not reached on the basis of an intra-Israeli consensus, and its potential repercussions on the Israeli public's security, including a significantly heightened vulnerability to Palestinian terror attacks?
Like it or not, the bottom line is, most Israeli Jews, including their government, aren't about to gallop toward another false and illusory peace making all the concessions and not hold the PA to its part in the deal.
It barely gets pointed out here that also Palestinians have established quite many "facts on the ground" since 1967 in the disputed territories. Many Arab villages are in fact settlements. Which reminds me of just how kneejerkingly idiotic the shtick of calling a town like Ariel a settlement is.
We should not make the settlements the problem....
There are 1,200,000 or so Arab setlers living inside Israel Proper....
Do we make them the problem....No....They are Arab settlers who happen to live inside Israel.
If we were to go ahead and make the Viable Palestinian State called for in the Road Map to Peace Now, in the whole of the West Bank and Gaza (only 22% of what is TODAY (forget the past, it is gone, gone, gone) Israel, West Bank and Gaza)....Some of the violence we see might come to an end.
Just like you have Israel with 1,200,000 or so Arab settlers.
You would have Palestine with 400,000 or so Jews.
By making it easy for the Jews to move to Israel proper and for Arab settlers to move to Palestine if they wanted to, perhaps you would not have to force anyone to move.
It might happen naturally, A Jewish family living in the State of Palestine in the West Bank decided they want to move to Israel. They put their house up for sale (just like a person would anywhere in the U.S. if lets say, they wanted to move from Ohio to Texas).....They sell their house...the Israeli Government has set up an agency to help them move to Israel Proper....The same should go for the Arab settlers inside Israel.
No one knows until it is done.......
Peace could just be around the corner......
""IF"" only 200,000 Jews decided to move to Israel.
""IF"" only 500,000 Arab settlers inside Israel decided to move to the new Palestinian State....once it was a Viable State with its own Government free from the Israeli Occupation.
You would end up with Palestine with a Palestinian majority and only 200,000 Jews.
You would end up with Israel with a Jewish majority and only 700,000 Arab settlers...
Of course this is not exact but it is a sample of what could happen.
But if you want any kind of Peace you have to start somewhere......
And there are some things that cannot be disputed.
In 1948 through 1967, the Arabs of the West Bank and Gaza did not think of having a state of their own......
The Majority of the Palestinian People that lived in the West Bank and Gaza before 1967 were born elsewhere and had not lived their whole lives there.
It is true that the Majority of the Jews living inside Israel were born there and have lived their whole lives there but the majority (not all) of their ancestors came there from different Continents, just like the Majority of the ancestors of the Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza arrived from neighboring Arab Countries from the late 1800's to 1947 after World War II.
The Jews decided to call their State Israel and their People in Israel Israelis.
The Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza should be able to call themselves Palestinians if that is what they want to be called.
There are 1,200,000 or so Arab setlers living inside Israel Proper....
Do we make them the problem....No....They are Arab settlers who happen to live inside Israel.
If we were to go ahead and make the Viable Palestinian State called for in the Road Map to Peace Now, in the whole of the West Bank and Gaza (only 22% of what is TODAY (forget the past, it is gone, gone, gone) Israel, West Bank and Gaza)....Some of the violence we see might come to an end.
Just like you have Israel with 1,200,000 or so Arab settlers.
You would have Palestine with 400,000 or so Jews.
By making it easy for the Jews to move to Israel proper and for Arab settlers to move to Palestine if they wanted to, perhaps you would not have to force anyone to move.
It might happen naturally, A Jewish family living in the State of Palestine in the West Bank decided they want to move to Israel. They put their house up for sale (just like a person would anywhere in the U.S. if lets say, they wanted to move from Ohio to Texas).....They sell their house...the Israeli Government has set up an agency to help them move to Israel Proper....The same should go for the Arab settlers inside Israel.
No one knows until it is done.......
Peace could just be around the corner......
""IF"" only 200,000 Jews decided to move to Israel.
""IF"" only 500,000 Arab settlers inside Israel decided to move to the new Palestinian State....once it was a Viable State with its own Government free from the Israeli Occupation.
You would end up with Palestine with a Palestinian majority and only 200,000 Jews.
You would end up with Israel with a Jewish majority and only 700,000 Arab settlers...
Of course this is not exact but it is a sample of what could happen.
But if you want any kind of Peace you have to start somewhere......
And there are some things that cannot be disputed.
In 1948 through 1967, the Arabs of the West Bank and Gaza did not think of having a state of their own......
The Majority of the Palestinian People that lived in the West Bank and Gaza before 1967 were born elsewhere and had not lived their whole lives there.
It is true that the Majority of the Jews living inside Israel were born there and have lived their whole lives there but the majority (not all) of their ancestors came there from different Continents, just like the Majority of the ancestors of the Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza arrived from neighboring Arab Countries from the late 1800's to 1947 after World War II.
The Jews decided to call their State Israel and their People in Israel Israelis.
The Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza should be able to call themselves Palestinians if that is what they want to be called.
We should not make the settlements the problem....
There are 1,200,000 or so Arab setlers living inside Israel Proper....
Do we make them the problem....No....They are Arab settlers who happen to live inside Israel.
If we were to go ahead and make the Viable Palestinian State called for in the Road Map to Peace Now in the whole of the West Bank and Gaza (less than 22% of what is TODAY (forget the past, it is gone, gone, gone) Israel, West Bank and Gaza and Jordan)....Some of the violence we see might come to an end. But not necessarily...
Just like you have Israel with 1,200,000 or so Arab settlers.
You would have Palestine with 400,000 or so Jews.
By making it easy for the Jews to move to Israel proper and for Arab settlers to move to Palestine if they want to, perhaps you would not have to force anyone to move.
It might happen naturally, A Jewish family living in the State of Palestine in Part of the West Bank decid they want to move to Israel. They put their house up for sale (just like a person would anywhere in the U.S. if let's say they wanted to move from Ohio to Texas).....They sell their house...the Israeli Government has set up an agency to help them move to Israel Proper....The same should go for the Arab settlers inside Israel.
No one knows until it is done.......
Peace could not just be around the corner......
""IF"" only 200,000 Jews decided to move to Israel.
""IF"" only 500,000 Arab settlers inside Israel decided to move to the new Palestinian State....once it was a Viable State with its own Government free from the Israeli Occupation.
You would end up with Palestine with a Palestinian majority and only 200,000 Jews.
You would end up with Israel with a Jewish majority and only 700,000 Arab settlers...
Of course this is not exact but it is a sample of what could happen.
But if you want any kind of Peace you have to start somewhere......
And there are some things that cannot be disputed.
From 1948 through 1967, the Arabs of the West Bank and Gaza did not think of having a state of their own......
The Majority of the Palestinian People that lived in the West Bank and Gaza before 1967 were born elsewhere and had not lived their whole lives there.
It is true that the Majority of the Jews living inside Israel were born there and have lived their whole lives there but the majority (not all) of their ancestors came there from different Continents, just like the Majority of the ancestors of the Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza arrived from neighboring Arab Countries from the late 1800's to 1947 after World War II.
The Jews decided to call their State Israel and their People in Israel Israelis.
The Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza should be able to call themselves Palestinians if that is what they want to be called.
There are 1,200,000 or so Arab setlers living inside Israel Proper....
Do we make them the problem....No....They are Arab settlers who happen to live inside Israel.
If we were to go ahead and make the Viable Palestinian State called for in the Road Map to Peace Now in the whole of the West Bank and Gaza (less than 22% of what is TODAY (forget the past, it is gone, gone, gone) Israel, West Bank and Gaza and Jordan)....Some of the violence we see might come to an end. But not necessarily...
Just like you have Israel with 1,200,000 or so Arab settlers.
You would have Palestine with 400,000 or so Jews.
By making it easy for the Jews to move to Israel proper and for Arab settlers to move to Palestine if they want to, perhaps you would not have to force anyone to move.
It might happen naturally, A Jewish family living in the State of Palestine in Part of the West Bank decid they want to move to Israel. They put their house up for sale (just like a person would anywhere in the U.S. if let's say they wanted to move from Ohio to Texas).....They sell their house...the Israeli Government has set up an agency to help them move to Israel Proper....The same should go for the Arab settlers inside Israel.
No one knows until it is done.......
Peace could not just be around the corner......
""IF"" only 200,000 Jews decided to move to Israel.
""IF"" only 500,000 Arab settlers inside Israel decided to move to the new Palestinian State....once it was a Viable State with its own Government free from the Israeli Occupation.
You would end up with Palestine with a Palestinian majority and only 200,000 Jews.
You would end up with Israel with a Jewish majority and only 700,000 Arab settlers...
Of course this is not exact but it is a sample of what could happen.
But if you want any kind of Peace you have to start somewhere......
And there are some things that cannot be disputed.
From 1948 through 1967, the Arabs of the West Bank and Gaza did not think of having a state of their own......
The Majority of the Palestinian People that lived in the West Bank and Gaza before 1967 were born elsewhere and had not lived their whole lives there.
It is true that the Majority of the Jews living inside Israel were born there and have lived their whole lives there but the majority (not all) of their ancestors came there from different Continents, just like the Majority of the ancestors of the Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza arrived from neighboring Arab Countries from the late 1800's to 1947 after World War II.
The Jews decided to call their State Israel and their People in Israel Israelis.
The Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza should be able to call themselves Palestinians if that is what they want to be called.
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