REPORT ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENT IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES A Bimonthly Publication of the Foundation for Middle East Peac e Volum e 18 N umber 4 July-August 2008 WHERE WILL THE PALESTINIAN STATE BE ESTABLISHED? By Geoffrey Aronson the generic issues to be negotiated. ing major Israeli population centers, it is Palestinian Authority president unrealistic to expect that the outcome of Israeli president Shimon Peres Mahmoud Abbas was at pains to convey final status negotiations will be a full recently observed, “There is a competi - to Rice that “Israel fulfill its obligations and complete return to the armistice tion here over staying power, not just vis a vis colonization, because we con - lines of 1949.” over the ability to withstand suffering.” sider settlement activity as the most Recalling this commitment, a Peres was referring to the conflict with important obstacle facing the political reporter asked Rice, “didn’t President Hamas in Gaza,that has just entered a process. And the more there are dates George Bush’s [April 2004] letter to new phase with the joint declaration on [announcing tenders for new settlement Prime Minister Ariel Sharon acknowl - June 19 of a tadhiya or “calm.” He could housing] and construction of settle - edge the facts on the ground?” point with equal justification, however, ments, the more this will constitute an “It acknowledged the current realities to the ongoing campaign of settlement impediment that will obstruct reaching of 2004,” Rice noted. “And of course construction in the West Bank and East any peace.” there are current realities and new reali - Jerusalem, that has succeeded, despite Rice acknowledged that almost eight ties since 1949 and 1967 for both sides. Palestinian opposition, in settling almost years into the George W. Bush admin - So what the president’s letter said is half a million Israelis in territories cap - istration, U.S. remonstrations to Israel there are population realities. Look— tured in June 1967. about settlement construction go no fur - some of those realities have been recog - Settlements are the most visible, ther than “pressing the case”—the long- nized in every agreement that never potent, and tangible manifestation of standing, pro forma effort to convey to quite made it as well. So this is nothing Israel’s “staying power” in its ongoing Israel that the U.S. views settlements as new, that those realities have been struggle with Palestinians to prevent the problematic and that “it is in Israel’s acknowledged. But the president said creation of a genuine Palestinian state. interest to do everything that it can to subject to mutual agreement and I They represent an existential challenge promote an atmosphere of confidence.” would remind [you] that the president’s to Palestinian efforts to establish sover - “I think the issue here,“ Rice ex- letter talked about realities at that time. eignty and independence, and thus are plained to reporters on June 15, “is to And there are realities for both sides, understood by Palestinians as the critical try to get back to a place that there’s which is why they need to draw a map benchmark against which the prospect some confidence that [Israel’s settlement and get it done.” of their liberation from occupation is to program] is not an effort, in some way, No one but Israel and the U.S. has be measured. to dictate or prejudge the final status formally acknowledged that these settle - U.S.-led diplomacy has failed to issue and to prejudice the final status ment realities will determine Israel’s address the central challenge that settle - outcome.” border with a Palestinian state. The ments pose to the international consen - Settlements, as Israelis and Palestin- American acknowledgment of the facts sus supporting an end to Israeli occupa - ians know too well, serve the very pur - created by settlements is not subject to tion and the creation of a Palestinian pose—unilaterally determining Israel’s Palestinian endorsement. The secretary state at peace with its neighbors. border—that Rice wants to discount. invoked the precedent of the stillborn Indeed, to judge by remarks made by Her insistence that this is not the case diplomatic dialogues at Camp David Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been betrayed by the administra - and Taba in order to justify unilateral during her June visit to the region, it is tion’s own policy of acknowledging in presidential recognition offered without not clear that she fully understands that April 2004 that “in light of new realities settlements are more than simply one of on the ground, including already exist - PALESTINIAN STATE , continued on page 6 TO OUR READERS FOUNDATION FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE First-time foreign visitors to the West our view, there is no one state “solution” Bank and East Jerusalem, or those who that could meet the basic needs of both Merle Thorpe, Jr. have not been to the area for many years, peoples and resolve the violence and injus - Founder are shocked by the large scale of settle - tice inherent in the status quo. (1917–1994) ments and related occupation infrastructure But if the United States is serious about that have transformed the landscape. It is helping Israelis and Palestinians rescue the Philip C. Wilcox, Jr. obvious to these observers that the more dream of a genuine two state peace, it will President than 200 settlements housing close to half need to replace its current weak and evasive Geoffrey Aronson a million Israelis, the hundreds of miles of approach to settlements and Jerusalem, Director, Research and settlement roads, the 500 or so check - make clear that peace means ending Israel’s Publications, Editor, Report on points, and the massive separation barrier occupation and settlement venture, and Israeli Settlement in the Occupied and watch towers, are not temporary, but provide urgent and resolute diplomatic Territories rather part of a sweeping and determined leadership and mediation. The wheel need Evan Colton plan for permanent Israeli occupation and not be reinvented. The details can draw Nitzan Goldberger control. It is not surprising that in the face upon the Clinton, Taba, and Geneva plans, Editorial Assistants of this glaring reality, many Palestinians which offer ways to address borders, settle - and a growing number of foreign observers ment withdrawal, and land swaps, a shared Adam Baron Intern now believe that Israel has created an irre - Jerusalem, and other final status issues. versible de facto single state. Without such an effort, the prospects for TRUSTEES The Foundation for Middle East Peace peace and two states will become even has always advocated a division of historic more distant than at present. Landrum R. Bolling Palestine into two states as the only means Calvin H. Cobb, Jr. of rescuing Israelis and Palestinians from James J. Cromwell permanent, mutually destructive conflict. In Peter Gubser Stephen Hartwell Richard S.T. Marsh —————— N —————— Richard W. Murphy Jean C. Newsom Golan Compensation Gail Pressberg William B. Quandt Yediot Aharonot reports on May 25, 2008, that $430 million will be spent in evac - Nicholas A. Veliotes uating all the settlers in the Golan, with $570,000 going to each family. The settlers will be offered relocation to the Galilee, where each settler will receive half a dunan of land. The Foundation, a non- ————————————— profit I.R.C. 501(c)(3) organization, supports peace Amid Talks, Golan Gets First Mall, and security for Israelis and and Development Booms Palestinians through mutual recognition and a negotiated As Turkish envoys were mediating Israeli-Syrian talks in Istanbul, construction division of historic Pales- workers in Moshav Bnei Yehuda were putting the finishing touches on the first tine. It publishes the bi- mall in the southern Golan Heights, which will open next month. According to the monthly Report on Israeli mall’s owner, Terrace Investments, it is meant to serve the needs of the “large popu - Settlement in the Occupied lation of tourists who visit the area,” as well as local residents. The mall is just one Territories . example of the Golan’s rapid development in recent years. Copyright © 2008 Terrace CEO Assaf Schuster offered an optimistic assessment of the Golan’s economic future: Local communities are planning to bring in hundreds of new fam - Sign up to receive the ilies, unique archaeological sites are being developed, and there are even plans to Report by e-mail, to be build a small airport, he noted. Local businessmen evidently share this optimism as notified of events in well: Terrace said that most of the mall’s stores have already been rented. Washington, D.C., and Yuval Azoulay, Ha’aretz , May 23, 2008 more. Visit us at www.fmep.org. 2 O Report on Israeli Settlement July-August 2008 GOLAN HEIGHTS 1923 - 2008 Northern Nabatiya DMZ Al Ghajar Marjayoun E NG i A n i n R Dan i Khiam a a N n b d i Banyas L O i ita d s i n M n a L R a a H E b d Tel H s d Azaziyat Al Ghajar a i s LEBANON s Majdal H L a ya y Ban Shams n S a N B 23% 40% Ein Kuniya I Senir Sde 37% Mas'ada Nehemia Northern DMZ Kiryat Shemona Bukata LAKE Yesud HULA Hama'ala Kuneitra Kirad LA Ghannama HU K.Bakkara S IN B A Yarda n Central a d DMZ Mahanayim r o J ISRAEL Gadot r e p Katzrin Tuba p U SYRIA a d r S o I 37% Safad J r 63% e p p U Central Moussadiye DMZ 10 Meter Strip held by Syria N LAKE 65% Tiberias Nukeib S N TIB E R IAS S Ein I Ein Gev 23% Gev I 12% Palestine Border(1923) Territorial Control of agreed by France Demilitarized Zones Southern and Great Britain 1949 - 1967 in DMZ Demilitarized Zones