They Say, We Say: "Why should the settlers leave?"

They Say We Say We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now, we'll have ours.

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Why a Two State Solution?

They Say:

Why should the settlers leave? Why can't the current situation continue more or less as it is, at least until a peace agreement is a more realistic possibility?

We Say:

Some opponents of the two-state solution - those who are advocates of Greater Israel stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, are adopting this "maintain-the-status-quo" approach. They suggest that the current situation can be tweaked to be bearable for both sides, until Israelis and Palestinians evolve to the point where a permanent, conflict-ending agreement is possible.

This idea is disconnected from reality.The occupation can't be neutered by clever arrangements; corrosive trends that the occupation generates cannot be frozen in time. Any continuation of the status quo, however tweaked, will lead inevitably to more settlement expansion and a deepening of Israel's hold on East Jerusalem - to the point that even if the hoped-for sea changes someday occurred in both societies, there would be nothing left for the newly enlightened peoples to negotiate.