Getting rid of settlements would be a step towards lasting peace many Western diplomats say, as far as the future of the West Bank is concerned. Palestinians will say that is occupied. Many Israelis will say that it is not occupied because it was never a territory.
Back in my undergraduate years Jewish student members referred to the area as part of Jordan and so did maps of the period. I do not understand all this rhetoric, if the West Bank was a part of Jordan until 1967. Jews have not only kept the bank since the six-day war they have built over 200 settlements with finger like projections to keep Palestinians from united the state. There are legitimate reasons to hold on those lands if suicide bombers would cross over from the territory into Israel. Supposedly the West Bank and Gaza Strip are today part of the Palestinian state one wonders how the Israelis have such freedom in maintaining settlements but I get the impression that Israelis are not the land robbers many Palestinians would have me think. Would they have returned lands they would annex by military defeat?
Religious zealots blamed the secular side of Israel from being able to secure the West bank in 1973, they were aware of a need to settle in the West Bank. Since then they have been lobbying even stronger in the US and other nations with a bond with the existence of the modern Israeli state. Many believe that it is Israel, which is running American politics in the region. Many religious zealots in the US say a secure Israel is the answer, justifying its presence in the West bank. That would mean remaining in these settlements linked to each other with secure highways that would prevent any intimidation by the people who should have a say over their own land.
Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against its neighbors in 1967, which defeated Egyptian forces in the Sinai, blocked the Syrians at Galilee and were able to enter the holy city of Jerusalem thus Israelis were able to visit the remain wall of their second temple. The country was about to be attacked by the same Arab armies that wanted to prevent the formation of the Jewish state in the first place.
The country had a legitimate fear of being wiped off the map because of a coalition of Arab nations, which did not recognize it. That lead to this conflict and eventually nations like Egypt recognized Israeli sovereignty in 1981 with an historic handshake between Sadat and Begin. In that same year Israeli intelligence discovered that Iraq was about to wipe their nation from the face of the earth and they bombed the Iraqi nuclear installation. But religious fundamentalists in Israel have since wanted to have Jerusalem back because of its historic and religious relevance. It meant a connection of the modern day state with the period of the second temple destroyed by the Romans in 77 AD.
Islam relates to Jerusalem themselves saying that this where their prophet ascended to heaven. So why should one religion lay claim over this spot on the map that is claimed as important to three faiths? One might think that the securing of Jerusalem back meant Israeli hawks knew that this would be a necessary step towards settling the West bank.
Many Israeli power seekers really believe in their right to a permanent stay in the bank but this is largely against international law. There is a substantial settling in this occupied area and that is against the increased settlement expansions. But Israel has ignored the American statement about the apparent illegality. There are over 35 charities getting money all in a legal manner to help build the West bank. An American spokesman interviewed on all the money raised to help consolidate Israeli presence has justified his fund raising because of all the support he has. A lot of support though doesn't make a continued presence justifiable.
In my opinion it amounts to the excuse I had years ago about the continued presence of Israel in the Sinai. Religious students at the university were trying to persuade me into support of this on security grounds but there will always be security issues even when nations are at peace. Then I heard an excuse of "look what Israelis are doing to the occupied lands that the Arabs never accomplished" but if the Arabs wanted to keep their territory a desert, how could that justify a forceful Israeli presence.
According to former president Carter, Israel will never have peace as long as it continues to confiscate Arab lands we hear in the media. There have been constant wars since I was a child buying leaves for trees that were planted in the Negev to convert the desert into arable land and a continued state of vigilance that makes toting a rifle in the street or café a normal practice. Palestinians strapped with bombs is also horrible and should be condemned but that doesn't mean that Israel should continue their presence by inducing Jews of buying land that aggravated further Palestinian retaliation. At the same time the American establishment is being prodded to turn the other way regarding expansion. .
I agree with the vast majority of your statements, however, moslem culture holds the belief that if a land is taken over by Moslems then it is moslem land in perpetuity, the fact that they took it forcibly and say that is cool, but then refuse to acknowledge that when they lose lands in the same fashion that "this is different"
You are correct, a lot could be done to settle this, like agree on some borders, BUT the moslem society also has a buttload of work and responsibility to reign in the moslem groups that want to destroy israel and moreso really believe that someday the planet will be entirely moslem, take a look at the real state of moslem countries, Islam is a noble religeon, Moslem govt is and has been a huge joke of corruption and does not respect the tenet of respecting other people of the book.
There is a lot of work to be done on both sides, but if ISrael WERE to use moslem teachings then they won the land fair and square,
W eboth know that is not the best way to look at things,
Islam has a lot of cleaning up to do in it;s own house before really being any force to be considered.
And let me say , I am a moslem, too many of us lookthe other way or make excuses for terrorism, just because there are wrongs on the other side do NOT justify our wrongs, and our efforts would be better spent cleaning our own house rather than always using the opportunity to point fingers at others and shrug when our faults are identified.