The complete idiot’s guide to Mideast peace – part 260

US urges Israel to reverse planned West Bank land seizure | The Times of Israel

‘American official says decision to expand Gvaot settlement in wake of three Jewish teens’ killing is harmful to peace process’

Israel’s actions here do appear as something not sufficiently thought through, almost amateurish in its response to the murders in June of three teenage boys, Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Shaar and Naftali Frenkel.

Indeed, Israel’s whole approach to the conflict between itself and those elements opposed to it on the Palestinian side seems to be lacking in any professionalism whatsoever.

It’s simply a knock-down, drag-out fight to the finish with the victor taking the spoils, the defeated having to accept such losses as best they can.

Of course, it’s never quite that straightforward, not even back in the days when this type of thing was far more commonplace. It should not be happening now. The world has moved on; such clumsy tactics can no longer pass without comment or censure and the US has made this very point to Israel in no uncertain terms. In other words, such a policy just adds another layer of concern to an already much deteriorated situation.

If Israel is going to accrue and amass land these days in any legitimate fashion, then such acquisition must be found acceptable to the majority of all nations; it  cannot be left to mere politicking and knee-jerk reaction.

But land is so divisive an issue here that its allocation and ownership must be determined in a manner totally divorced from any coercive or self-serving judgements.

www.laxiankey.com  – ‘ for those of us with better things to do.’

Now, with a transfer procedure conducted along these lines, the process may be able to solve a whole lot of problems that the far less subtle approach adopted by Israel at present will never be able to handle.