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Politics : DON'T START THE WAR -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Raymond Duray who wrote (2654)	1/21/2003 1:44:17 AM
From: Rainy_Day_Woman	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 25898

I'm not going to argue size estimates it's a male thing have at it but without me

To: Raymond Duray who wrote (2654)	1/21/2003 2:00:31 AM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 25898

Aiding Israel In Ending the Settlements By Debra DeLee Editorial The Washington Post Tuesday, January 21, 2003 The past 26 months have been brutally violent and financially wrenching for the state of Israel. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has requested some $12 billion in new military and economic assistance from the United States to help Israel grapple with its national trauma. Yet he is unwilling to consider stopping the flow of money being lavished on Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, a policy that squanders Israeli resources, weakens its military posture and threatens Israel's future as a Jewish, democratic state. Americans for Peace Now supports the annual U.S. aid package to Israel as necessary for bolstering Israeli defenses in a tough neighborhood and helping nurture its economic development. But if the United States truly wants to demonstrate its concern for Israel's future, it should insist on conditions for the new economic aid that will compel Israel to reverse its settlements policy. There is no question that Israel's economy has taken a severe beating over the past few years. Unemployment is rampant, investors are scarce, and poverty is growing. The intifada, the worldwide recession and the collapse of the high-tech industry have all contributed to Israel's financial decline. Further, Israel has been forced to spend more on security in order to respond to horrific terrorist attacks and prepare for the consequences of a possible U.S.-led war on Iraq. For these reasons, Israel's request for additional military aid should be granted. Its request for new economic aid in the form of loan guarantees should be granted, too. But the United States should condition these guarantees on Israel's finally stopping settlement expansion, which could help create a political way out of the violence and boost Israel's economy. Otherwise, additional assistance could simply enable Israel to further entangle itself in the occupied territories, thereby exacerbating its military and fiscal woes. Specifically, before any of the loan guarantees are provided, Israel must be made to certify that none of this money will be spent in the West Bank and Gaza; that an absolute freeze will be placed immediately on all new settlement development, including "natural growth"; and that all recently established settlement sites in the West Bank will be dismantled within 90 days of the first disbursement of new economic aid. In addition, any current Israeli settlement expenditures, aside from those related to security, should be deducted from the total amount of the loan guarantees. Finally, 20 percent of the loan guarantees should be set aside and made available solely to fund construction of housing for settlers wishing to relocate to Israel. Why focus on settlements now? While some Israelis moved to the settlements for ideological or religious reasons, most did not. A recent Peace Now survey found that most settlers went to the territories for a better quality of life and would be willing to move to Israel if offered appropriate compensation. Government spending on subsidies, tax benefits and a network of bypass roads -- hundreds of millions of dollars each year -- makes it much cheaper for Israelis to live in the territories than to live in Israel proper. If this money were spent on addressing Israel's social needs, Israel would have less reason to be seeking new American aid to begin with. Further, settlements are a security liability for Israel, which is obligated to defend its citizens wherever they live, even in the West Bank and Gaza. As a result, Israeli soldiers have been shifted to the territories to protect these convenient targets, leaving communities inside Israel more vulnerable to attack. No wonder 62 percent of Israelis are willing to evacuate settlements as part of a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Finally, settlement growth is making it more difficult for Israel to extricate itself from the occupied territories and reach a peace accord. Given current demographic trends, Jews will soon become a minority in the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Unless Israel finds a way to leave the West Bank and Gaza, it will cease to be a Jewish state. It will also find it impossible to simultaneously maintain its democratic government and minority domination over another people. For more than 25 years, every U.S. administration has regarded settlements as an obstacle to peace. In fact, President George H.W. Bush imposed conditions on loan guarantees to Israel similar to the ones suggested here. The current President Bush should do no less, especially given his stated desire to see Israeli and Palestinian states existing side by side in peace and security within a few years. ________________________________________________ The writer is president and CEO of Americans for Peace Now. © 2003 The Washington Post Company washingtonpost.com