The Gilo announcement—more than just an announcement http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/the-gilo-announcement-more-than-just-an-announcement/ Lara Friedman at Americans for Peace Now writes in to correct me about the nature of Israel’s Gilo announcement. en-us rkampeas@jta.org Copyright 2009 2009-11-19T;20:48:00-05:00 Comment by Yaakov Watkins YAAKOVWATKINS@COMCAST.NET Who besides me thinks that the Palestinians should not do any new construction?  Especially if they demand it of Israel. Who besides me thinks that the Palestinians should not do any new construction?  Especially if they demand it of Israel.

]]> 2012-05-23T;03:01:00-05:00 Comment by david singer dsinger2000@gmail.com Lara Could you please tell us how you would plan the removal of 40000 Gilo residents from their homes to create the new Palestinian State. Do you also believe everyone will be kicked out of Ramot and Maale Adumim with Israel’s approval to create this Palestinian State? To me it is obvious that these areas will be retained by Israel so why should the latest plans really be such an issue? If the PA can’t reach an agreement with Israel by the time these planning approvals are finalised and building actually starts then they will never reach agreement. Sixteen years of trying since 1993 have not reached first base. The Arabs had a chance to have their State 60 years ago and blew it. They then had another chance for 19 years between 1948-1967 and blew it again. The Arabs keep blowing it with their refusal to concede Israeli sovereignty in any part of the West Bank. When will they begin to understand that the longer they demand all Jews living in Gilo and Ramot and Maale Adumim will be kicked out - the lesser the area of the West Bank that becomes available to them. This is not rocket science - just pragmatic commonsense. Keep chasing 100% and you only end up reducing what you are going to get. A return to the armistice lines of 1967 simply cannot and will not happen. Time waits for no man. The world has moved on and so should you. Lara

Could you please tell us how you would plan the removal of 40000 Gilo residents from their homes to create the new Palestinian State.
Do you also believe everyone will be kicked out of Ramot and Maale Adumim with Israel’s approval to create this Palestinian State?

To me it is obvious that these areas will be retained by Israel so why should the latest plans really be such an issue?

If the PA can’t reach an agreement with Israel by the time these planning approvals are finalised and building actually starts then they will never reach agreement. Sixteen years of trying since 1993 have not reached first base.

The Arabs had a chance to have their State 60 years ago and blew it. They then had another chance for 19 years between 1948-1967 and blew it again.

The Arabs keep blowing it with their refusal to concede Israeli sovereignty in any part of the West Bank. When will they begin to understand that the longer they demand all Jews living in Gilo and Ramot and Maale Adumim will be kicked out - the lesser the area of the West Bank that becomes available to them.

This is not rocket science - just pragmatic commonsense.

Keep chasing 100% and you only end up reducing what you are going to get.

A return to the armistice lines of 1967 simply cannot and will not happen.
Time waits for no man. The world has moved on and so should you.

]]> 2012-05-23T;03:01:00-05:00 Comment by Yosef Hartuv yosefandmelody@gmail.com Gilo and Diplomatic Dismay: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’s statement that the administration is “dismayed” at the construction of more housing in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem — because “neither party should unilaterally preempt negotiations” – is a non-sequitur. Last May, Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House for his first meeting as prime minister with President Obama and announced he wanted to commence negotiations “immediately,” without preconditions, which has been his position ever since. (Continue) http://calevbenyefuneh.blogspot.com/2009/11/gilo-and-diplomatic-dismay.html Gilo and Diplomatic Dismay: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’s statement that the administration is “dismayed” at the construction of more housing in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem — because “neither party should unilaterally preempt negotiations” – is a non-sequitur. Last May, Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House for his first meeting as prime minister with President Obama and announced he wanted to commence negotiations “immediately,” without preconditions, which has been his position ever since. (Continue) http://calevbenyefuneh.blogspot.com/2009/11/gilo-and-diplomatic-dismay.html

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