One issue which is centred around the Israel Palestine Conflict is the issue of Settlement building. On one hand, it can be argued, that Israel building Settlements is halting the peace process and it is unfair to build on something which will one day be the Palestinians', yet at the same time, the picture is more shady.
Pre 1967, the West Bank was annexed by Jordan. After the Six-Day War, Israel pushed Jordan out of this land yet did not annex it. Rather, it became disputed territory. The difference between occupied and disputed territory is that occupied territory is illegal to build on as someone owns the land, and disputed territory is where building is allowed under International Law. What can be seen here is that Israel is allowed to build beyond the Green Line as long as she stays clear from illegal outposts. If the Palestinians do not want further building, they should sign an agreement declaring sovereignty on the West Bank and creating a Palestinian state.
In a meeting with Mahmoud Labadi (Foreign Relations Commission for Fatah), he says; "How can we enter talks over the table when Israel are stealing from under the table?" What I wonder is 'what is the problem of Israel building Settlements, pumping growth into the land, and then once a treaty is signed, the Settlement will be under Palestinian authority?' The soon to be new state of Palestine seems to be one ethnically cleansed by nature. A foetus which will partake in tedious land swaps until it grows and is born as a pure Palestine, a State without Jews. This seems to be rather contradictory when calling Israel an apartheid State who ethnically cleanse, when really it is the other way round.
To the Palestinians, Settlements are the main objective to the peace process. Mark Regev (spokesman for Netanyahu) makes an analogy of an upside down pyramid with Settlements at the pointy base. It is thought that once the Settlement problem is sorted out, everything else will fall into place. However, this idea poses a few problems. Firstly, Israel has not built a new Settlement for over15 years, yet there is no peace. Secondly, Israel has undergone a Settlement freeze where they don't add to Settlements, yet there is no peace. Thirdly, Israel has even taken down Settlements showing their sincerity in bringing about peace, yet there is no peace. Moreover, Settlements only became a problem after 1967, but beforehand there was no peace.
It is easy for the Palestinians to hide behind the issue of Settlements as they have much international sympathy. However, their argument is flawed in more ways than one. For there to be peace, both sides must want it and compromise must be in order.
