Knesset to vote on annexing West Bank

It seems to be a daily occurrence to come across some outrageous news from Israel that is counter-productive to any peace and stability in the region. This article is from the 27th but I could not find this being discussed on ATS.

Source

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The Knesset will vote on a bill calling for full Israeli annexation of the West Bank.

Annex is not a word regularly use so I looked it up. Looks like Israel is contemplating on occupying the whole West Bank. This cannot be good.

The bill also nullifies any financial obligations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that had been established by previous agreements, according to a statement from Danon's office.

It seems Israel is rather butthurt over Abbas seeking UN membership. I have a feeling they have had this planned for a while. This is retaliation for Palestine's bid. Go big or go home right?

“If the Palestinian Authority wishes to proceed on this reckless path and bring further instability to the region, Israel cannot continue to pour funds into this sinking ship of failed leadership,” Danon said, referring to the PA's statehood bid at the United Nations last Friday. “The funding agreements with the PA were reached with the hope that their leaders would work to create an environment of lasting peace and security with Israel. Given that it is clear that the Palestinians have no such desire, Israel must no longer be required to stand by these arrangements.”

How typical. Israel condemns Palestinian officials of causing instability for participating in peaceful negotiations. This isn't Arafat we're talking about here, seeking UN membership is not counter productive to peace. Netanyahu "Extended his hand in peace" to the Arabs in the region during his speech, but the actions of Israel over the last few days demonstrate that this was a false gesture.

The bill also nullifies the Oslo Accords, since it reads that “All obligations between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority as established by international agreements … will be considered null and void.” It was submitted in line with a similar initiative in the U.S. Congress offered by Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), which calls for supporting Israel’s rights to annex the West Bank should the Palestinian Authority move forward with its statehood bid without negotiating.

They have been looking for a reason to get out of the Oslo Accord for a while now. I would think that they would come up with a better excuse. Palestine is going to be the next Warsaw Ghetto. Israel is fitting the role of modern day Nazis more and more these days.

Meanwhile, a letter signed by the leaders of four ruling coalition factions -- Likud Party chairman Ze'ev Elkin, Shas chairman Avraham Michaeli, Habayit Hayehudi chairman Uri Orbach, and National Union leader Yaakov Katz -- asks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex Jewish-settled areas of the West Bank and calls for increased construction in those areas. The letter also calls for additional sanctions against the Palestinians and not allowing any country that cooperates with their statehood bid to mediate future peace talks.

More sanctions, more settlements, more bulldozed homes and evicted families. I don't know what else to say. I dare anyone to keep a straight face and tell me that Israel is in the right by submitting this bill. I hope for the good of all the innocent people in the area that this bill is voted down. Not even any word of international condemnation of this bill. All the western leaders who claim they support peace in the region never have the parts to criticize Israel when they pull childish stunts like this.

I am afraid to even think about what will happen if this bill is approved. This thread should be interesting. I am curious how many Zionist supporters will come in here defending these provocative actions.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


the term many people might be grasping for would be "A Slap in the GD Face" because that's exactly what this is, a big ole slap in the face of anyone who still thinks the government of Israel actually wants peace.

Anyways, before "they" jump in and call us all antisemites, lets see what an Israeli Jew reporter, born to holocaust survivors, thinks of the situation, and she should know, she lived in the West bank.

Article

Israeli journalist Amira Hass. Handout photo. Israeli journalist Amira Hass. Handout photo. VANCOUVER -- Amira Hass, a reporter and the daughter of Holocaust survivors, doesn’t pull any punches in her description of Israeli-Palestinian relations in the West Bank. “You have a policy of ethnic cleansing in vast areas of the West Bank....It’s very open,” she said. Hass is a reporter and columnist for the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz. She says she is the only Israeli Jewish journalist living and working in the Palestinian territories. Now based in the city of Ramallah, she has lived in the West Bank since 1997 and in Gaza for four years before that. She is giving a lecture on Israel-Palestine relations at the University of B.C. Wednesday. Read more: www.vancouversun.com...

P.S.

good luck with this thread, we both know where it's headed

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


Zionist supporters call Jews Against Zionism anti-Semites too. Shows how logical their thinking is. LOL, and yes, I'm pretty sure where this thread is heading.

Cheers.

Annexing West bank will fail in Knesset. But i think that Israel will annex settlements if there is no prior agreement since Palestinians went for unilateral declaration and if Israel will not do this , there will be war in days.
Started if not by Palestinians storming those settlements - where hundreds of thousands live,then by extremists among settlers.

reply to post by ZeroKnowledge


Do you not see the irony in Israel demanding the right to exist but they deny the right for Palestine to exist? I know Hamas aren't necessarily the best neighbors to have but neither are the settlers. How is seeking UN membership harmful to Israel?

Is defending your home from being bulldozed extremism? I would say that those doing the bulldozing are the extremists. Wouldn't you agree?

The land belongs to Israel. They can take it if they want. It's their land.

The world will attempt to stop them and will invade Israel.

Jesus will return and the matter will then be settled forever.

because........

It's their land.

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


Your reporter is funny.

Ethnic cleansing

Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.

Now then, on to some facts.





Populations:

West Bank -

(1970)
Arabs - 677k
Jews - >1k

(2003)

Arabs - 2.3m
Jews - 219k


Gaza -

(1970)
Arabs - 368k
Jews - >1k

(2003)
Arabs - 1.33m
Jews - 243k


*Jerusalem -

(1970)
Arabs - 58k
Jews - 196k

(2003)
Arabs - 240k
Jews - 582k

Israel is doing the ethnic cleansing thing, but hiding it so well that the Arab population doubles every 20 years, I guess.

*Edit: Misread numbers. Fixed

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


I am here with a straight face saying that Israel has a right to submit the bill.

What country does that land belong to?

reply to post by Fromabove


Do you have any proof of that land belonging to Israel?

Or was that sarcasm?

I can just as easily say that land belongs to Palestine.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed

I am a Zionist by the definition of "a movement for (originally) the reestablishment and (now) the development and protection of a Jewish nation in Israel.


I call Jews Against Zionism idiots for not knowing their own religion.

And if someone says that they are against Jews (not Israel, mind you), damn right I will call them an anti-semite.

Originally posted by Lemon.Fresh
reply to post by Corruption Exposed

 

I am here with a straight face saying that Israel has a right to submit the bill.

What country does that land belong to?

edit on 9/29/2011 by Lemon.Fresh because: (no reason given)

What is your logic behind these claims of Israel owning that land? If they owned it they would already be on it. What they are doing is stealing it from the Palestinians who are the rightful owners. Theft is the only word that describes Israeli actions when they steal land. Do you understand what theft is? If I steal your land will I therefor be the rightful owner? Using your logic, I would say yes.

I have a straight face too

Please allow me to make a couple of points which I feel may have impact upon this action.

Palestine declared its independence on November 15, 1988, a fact found nowhere in the American mainstream reporting of the past week. A Palestinian walked out of the Al Asqa Mosque that day in Al Quds/Jerusalem and read the declaration aloud, much as someone read the American Declaration of Independence to a crowd in the courtyard of the Philadelphia State House on July 4, 1776.

This is why the Palestinians did not ask the U N for "statehood" but rather for membership. Which is being considered.

Palestine is already legally a sovereign state and is seeking membership of the United Nations, not statehood. The United Nations does not grant or recognize statehood. Only states can recognize other states bilaterally. The U.N. can only confer membership or non-member, observer state status to already existing states. The U.N. Charter is clear. Article 4 says that only existing states may apply for U.N. membership.

There would seem to be a difference. Would you not agree on this point.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed

How is seeking UN membership harmful to Israel?

There are lots of reasons, some are right ones and some are wrong ones. From fears of Palestine used just as another platform for further attacks on Israel all the way down the slop to simple legal issues due to behaving like in Gaza war.
See, there is so much bad blood and so little trust that creation of the state while "minor" questions like borders ,settlements,refugees,Jerusalem are not resolved might make the situation much much worse then it is. For both sides,but since Israel has more it got more to loose.
I personally doubt that agreement could have been reached since public in Israel, Palestine and Arab world in general will not accept the price. I hope that the recent developments (aka UN and ctr) are just a trick meant to gently force the price on both sides ,but if i am wrong i understand why Israeli leadership would be worried of this development.
Simple question - what will happen to Ariel (20000 Israelis) after declaration of independence of Palestine? It is in the West Bank, it is not behind Israeli border wall and it is considered illegal settlement. Israeli public will not accept its relocation, rockets from Gaza taught it well. Palestinians will not accept its existence. It will be annexed by Israel, it and majority of others. According to Oslo agreements large settlements issue should have been solved by Israel giving its land in other places in return. Right now, does not looks like it. Unless it is not "whole world a stage" trick.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


A lot of words, but no answer.

What country owns that land?

reply to post by hdutton


I read your post and am not sure which direction you are heading. I believe you were saying that Palestine is already a recognized state. That is a fact. Palestine is an established state seeking UN membership. Sorry I'm just not sure what your point was. I gave you a star anyways in the hope that you were on he same train of thought that I'm on.

Palestinians really cannot win.

If they drop their UN bid and return to the 'negotiating table' Israel will simply drag their feet for another few decades whilst stealing more land, if they do go to the UN then Israel will simply annex more land as punishment.

The USA will veto any Palestinian bid so we'll never get anywhere.

Originally posted by Lemon.Fresh
reply to post by Corruption Exposed

 

A lot of words, but no answer.

What country owns that land?

Read again, the answer is quite clear.

I answered your question. Now answer mine, please

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Now. Deny ignorance. I will not settle for supposition and beating around the bush.

Give a straight answer.

What country owns the land?

reply to post by ZeroKnowledge


Even though I don't agree, I thank you for the well thought out response.

I think we differ on various issues so it would be difficult for you and I to see eye to eye. My main concern is that many people incorrectly believe the Palestinians are incapable of wanting peace. I think that after over 60 years of oppression I would be willing to give it a try. Palestinians know they will never get all of Palestine back. They just want the right to exist and function as a country. Sanctions, blockades, settlement expansion are not what they want. They know violence will only bring forward more oppression. They even try the peaceful approach and look what Israel doeskin return. They try and annex the West Bank. Tell me who is moving backwards here.

@ Lemon

Originally posted by Corruption Exposed

Originally posted by Lemon.Fresh
reply to post by Corruption Exposed

 

A lot of words, but no answer.

What country owns that land?

Read again, the answer is quite clear.

I answered your question. Now answer mine, please

edit on 29-9-2011 by Corruption Exposed because: (no reason given)