Thursday Likud Party Candidate Benjamin Netanyahu the front runner in Israel's election (with 11 days left in the campaign) said that he would not abide by the agreements made by previous Israeli leaders to remove illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Netanyahu: I'm not bound by Olmert pledges, won't evacuate settlements
Likud Party Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he would not be bound by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's commitments to evacuate West Bank settlements and withdraw from the territories.
"I will not keep Olmert's commitments to withdraw and I won't evacuate settlements. Those understandings are invalid and unimportant," Netanyahu said.
Together with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Olmert arrived at these understandings in final status talks with the Palestinians, which included settlement evacuation, dividing Jerusalem and returning to 1967 borders.
During the campaign Netanyahu has also said he isn't interested in trying to pursue a two state solution with the Palestinians:
Israel's Netanyahu: Existing settlements will grow
Netanyahu has said he would try to refocus peace talks on building the Palestinian economy and governing institutions.
That approach does not sit well with Palestinian negotiators, who want the talks to continue focusing on resolving the key disputes with Israel over settlements, final borders, the fate of disputed Jerusalem and a solution for Palestinian refugees.
Thursday's news about Netanyahu came on the same day that we learned from a leak of an IDF database to the Human Rights group Yesh Din, that the Israeli Government has been concealing the fact that 75% of the building in West Bank settlements was illegal under Israeli laws. The Israeli claim that the government isn't stealing Palestinian land is also exposed as a lie by the leaked IDF database. Israel was concealing this data fearing its publication might "endanger state security or harm Israel's foreign relations." This pulls back the curtain on the dishonest premise that Israel's settlement policy for the occupied West Bank is based on. The fact that the Israeli Government's own Ministry of Construction and Housing was in charge of the illegal constructions shows the extent of the government's disregard for Israeli law (and International Law) for the sake of more settlement building.
Secret Israeli database reveals full extent of illegal settlement
Last year the pace of settlement construction in the occupied West Bank increased by a whopping 60%, in other words a feverish pace.
Peace Now Reports 60% Increase in Settlement Construction in 2008; APN Urges Obama to Demand Real Settlement Freeze
Lat Sunday 60 Minutes aired an excellent report on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. If you didn't get to see it I urge you to watch it: Time Running Out For A Two-State Solution?
How ironic that by ignoring existing agreements Netanyahu would share with Hamas its stance that Hamas too is not bound by existing agreements.
Is this the kind of leadership that deserves unconditional U.S. support? I think not. I hope more Americans will raise their voices to demand that the price for continued American support, is for Israel to make a GOOD FAITH effort to reach a equatable and durable peace agreement with the Palestinians. An agreement that provides security and prosperity for both peoples.
Previous diaries in my series on the settlements in the occupied West Bank:
Israel Doubles Construction of Illegal Settlements in the Occupied West Bank
For Olmert More Settlements Trump Peace Talks
Israel tells Rice illegal Settlement expansion will go ahead
UPDATE: Olmert gives parting slap in the face to America
Israel plans to build up West Bank corridor on contentious land
The neighborhood of Mevaseret Adumim, slated to be built on Area A1, has so far not been built because of strong American opposition. However the construction of a police base in May 2008 opened a window for massive construction in the area.