http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?id=51130&mador=4
Ha'aretz, July 12, 1999
The Deceit Continues
By Danny Rubinstein, Ha'aretz
At best, the policy of successive Israeli
governments towards Jewish settlements in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip can be summed up as
ambivalent. On the one hand, they attack them for
setting up unauthorized outposts; on the other -
they guard and fund them.In the past, governments
have demanded the settlers evacuate the
unauthorized settlements, even expelled them
forcefully. But they have also worked with them in
tandem, searching solutions for an honorable
capitulation to some of their demands.
Since Rabbi Moshe Levinger first entered Hebron
over 30 years ago, claiming he just wanted to hold
a Passover Seder, the settlement campaign has been
riddled with deceit and trickery.
The process that led to the establishment of
Kiryat Arba started with a government decision to
set up a yeshiva in the city. Ma'aleh Adumim
stemmed originally from a decision to set up an
industrial zone in the area. Ofra started life as
a camp for workers in a military installation.
Some Samaria settlements were defined as 'field
schools'. Shilo was first labeled an
'archaeological dig.'
This sly ploy was thought up during Menachem
Begin's government. When a group of Gush Emunim
activists settled near the ruins of ancient Shilo,
masquerading as an archaeological expedition, then
Cabinet Secretary Aryeh Naor denied it was a
settlement. In fact, when asked by a television
reporter about the nature of the archaeological
camp, he answered that it would include a clinic,
but no banks. His answer was met with roars of
laughter: the only ones not laughing were the
fanatic settlers themselves. To this day, they do
not care what they are called as long as they can
settle where they like and are given public funds
to do so.
Every government has its own, unique tricks. These
have included arguing that a new construction was
in fact within Jerusalem. Ariel Sharon built new
settlements, labelling them new 'neighborhoods for
old settlements', expressed via settlement names
like Talmon A and Talmon B.
Netanyahu's government chose to cite the "natural
growth" excuse. It claimed the settlements were
not being expanded, yet growing naturally by a
process totally disconnected from government
initiatives.
During the transition period from Netanyahu's
government to Barak's, 42 illegal sites have
sprung up on the Judea and Samaria hills. Of
course, the settlers claim that in view of a
coalition agreement pledge not to harm any
existing settlements, these sites should not only
be left alone, but developed and expanded. It
should be noted that the millions of shekels spent
on these illegal strongholds have come from state
budgets.
Whom is this trickery intended to deceive? The
obvious answer is the international community and
the possible majority of Israeli citizens who are
opposed to the settlement movement.
It is also possible that the host of confusing
terminology and sophisticated nicknames is also a
form of self-deception. It is clear though that
above all, it is a sign of weakness on the part of
Israel's governments, afraid of the settler lobby.
Rabin's government was so afraid of the settlers
that it would not even remove supporters of Baruch
Goldstein from Arab Hebron in the wake of the
massacre there.
Netanyahu's government also gave into them,
failing to keep to commitments it undertook in the
Wye accords. With the help of the National
Religious Party and Natan Sharansky (Yisrael
B'Aliyah), the settlers are now doing their utmost
to scare the new Barak government as well
(c) copyright 1999 Ha'aretz. All Rights Reserved
