Posts Tagged ‘Palestine’

How Jenin turned around:

Once the heart of the intifada, Jenin is today lauded as a model of cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian security forces. Israeli Jews may soon be allowed to shop here again, bringing $3 million per weekend.

And old disputes persist: the Palestinian security chiefs want the Israeli military to stay out of their cities altogether so as not to embarrass them in front of their public. Israel says they’re not ready to take full control.

But Israeli commanders have sought to lower troops’ profile when they enter Palestinian towns to pursue militants. The number of incursions into the city has declined by 90 percent.

The Israeli general said one reason that Jenin is a success story is that during the years of the intifada, the army either arrested or killed most of the militants in the city.

The Christian Science Monitor: From intifada hub to model Palestinian city: How Jenin turned around

In favour of ethnic cleansing:

… and I will never agree that there will be a single Arab among us on Israeli soil.

Avigdor Lieberman

Palestinian pragmatism:

While a majority of 72% support and 26% oppose a boycott of settlements’ products, only 38% support and 60% oppose preventing Palestinian laborers from working in settlements. While the Gaza Strip and the West Bank support the boycott of settlements’ products equally, support for preventing laborers from working in settlements is greater in the Gaza Strip, reaching 45%, than the West Bank (34%).

This is actually a good sign, says Evelyn Gordon:

Myth [..]: Palestinians’ prime concern is ending Israeli settlement construction. In fact, the poll found a huge majority, 60% to 38%, opposing a ban on Palestinians working in the settlements; in the West Bank, where the settlements actually are, support dropped to 34% percent. [...]

Why? Because most Palestinians’ actual prime concern is supporting their families [...] and the settlements are a major employer. It will be years before the Palestinian economy is capable of providing an alternative.

If this turns out to be true, we will have a real chance for peace. Just remember Golda Meir’s prophecy:

We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.