Now that Israel's military action in Gaza is finished (for the time being), we're hearing renewed complaints about Israeli settlements in the West Bank. There's an irony here: Israel forcibly removed its settlers from Gaza when it withdrew from that territory, only to be subject to rocket attacks from Gaza once the Israelis were gone.
...The "blame the settlements" theme doesn't necessarily spring from anti-Israel sentiment. It may stem, instead, from the view that the West can move Israel on this issue, or at least that the prospects here are better than the prospects of causing Hamas and other militants to change their behavior. In other words, diplomats looking for "momentum" may well view the settlements as low-hanging fruit, at least as compared to other issues..
The irony here will be lost on the politicians and the others who can see peace in the Middle East as tied inexorably to Israel's continued concessions.
Technorati Tag: Israel and Gaza and Settlements.
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