Israeli Settlements, the U.S., and the Response.

Once again it turns out that President Obama’s speech in Cairo directed toward the Muslim world was nothing more than a public relations stunt laced with deceit.

The Israeli government has given the green light to go forward in building yet another 2,500 settlement houses in the West Bank. Washington has also considered not requiring ceasing settlements as a prior condition for peace talks if Iran and Syria were not involved in peace negotiations. In other words, this means that the U.S. is still attached to Israel through a spring that can be pulled and released depending on Israel’s own considerations.

What confirms this even more clearly is the meeting in London between Ehud Barak, the current Minister of Defense, and the American envoy, George Mitchell. During this meeting, both parties agreed on the aspects of an American-Israeli agreement. The results of this meeting are considered good news for some important Israeli figures. The U.S. position with regards to the Israeli settlements is considered a breakthrough for Israel in this issue.

If a treaty between the Palestinians and the Israelis is impossible while settlements exist in the West Bank, what about the other prior conditions for a treaty that are just as important, if not more? And how will both parties negotiate if the “mediator” holds such biased opinions? What should we do in this case?

First of all, the Palestinian government should demand that Israel stop building settlements before negotiations take place. Israel’s popular “I Want Peace” slogans, without action, do nothing to actually bring about peace. In addition, the government should announce a comprehensive Palestinian conference whose duration should not exceed six hours. The meeting should agree on forming a national movement of the government and its people against Israeli settlements and a West Bank barrier. Furthermore, the meeting should come up with a project to support captives under the slogan, “No captives in Israeli prisons!” and also to lift the ban on Gaza and to form a national committee to control the Rafah Border Crossing.

There is nothing left to justify the ignorance of Palestinian factions to the danger lurking around Palestine. Palestine cannot allow the ever-growing settlements nor can they accept the Israeli West Bank barrier and the growing number of captives. Such danger cannot be tolerated in the current environment.