Two prominent publications ran op-eds on settlements, with one writer slamming the settler movement and another editorial board citing the Obama Administration for mismanagement of the issue.
Tel Aviv University Professor Asher Susser wrote a damning op-ed in Haaretz today, condemning the settler movement for considering itself guardians of the State of Israel. The settlers compare their actions to those of early kibbutzim that fortified land in the Negev desert for eventual inclusion in the Jewish state. However, Susser expands upon a distinct difference between the the early kibbutzim and today’s settler movement. The kibbutzim sought to settle land as part of a two state solution, land that would, under international agreements, likely go to Israel. However, the settlers seek a one state solution by forcefully annexing land.
Moreover, Susser contends that the settlers are actually harming Israel by attempting to fortify the West Bank into Jewish hands. Due to the change in demographics of Israel with the inclusion of the West Bank, Israel would no longer be a Jewish state. Susser writes,
“It is patently apparent that, beyond the issue of basic justice, dividing the land is also in the clear interest of Zionism and anyone who wants to maintain the State of Israel as the state of the Jews. In the arrogance of their position, which tramples on the rights of others, the settlers are compromising the foundations of the justice of the Zionist enterprise, and acting against the State of Israel’s existential interests. By making the Land of Israel the supreme value over and above the State of Israel, they are joining, in a bizarre way, their left-wing post-Zionist “brothers,” who also propose a single state that will succeed the state of the Jews. “
Also, a Washington Post editorial accuses the Obama Administration of missteps involving pressure of Israel on settlements. The article’s authors contend that recent U.S. mandates for a settlement freeze weaken U.S. posture towards both Israel and the Arab world. Because the Israeli government will only agree to a partial settlement freeze, the Arab world could see President Barack Obama as a weak figurehead. Meanwhile, the policy also weakened support for the Obama Administration by the Israeli public, thereby reinforcing the right-wing Netanyahu government’s stances. The editorial reads,
“At worst, the president may find himself diminished among both Israelis and Arabs before discussions even begin on the issues on which U.S. clout is most needed. If he is to be effective in brokering a peace deal, Mr. Obama will need to show both sides that they can trust him — and he must be tough on more than one country.”