Comments on: At Maskiot, the Bulldozers Speak

By: John Sterns

John Sterns — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:28:38 +0000

It sounds like you’re engaging in a bit of exaggeration, YBD. I don’t know the area, but from the descriptions of both Israeli and Palestinian sources it is farmland, not “empty desert” (http://www.maskiot.co.il/main.php?s=4&p=6 , http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article554 ).

Not that it matters – the real issue is sending the signal to Palestinians that they have nothing to look forward to but more of the same. Actions like these also hang our moderate Arab allies “out to dry” as events seem to demonstrate no real advantage to cooperating with Israel relative to improving the Palestinian situation. Some of these allies also have a mutual interest in containing Iran, although I don’t think the Prime Minister got President Obama’s hints on this point during their press conference on Monday.

By: Y. Ben-David

Y. Ben-David — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:17:54 +0000

Thanks for posting this bit of good news. I wish the Jews of Maskiot well. Fortunately, the Jews there won’t be like the ones who pray in the Yedidyah Congregation which is sitting on land that was owned by Arabs prior to their fleeing or driven out during the 1948 War of Independence. Their settlement is on empty desert land. They won’t have that preying on their conciences.

By: fiddler

fiddler — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:43:20 +0000

Here’s Haaretz’ report in English: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1086339.html
They quote David Elhayani, head of the Jordan Valley regional council:

Elhayani insisted that the construction is being carried out completely legally.

“There is full consensus among Zionist parties that the Jordan Valley must remain under Israeli control within the framework of any diplomatic deal,” he said. “The Jordan Valley is necessary for the sake of national security, and woe to the administration that strays from this path.”

So “full consensus among Zionist parties” is now officially synonymous to “completely legally”. The open threat at the end is obviously empty, this little don knows who the big don is.