Despite Netanyahu's plea for restraint, thousands of settlers celebrate end of building freeze

[azurnoir]

Thousands of people gathered in the West Bank settlement of Revava on Sunday afternoon to begin the countdown to the end of Israel's temporary construction freeze, which was set to expire at midnight.

Earlier Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged settlers and their supporters to show restraint in their festivities.

<snip>

Leaders of the settler movement and their supporters from Netanyahu's Likud party came together to release 2,000 balloons - signifying the number of new homes that settler groups said they intend to start building next week.

"These are homes that have already received final permits," said an aide to MK Danny Danon, a Likud legislator who helped to organize the rally.

Settler leader Danny Dayan, who chairs the Yesha Council of Settlements, demanded that the government "admit this was a mistake and never do it again."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/despite-netanyahu-s-plea-for-restraint-thousands-of-settlers-celebrate-end-of-building-freeze-1.315793

[hlthe2b]

1. So, in a choice between peace and settlements...

settlements is the choice... :shrug:

Sadly, the Likud will be the downfall of Israel. With steps like this and the flotilla debacle, they have to ask why world opinion is moving against them?

Israel, like the US, is all to vulnerable to their extremist factions.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[azurnoir]

5. there is also the "elephant" in the room that being

does the Israeli government have the ability not to mention will to control the settlers or remove them if and when the time comes

[ProgressiveMuslim]

14. If Abbas had one shred concern for the people who pretends to represent, he'd stop this

charade immediately. He is truly shameless.

[azurnoir]

25. IMO Abbas should learn when to STFU

by announcing early on that if the freeze was ended he'd walk away he gave the Israeli "negotiators" exactly what they wanted and now if he backs down ............

[shira]

8. Where was the PA to negotiate for the first 9 months of this freeze?

Israel's cabinet will not vote for an extension, even if Netanyahu and Barak want one.

The only hope is that they can negotiate a compromise with the PA first and then the cabinet can vote on that, to build only in places both sides agree will be part of Israel.

[shira]

3. What's the difference? The Israel haters claimed it wasn't a real freeze anyway. n/t

[Tripmann]

4. The 'israel haters'(tm) aren't the ones wanting to build illegal settlements contrary to

international law during peace negotiations.

[shira]

7. But since there wasn't a real freeze anyway, what's the difference now? n/t

[Tripmann]

10. So you admit israel was contravening international law during the peace talks?

[shira]

12. Political law or real international law? There's a difference. n/t

[Tripmann]

26. LOL! More worming and excusing

[azurnoir]

6. Lol a bit of sour grapes about an embarrassing situation? n/t

[shira]

9. Some people get their rocks off hoping everything Israel does becomes a great embarassment.

[azurnoir]

11. hoping no but I am sure if you were to be honest

this does not embarrass or disturb you in the slightest

[shira]

13. LOL. n/t

[azurnoir]

15. can't nswer honestly can you? so I'll ask more directly to be clear

do you support the ending the freeze on settlement building

[shira]

16. I have no reason not to be honest and I've written here several times recently I think Israel should

....extend the freeze.

[azurnoir]

17. I'll take your word for that but I really do not remember seeing any comment from you saying that

if true kudo's

[shira]

19. link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=332368&mesg_id=332458

[azurnoir]

20. oh yeah in the same post where you promoted GWB actually forgot n/t

[shira]

21. You mean the letter of 2004 which is based on the liberal Geneva Accord.

That's not promoting the idiot.

[azurnoir]

22. this letter: Israelis Claim Secret Agreement With U.S.

Americans Insist No Deal Made on Settlement Growth

Thursday, April 24, 2008

A letter that President Bush personally delivered to then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon four years ago has emerged as a significant obstacle to the president's efforts to forge a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians during his last year in office.
This Story

*
Israelis Claim Secret Agreement With U.S.
*
A Green Light for Settlement Expansion?

Ehud Olmert, the current Israeli prime minister, said this week that Bush's letter gave the Jewish state permission to expand the West Bank settlements that it hopes to retain in a final peace deal, even though Bush's peace plan officially calls for a freeze of Israeli settlements across Palestinian territories on the West Bank. In an interview this week, Sharon's chief of staff, Dov Weissglas, said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reaffirmed this understanding in a secret agreement reached between Israel and the United States in the spring of 2005, just before Israel withdrew from Gaza.
ad_icon

U.S. officials say no such agreement exists, and in recent months Rice has publicly criticized even settlement expansion on the outskirts of Jerusalem, which Israel does not officially count as settlements. But as peace negotiations have stepped up in recent months, so has the pace of settlement construction, infuriating Palestinian officials, and Washington has taken no punitive action against Israel for its settlement efforts.

Israeli officials say they have clear guidance from Bush administration officials to continue building settlements, as long as it meets carefully negotiated criteria, even though those understandings appear to contradict U.S. policy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/23/AR2008042303128.html

[shira]

27. Congress overwhelmingly endorsed it in H. Con. Res. 460. n/t

The Geneva Accord also recognizes the big settlements will go to Israel.

Why lie and deny it? :shrug:

[azurnoir]

28. the Washington Post is denying or lying?n/t

[shira]

29. Who cares, they're wrong and Congress endorsing the letter overwhelmingly is fact. n/t

[azurnoir]

30. was it a binding resolution ? n/t

[shira]

31. Oh yeah, unless it's binding the letter doesn't exist and Israel's big settlements aren't recognized

....as belonging to Israel in any future deal.

:eyes:

Loving the denial.

[azurnoir]

32. the denial is on the part of Bushes people if you read the article n/t

[ProgressiveMuslim]

18. Thank You Sir May I Have Another!

[Purveyor]

23. Israeli Settlers Rev Bulldozers As Settlement Freeze Nears End

By Joshua Mitnick, Correspondent / September 26, 2010
Tel Aviv

With Israel and Palestinian negotiators deadlocked over settlement expansion just hours before the expiration of a 10-month Israeli settlement freeze, Jewish settlers vowed to renew building during symbolic celebrations in the West Bank.

"Today is over and we will do everything to ensure it will never happen again,'' said Danny Dayan, the chairman of the settler umbrella leadership, the Yesha Council, at a foundation laying ceremony in the settlement of Revava. "We are here to return to Zionist activity…. the mission of settling the entire Land of Israel. This mission cannot be stopped – not just for 10 months, not for 10 days, not 10 seconds. We are resuming this mission. We are resuming settling the land.''
Bulldozers, cement mixers, and 2,000 balloons

Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for settlers "to demonstrate responsibility and restraint," thousands of people gathered in the West Bank settlement of Revava on Sunday afternoon to count down to the end of the freeze, which is set to expire at midnight.

Activists, some of whom came to the rally with tractors, cement mixers, and other equipment, released 2,000 balloons into the air to symbolize the 2,000 apartments that settlers say they are ready to build immediately. Once the freeze is lifted, some 2,000 housing units can be built with no further authorization, according to Peace Now, an anti-settlement group which monitors building.

More...

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0926/Israeli-settlers-rev-bulldozers-as-settlement-freeze-nears-end

[Violet_Crumble]

24. It's okay to celebrate, but just don't do it so publicly...

That's what the message is. Partying and celebrating the resumption of unrestricted building in the occupied West Bank is something that's not particularly media-friendly, except to some segments of the American population who believe the West Bank belongs to Israel, and images in the media of settlers celebrating might be a bit awkward for the Obama administration....