tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008006782907969381.post2070601499228429149..comments2024-01-01T01:47:59.449+02:00Comments on Yaacov Lozowick's Ruminations: Budgeting West Bank SettlementsYaacovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12835192312242961481noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008006782907969381.post-18879859208493187722011-01-03T22:42:42.179+02:002011-01-03T22:42:42.179+02:00Thank you, RK! I appreciate it, coming from you.Thank you, RK! I appreciate it, coming from you.Yaacovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12835192312242961481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008006782907969381.post-67791238580605321012011-01-03T22:25:12.925+02:002011-01-03T22:25:12.925+02:00Great post, this.Great post, this.RKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008006782907969381.post-66176363227537481462011-01-03T13:24:37.448+02:002011-01-03T13:24:37.448+02:00The salient issue was and remains whether settleme...<i>The salient issue was and remains whether settlements impede the prospects for a peaceful settlement and/or reduce Israel's global credibility and, if so, whether other considerations outweigh any such negatives.</i><br /><br />I'd be inclined to agree, except that first, I'd like to know how "peace" is defined; and second, I'm not sure that the downward spiral of "Israel's global credibility" will be affected no matter what happens and no matter your definition of "peace" might be.<br /><br />(Other than that, yes, of course, certainly.)Barry Meislinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04795125774426217113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008006782907969381.post-15578766656032705392011-01-03T05:30:58.426+02:002011-01-03T05:30:58.426+02:00Then let's argue that point on its merits, ins...Then let's argue that point on its merits, instead of being dragged into "settlements versus butter", or "settlements versus Iran", or "settlements versus democracy" arguments. You can't create a multi-pronged anti-settlement approach and when your many lines of attack begin to unravel start complaining that they were never at issue to begin with.Avigdorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05008730229882004376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008006782907969381.post-60399998699602161642011-01-02T20:05:18.960+02:002011-01-02T20:05:18.960+02:00It seems to me that this argument, while perhaps a...It seems to me that this argument, while perhaps a persuasive retort to the "settlements versus butter arguments, misses the important point. The salient issue was and remains whether settlements impede the prospects for a peaceful settlement and/or reduce Israel's global credibility and, if so, whether other considerations outweigh any such negatives.Brucehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03967844687099664857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008006782907969381.post-13633650821775264172011-01-02T11:10:23.322+02:002011-01-02T11:10:23.322+02:00Maybe Eldar should calculate the cost of relocatin...Maybe Eldar should calculate the cost of relocating and reimbursing the net worth of 70-100,000 people. Didn't the Gaza evacuees receive $250k per household?Avigdorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05008730229882004376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008006782907969381.post-47112057652940731402011-01-02T10:25:00.240+02:002011-01-02T10:25:00.240+02:00Anon,
It's a lot of gas, but it's not THA...Anon,<br /><br />It's a lot of gas, but it's not THAT much. A pity, tho. Your scenario would have been fun to watch.Yaacovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12835192312242961481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008006782907969381.post-26509218027845918712011-01-02T09:27:03.115+02:002011-01-02T09:27:03.115+02:00The development of the Leviathan gas field has the...The development of the Leviathan gas field has the potential to be a game-changer. This is so, if Israel becomes a gas supplier to Europe and rakes in large revenue. An energy - hungry Europe dependant on Israeli gas supply will become less fixated on "settlements" and will be more accomodating to the Israeli point of view. It will be amusing seeing the European BDS movement try to push a boycott of Israel gas supplies to Europe!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008006782907969381.post-14104219071078799302011-01-02T06:36:46.832+02:002011-01-02T06:36:46.832+02:00Akiva Eldar was dishonest... he took true facts an...Akiva Eldar was dishonest... he took true facts and it made it seem like settlement building occupied a huge chunk of Israel's budget.<br /><br />Um.... no, it doesn't. And even if this expense disappeared completely, it doesn't change for one minute the fact the settlements have zero impact on the peace process.<br /><br />That's right, they have zero impact upon it.NormanFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03365459073293643108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008006782907969381.post-30016216614337899062011-01-02T00:22:23.496+02:002011-01-02T00:22:23.496+02:00The continuing attempt to paint places like Maale ...The continuing attempt to paint places like Maale Adumim or even French Hill, Pisgat Zeev, etc. as "settlements" has been one of the worst mistakes made by anyone who is genuinely interested in an agreement with the WB Arabs. Even without reading his article, I fear that Eldar, who very often is a rare voice of sanity in the mini-Guardian has fallen in to this trap.<br /><br />Perhaps as importantly, for all those screaming about continuing Israeli expansion, new settlements etc. - was there, in fact, a single new settlement set up in 2010? I haven't been able to find a record of it.<br /><br />Finally, as you point out, the Israeli budget is NIS350B - about $100B. That is large enough that the frequent claims that if America no longer provided Israel with $3 billion to buy its weapons in the US, it would stop the "settlements" are nonsense. In fact, while it would be nice to continue getting $3B, it is hardly something that would result in the diversion of $500,000 - $600,000 from "settlement" activity.AKUShttp://cifwatch.comnoreply@blogger.com