Peace Now, Wrong Again

The American section of Peace Now has a letter * in the NYTimes.

Dealing with Jewish residency location in Judeal and Samara, or, as they term it, "illegal settlements in the West Bank", they claim that they are fixated (my word) on the subjhect because they are

the chief physical obstacle to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — a solution that is in the vital interests of both Israel and the United States.

Actually, Arab bullets, knives, axes, bombs, stones, rockets and other assorted objects of death and mayhem are the chief obstacle.

In assisting the Arabs to blur that reality, and to ignore incitement, religious-based hatred, national identity theft and Pallywood fabrications and other non-physical elements of the Arab campaign against Zionism since, say, the murder of Rabbi Avraham Zalman Tzoref in Jerusalem after purchasing property there in 1851, they become themselves obstacles, not only to a secure peace, but they become partly responsible for the deaths and injuries this Arab terror commits.

A Jew living in Judea and Samaria, is not illegal, unless he actually steals private property. There may be cases like that, but 99% of Jewish residency communities are not in that category.  And if there are cases, the courts deal with them. Many are simply unlicensed due to bureacratic irregularities on behalf of regualtions which having nothing to do with the concept of "illegality".

Peace Nowers, don't be wrong, now or ever.

__________

The letter:

To the Editor:

“Israel Legalizes Outposts in the West Bank, Step by Quiet Step” (front page, Aug. 31) highlights a central truth about illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank: Extremist settlers are not rogue actors. Rather, they work hand in glove with the Israeli government in flouting Israel’s own laws in order to build more settlements.

Our organization and our Israeli sister organization, Peace Now, have worked to document and expose this and other settlement-related realities for decades. We do so because settlements are the chief physical obstacle to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — a solution that is in the vital interests of both Israel and the United States.

Unfortunately, our own government bears some responsibility for the settlement quagmire. American criticism devoid of consequences can no longer be justified.

It is time for our government to put action behind its words, before settlements and the occupation nullify prospects for a two-state solution.

JAMES B. KLUTZNICK

DEBRA DeLEE

Chicago


Mr. Klutznick is chairman and Ms. DeLee is president and chief executive of Americans for Peace Now.

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