The killing of a protester last week at Bil'in in the West Bank has apparently had this effect: Israel has come up with a new route for its wall through the village in an effort to comply with several High Court of Justice rulings that the wall's path across Palestinian land is illegal. Israel is now planning to give back 700 dunums of land (about 180 acres). But keep 1000 dunums of Palestinian land east of the Green Line–so that a settlement called Matityahu East can be expanded. JPost:
[Attorney for the Palestinian plaintiff Michael] Sfard said that although the Bil'in villagers
were still angry over the loss of 1,000 or more dunams that remain on
the "Israeli side" of the barrier, it looks like
the court will approve the state's new proposal.
That settlement is being built by Lev Leviev, the developer/diamond dealer who has a store on Madison Avenue in New York and has come under boycott pressure around the world. The new Israeli plans certainly won't meet with international approval. The Guardian has a piece by Abe Hayeem calling on European governments to have no business dealings with Lev Leviev:
"Furthermore, the governments of Norway and Dubai should emulate the example set by the UK and sever their relationships with Leviev's companies."
ElectronicIntifada is reporting that three Norwegian banks and the government's pension fund are invested in Leviev's company.
The wall still isn't on the Israeli side of the green line. Any path would be a functional annexation.
I really wish that Palestinian leadership would conclude that they are in the driver's seat in attitude, and instead take the parental role that THEY can act and speak to soften fears, rather than thinking in terms of being victims to Israeli policy.
I don't mean aggressively independant and mature, but kindly independant and mature.
Has anyone thought about the "Decolonizing the mind", rather than only the body.
"I don't mean aggressively independant and mature, but kindly independant and mature."
Considering that a man has just been killed in a peaceful protest this feels highly cynical.
How can you act more kind, mature and independent against a state and court who will probably "approve the state's new proposal", that is the dispossession of 1.000 dunums, but by peaceful protest? No stones thrown on the video footage, remember?
What does "a day in court" mean considering the Leviev side surely can afford the most expensive Israeli lawyers, who no doubt will find a legal loophole to turn injustice into justice. Case closed.
I couldn't resist.
I'm not the first to post a comment here. Why am I the first to show up now?
witty – you can toggle condescension off with F7.
Are those rabid anti-semites, the Norwegians, up to no good again? BTW Witty does not have such an F7 key. He thinks he's salt of the earth. Not an arrogant bone or manipulative one in his sheltered body.