REPORT ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENT IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES A Bimonthly Publication of the Foundation for Middle East Peac e Volum e 18 N umber 5 September-October 2008 ISRAEL LEADS THE CONTEST WITH PALESTINIANS FOR “STAYING POWER” By Geoffrey Aronson elections and the de facto government ‘finger’).” Interestingly, Israel’s annexa - in Gaza. tion of agreed upon parts of the West When asked about his legacy as pres - Yet Olmert has acted in a manner Bank would take place immediately ident, George W. Bush recently remark- contrary to his laudable rhetoric and his upon signature of the agreement— ed, “Oh, I don’t know. I’ll be dead when contacts with Hamas. Rather than break “Olmert’s proposal states that once a they finally figure it out. I’ll be long with the policies of his predecessors, he border is agreed upon, Israel would be gone before somebody finally figures out has promoted the consolidation of the able to build freely in the settlement the true merit and meaning of the Bush instruments of occupation, settlement, blocs to be annexed [more than 55 set - administration.” and overlordship of Palestinians that tlements with a population of more than Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert will arguably be his most lasting legacy. 400,000]”—while the transfer of “swap- has revealed a greater interest in defin - The parallel negotiating tracks estab - ped” territory to Palestine, as well as ing by year’s end his own historical con - lished after the November 2007 Anna- settlement evacuation in the remainder tribution, an intention no doubt fueled polis meeting—one between Olmert of the West Bank [including approxi - by his July 30 decision to resign from and Palestinian Authority chairman mately 70 settlements with a population leadership of the Kadima party, and thus Mahmoud Abbas, the other between of 70,000] would have no timetable and the premiership. Notwithstanding this Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and lead would have to await completion of “a choice, forced upon him by allegations negotiator Ahmad Qur’ei—have been series of internal [Palestinian] reforms,” of corruption, the complexities of Israeli “serious and professional” according to including the restoration of Fateh’s rule politics may enable Olmert to remain participants. Olmert has said that he in the Gaza Strip. prime minister until after Bush’s succes - does not “see a practical possibility of There are also reports of efforts to sor enters the White House in January achieving understandings on the issue of reach a bilateral U.S.-Israel understand - 2009. Despite his abysmal standing in Jerusalem by the end of the year,” but ing on the security principles that would the polls—only 6 percent of Israelis that on borders and refugees “the differ - govern an eventual Israeli-Palestinian consider him worthy to be prime ences aren’t dramatic.” Aluf Benn, in agreement. If agreed to by Washington, minister—Olmert’s remaining months Ha’aretz, reported details of a proposal the terms being discussed would signal in power offer him a last opportunity conveyed by Olmert to Abbas, accord - American support for a permanent to reverse the policies of occupation ing to which “Israel would keep 7 per - Israeli military presence throughout the and settlement over which he has cent of the West Bank, while the Pale- West Bank and along its borders. presided. stinians would receive territory equiva - Even if the most forthcoming out - Olmert has spoken far more forth - lent to 5.5 percent of West Bank. come of the Annapolis process material - rightly and eloquently than his prede - The land to be annexed to Israel would izes by the end of Olmert’s term, the cessors of the unbearable cost to Israel include the large settlement blocs, and implementation of an agreement that of continuing occupation and settle - the border would be similar to the pres - promises an end to occupation and set - ment—if only beyond the still-unfin - ent route of the separation fence. Israel tlement and the establishment of a ished separation barrier. He has also would keep Ma’ale Adumim, Gush viable and sovereign Palestinian state begun what will certainly be a tortuous Etzion (including Efrat), the settle - will remain distant and uncertain. diplomatic and military path towards ments surrounding Jerusalem and some establishing a common language with land in the northern West Bank adja - Hamas, the victor in the last Palestinian cent to Israel (including the Ariel ISRAEL , continued on page 4 TO OUR READERS FOUNDATION FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE This Report explores the glaring contra - Palestinian entity that could be called a diction between Prime Minister Ehud state. This aggressive settlement expansion Merle Thorpe, Jr. Olmert’s statements that Israel will be “fin - is occurring while Olmert is going through Founder ished” if it does not end its occupation of the motions of negotiating a two-state (1917–1994) the Palestinians, and his government’s poli - peace agreement with the Palestinians by cy of expanding settlements that ensure the end of 2008. Philip C. Wilcox, Jr. permanent conquest and settlement of the It is clear that Olmert and the majority President West Bank and East Jerusalem. of Israel’s secular political leaders now Geoffrey Aronson According to a recent report from Peace understand that settlements are bad for Director, Research and Now in Israel, settlement construction has Israel, but have become hostage politically Publications, Editor, Report on almost doubled over the past year. One to a settler lobby that has seized control of Israeli Settlement in the Occupied thousand new buildings containing 2,600 this issue. Yet, as Jeff Aronson points out in Territories new housing units are underway, construc - this issue, Olmert and his colleagues are Nitzan Goldberger tion tenders are up 550 percent, and plans also paralyzed by a syndrome in Israel’s Waseem Mardini for new housing units in east Jerusalem political culture that has not reconciled an Editorial Assistants have jumped to 6,843 from 1,734. This urge, based on its embattled history and burst of settlement activity is on both sides centuries of Jewish powerlessness, to prove Sara Bobak Intern of the separation barrier, belying the notion strength and defeat their Palestinian adver - that the barrier defines Israel’s concept of saries, with an intellectual recognition that TRUSTEES its final borders and a smaller Palestinian this would be a hollow victory that would state east of the barrier. On the contrary, lead to Israel’s own defeat as a Jewish, Landrum R. Bolling continued settlement building is strategi - democratic state. Calvin H. Cobb, Jr. cally located throughout the West Bank to James J. Cromwell preclude absolutely the emergence of any Peter Gubser Stephen Hartwell Richard S.T. Marsh —————— N —————— Richard W. Murphy Jean C. Newsom Gail Pressberg William B. Quandt Nicholas A. Veliotes The Foundation, a non- profit I.R.C. 501(c)(3) organization, supports peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians through mutual recognition and a negotiated division of historic Pales- tine. It publishes the bi- monthly Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories . Copyright © 2008 Sign up to receive the Report by e-mail, to be notified of events in Washington, D.C., and more. Visit us at www.fmep.org. 2 O Report on Israeli Settlement September-October 2008 WHAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN SAYING Do Settlements Represent Facts on the Ground? so. We’re also going to continue to talk about the political Rice: No . and Yes track, which is ongoing. Question: Apparently, based on his comments to reporters, Question: With that [in] mind, Secretary Rice, I mean the Israelis consider that—those [newly announced settle - Israel has defied you publicly. You [called] for a hold on set - ment] units as justified and there’s no indication they’re back - tlements and they’re constructing thousands of new units. ing down on it. What are you going to do about it? Or is the Bush adminis - Mr. McCormack: Well, you know, again, they have their tration (inaudible)? point of view, we have our point of view, with respect to the Secretary Condoleezza Rice: The settlement issue with Roadmap obligations. Our view is not changing, and we’re Israel is not unique to the Bush administration. going to continue talking to them about it. You know, ulti - Question: At a time when it’s the most urgent— mately, however, these questions about settlements where— Secretary Rice: The settlement issue is not unique to the you know, where lines are drawn, what is legitimate, what is Bush administration at a time when negotiations are going on not legitimate, with respect to Roadmap obligations, are only either. There’s a pattern here. And we’re going to continue to really ultimately going to be settled by a final negotiated set - raise it. I am hopeful that the Israelis understand that we very tlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. You’re not seriously are concerned not just about the activity itself, going to have these kinds of questions. You’re not going to although that’s an issue, but about the effect that it has on the have these kinds of bumps in the road with respect to negoti - confidence of the parties—of the Palestinians but also of the ations when these issues of settlements come up. United States. There’s no effort here to create facts on the And so our focus is to work with both sides to get as far as ground. And we believe and have said that the realities on the we can in achieving a settlement on all final status issues by ground have to be taken into account when any agreement is the end of the year.