REPORT ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENT IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES A Bimonthly Publication of the Foundation for Middle East Peace Volume 20 Number 4 July-August 2010 MOVING BEYOND A SETTLEMENT FREEZE — THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION LOOKS FOR A NEW COURSE By Geoffrey Aronson the settlement of Amona, for example, The wave of building in Judea the state prosecutor’s office offered an In their meeting on July 6, President and Samaria has never been explanation for its inaction that was Barack Obama and Israeli prime minis- higher. Thousands of units are described by Ha’aretz correspondent ter Benjamin Netanyahu presented a being built in every location. I Akiva Eldar as “the line that will go well-choreographed bit of political the- was never a fan of the freeze. No down in the ‘chutzpah’ record books: atre aimed at highlighting the “excel- one in the cabinet was. [The The prosecution asks to reject the lent” personal and political relations be- freeze] was a mistake. It is impos- demand to evacuate the illegal settle- tween the two leaders and the countries sible to take people and freeze ment since diverting the limited means they represent. Obama explained after them. This is not a solution. The of enforcement to old illegal construc- their meeting that, “As Prime Minister government remains committed tion ‘is not high on the respondents’ Netanyahu indicated in his speech, the to renew a wave of construction agenda.’ And why not? ‘Means of bond between the United States and this coming September. In any enforcement’ are needed to implement Israel is unbreakable. It encompasses our event, I know that as far as I am the temporary building freeze in the national security interests, our strategic concerned, there is no freeze. settlements. In other words, the govern- interests, but most importantly, the Minister of Construction Yisrael ment’s decision in the matter of the bond of two democracies who share a Katz, Ma’ariv, May 7, 2010 temporary moratorium on construction common set of values and whose people in the settlements has become the illegal have grown closer and closer as time settlements’ insurance policy.” goes on.” ing frustration with the pace of diplo- Administration officials, notwith- Both leaders were intent upon reset- macy, describing the state of affairs as a standing Obama’s own public dissatis- ting a rocky relationship, characterized “dead end.” faction, have adopted a more optimistic by their ongoing public disputes about The call for an end to settlement view. In briefings before the Netanyahu settlement expansion. Instead they expansion has been at the heart of this visit, they explained that the moratori- stressed close bilateral military, intelli- policy. But the qualified 10 month set- um has accomplished its objective—now gence, and security cooperation. tlement moratorium, declared in late defined as readying the parties for direct In his June meeting with Palestinian November 2009 after months of U.S. talks that Israel has long demanded. Liberation Organization chairman effort, has had no effect on the ground “The settlement freeze or moratori- Mahmoud Abbas, Obama also reaf- or in convincing Palestinians and the um that the Prime Minister announced firmed Washington’s commitment to “a rest of the international community of last fall was really quite significant and two-state solution in the Middle East in Netanyahu’s good intentions. Indeed we think has contributed to the progress which we have an Israel that is secure Israel’s government has invoked the we have made so far”, explained Nation- and fully accepted by its neighbors, and moratorium as a reason not to comply al Security Council official Dan Sha- a Palestinian people that have their own with both domestic legal and interna- piro, senior director for the Middle East state, self-determination, and the ability tional obligations in the Road Map to and North Africa. to chart their own destiny.” Yet the pres- dismantle unauthorized settlements. The moratorium has “facilitate[d] ident, in contrast to the optimism he In a recent reply to petitioners productive proximity talks to lead into exuded at the recent meeting with demanding enforcement of prior court Netanyahu, did not conceal his continu- decisions calling for the dismantling of NEW COURSE, continued on page 7 TO OUR READERS FOUNDATION FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE President Obama appeared to turn a daylight between us”—U.S.-Israeli relation- new page in U.S. policy with his effusive ship is essential, we must ask what are the Merle Thorpe, Jr. welcome of Prime Minister Netanyahu, his incentives for Netanyahu to work for a two Founder efforts to play down the quarrel over settle- state peace if the U.S. does not seriously (1917–1994) ments, and his expansive security commit- challenge his commitment to settlement ments to Israel. Was this based on the slo- and occupation policies, and make clear Philip C. Wilcox, Jr. gan that peace requires a tight alignment of that Israel will pay a price if it cannot President U.S. and Israeli policies, and that Israel’s accommodate U.S. interests? Geoffrey Aronson security claims are unquestionable? Or was On the need for new security assurances, Director, Research and this love fest only a sign that the White of course Israel’s security is a U.S. priority. Publications, Editor, Report on House wants to suspend tough Middle But extraordinary U.S. support for Israel’s Israeli Settlement in the Occupied East diplomacy during the coming election security, rather than “giving it the confi- Territories season? dence it needs to make peace” has often Nitzan Goldberger Thus far, the Administration has little to encouraged Israel to resist compromise and Waseem Mardini show for its year long effort to freeze settle- to believe it can do what it wishes in the Editorial Assistants ments as the way to launch peace talks, name of security. Obama’s implied promise given the loopholes in Israel’s temporary to exempt Israel from the Non-Prolifer- Alexander Bain Interns moratorium and Netanyahu’s vow not to ation Treaty regime is especially unfortu- renew it. Perhaps the administration now nate, since it elevates Israel’s policy—and TRUSTEES realizes that addressing borders directly is not necessarily its interests—above U.S. the best way to deal with settlements and worldwide NPT goals. Landrum R. Bolling Jerusalem. We still have no clue, however, Calvin H. Cobb, Jr. about U.S. policy on these core issues. James J. Cromwell As for the view that a seamless—“no Peter Gubser Stephen Hartwell Richard S.T. Marsh —————— N —————— Richard W. Murphy Jean C. Newsom SETTLER POPULATION IN EAST JERUSALEM, 2000–2008 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 © 2010 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 July-August 2010 May 21, 2010, Yediot Yerushalaim. July-August 2010 Report on Israeli Settlement O 3 SETTLEMENT TIME LINE February 7 MK Moshe Matlon (Yisrael archs in Hebron and Rachel’s Tomb in anniversary of the 1994 massacre of 29 Mus- Beiteinu) proposes a bill to make Route 443 Bethlehem to a list of national heritage sites. lims by Baruch Goldstein at the Ibrahimi accessible to Israelis only. The bill, which has In response, Fatah officials call for a general Mosque. (Ha’aretz) the support of 17 other MKs, follows a strike. (Arutz 7, al-Ayyam) February 26 Dozens of Palestinian youths December ruling by the High Court of Dozens of right-wing Israeli activists break throw stones at Israeli soldiers in Hebron in Justice ordering that Palestinians be allowed through an IDF checkpoint in an attempt to protest of the Israeli national heritage list. access to it. (Israel Radio) reach an ancient synagogue in the heart of (Yediot Aharonot) February 8 Israeli interior minister Eli Jericho. The site, burned to the ground near- Settler activists travel to the northern West Yishai pushes to legalize settler occupancy of ly a decade ago, was renovated by the Pale- Bank settlement of Sa-Nur, one of the set- the Beit Yehonatan building in the Silwan stinian Authority. Visitors must receive per- tlements evacuated and demolished as part area of East Jerusalem. (Israel Radio) mission from Israeli and Palestinian security of the 2005 disengagement. (Arutz 7) officials to access it. (Israel Radio) February 10 The Knesset votes in favor of February 27 Several hundred settlers from a bill to grant tax breaks to settlers living in February 22 Palestinian security forces Kiryat Arba and Hebron take part in the the Golan Heights. (Ha’aretz) deliver to Israel a Qassam rocket constructed traditional Purim parade along the Zion in a West Bank village and ready for launch February 11 The Israel Defense Forces route, towards the Tomb of Patriarchs. at the time it was seized. (Army Radio) (IDF) begin altering the route of the separa- (Israel Radio) tion barrier near the village of Bil’in in Settlers ring with barbed wire 10 dunams of March 1 Unknown assailants shoot and accordance with a 2007 High Court of Jus- land belonging to a resident of Sinjel village injure a security guard near the Beit tice ruling. The rerouting will return about in the Ramallah governorate. (al-Ayyam) Yehonatan building in Silwan. (Israel Radio) half of the 2,000 dunams appropriated for In Hebron, approximately 100 Palestinian the barrier’s original route.