Lapid lambastes `barbaric' settlers
Jan Pieter Verhey
By Haaretz Staff
Justice Minister Yosef Lapid yesterday launched a verbal assault on
Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, describing their behavior
as "barbaric," and accusing them of having "de facto" control in Israel.
Lapid said that the settlers "in their heart of hearts dream of the
transfer of Palestinians to the [eastern] banks of the Jordan [River], a
solution which is not only barbaric, but also utterly impossible."
Speaking at the Herzliya Conference, Lapid said that "even though
Israel is an exemplary democracy, it is de facto controlled by a small
minority of Yesha [West Bank and Gaza] settlers who represent a minority
within the settlers themselves."
He added: "Their answer to the demographic problem is for another
million immigrants to arrive in the country, although no one knows from
where."
The Yesha Council said in response to the justice minister's speech
that "Lapid is preaching a unilateral withdrawal under fire."
Lapid also called for the peace process to be speeded up, citing,
among other reasons, the development of nuclear weapons by Iran and
Pakistan, as well as the demographic problem posed by the Palestinians.
Speakers at the Herzliya Conference yesterday referred to the
controversial comments made by Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the day
before, in which he said that the Israeli Arab population posed a
demographic threat to the country.
Dr. Yitzhak Ravid, a senior researcher at Rafael, Israel's Armament
Development Authority, proposed during a short speech under the heading
"Learning from Iran and Egypt," that the state implement a stringent policy
of family planning in relation to its Muslim population, claiming that "the
delivery rooms in Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva have turned into a factory
for the production of a backward population."
But Brigadier General (res.) Uzi Dayan rejected claims that citizens
of the state would ever pose a demographic threat, and warned that the
central problems were the relations between Jews and Arabs and the lack of
social coherence.
Netanyahu's remarks came under fire all day, with left-wing Knesset
members and a civil rights group offering up severe criticism.
Netanyahu had told the conference Wednesday that he was not greatly
concerned by the demographic problem posed by Palestinians, and that Israel
would eventually relinquish control over lands that were home to most of
them. He said that he could not foresee a future in which "any sane Israeli"
could try to make Palestinians either Israeli citizens or "enslaved
subjects."
Instead, the finance minister blamed Israeli Arabs for tilting
Israel's demographic balance, and said if the percentage of Arab citizens
rises above its current level of about 20 percent, Israel will not be able
to remain both Jewish and democratic. "If there is a demographic problem,
and there is, it is with the Israeli Arabs who will remain Israeli
citizens," Netanyahu said, adding that a good economy was necessary to
attract Jewish immigrants.
Of Israel's 6.6 million citizens, about 1.3 million are Arabs.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel announced that it had sent
a letter of complaint to Netanyahu about his remarks. "Comments like these
fan the flames of hatred, racism and discrimination that are the daily
reality of Israeli Arab citizens and undermine the basic trust that
underpins a democratic society," the organization said in a statement.
Industry and Trade Minister Ehud Olmert defended the comments that
some Knesset members decried as racist, saying Netanyahu had pointed to an
existing demographic problem, but that the more important problem lies
"between the Jordan [River] and the [Mediterranean] Sea."
MK Azmi Bishara of Balad (National Democratic Alliance) said that
describing the original residents of the land as a demographic problem would
be considered racist in any country. "No people in the world like to hear
that their actual existence causes a demographic problem," Bishara told Army
Radio. "Even in undeveloped countries, this is thought of as racist."
Yossi Sarid (Meretz) said Netanyahu set in motion an irrevocable
deterioration of relations between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs. Sarid
said it was amazing to see how "great leaders are exposed as small bigots.
The Palestinian problem in the territories has not yet been solved, and
already some insist on creating a new problem with Israeli Arabs."
Netanyahu warned that a Jewish majority was necessary for Israel to
remain both Jewish and democratic. "If their numbers reach 35-40 percent of
the country, than the Jewish state will be annulled," he said. He also said
that if the Arabs remain at 20 percent of the population but relations are
tense and violent, this will also harm the state's democratic fabric. He
said it was necessary to improve education standards, especially for Arab
citizens.
He also said that the separation fence would help to prevent a
"demographic spillover" of Palestinians from the territories.
Binyamin Dissen
wrote:
:> Lapid lambastes `barbaric' settlers
:> By Haaretz Staff
:> Justice Minister Yosef Lapid yesterday launched a verbal assault on
:>Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, describing their behavior
:>as "barbaric," and accusing them of having "de facto" control in Israel.
:> Lapid said that the settlers "in their heart of hearts dream of the
:>transfer of Palestinians to the [eastern] banks of the Jordan [River], a
:>solution which is not only barbaric, but also utterly impossible."
:> Speaking at the Herzliya Conference, Lapid said that "even though
:>Israel is an exemplary democracy, it is de facto controlled by a small
:>minority of Yesha [West Bank and Gaza] settlers who represent a minority
:>within the settlers themselves."
Now is the time for some of the reformed and leftists to explain the
difference between their leader's - Lapid - statements and statements made by
various Europeans, KKKlansmen and neo-nazis claiming that the Jews control
everything.
--
Binyamin Dissen <bdi...@dissensoftware.com>
http://www.dissensoftware.com
torresdD
"Binyamin Dissen"
> Now is the time for some of the reformed and leftists to explain the
> difference between their leader's - Lapid -
statements and statements made by various Europeans,
KKKlansmen and neo-nazis claiming that the Jews control
> everything.
While the Jews do not control EVERYTHING,
what they do control is the dialogue pertaining to
Israel in the USA.
Because they own major news publications.
> Binyamin Dissen <bdi...@dissensoftware.com
Speaking at the Herzliya Conference,
Lapid said that
"even though Israel is an exemplary democracy,
it is de facto controlled by a small minority of Yesha
[West Bank and Gaza] settlers who represent a
minority within the settlers themselves."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/373706.html
Lapid lambastes `barbaric' settlers
By Haaretz Staff
Justice Minister Yosef Lapid yesterday launched
a verbal assault on Jewish settlers in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip, describing their behavior as "barbaric,"
and accusing them of having "de facto" control in Israel.
Lapid said that the settlers
"in their heart of hearts dream of the transfer
of Palestinians to the [eastern] banks of the Jordan [River],
a solution which is not only barbaric, but also utterly impossible."
Speaking at the Herzliya Conference,
Lapid said that
"even though Israel is an exemplary democracy,
it is de facto controlled by a small minority of Yesha
[West Bank and Gaza] settlers who represent a
minority within the settlers themselves."
He added:
ds...@dsny.com
torresdD wrote:
> "Binyamin Dissen"
> > Now is the time for some of the reformed and leftists to explain the
> > difference between their leader's - Lapid -
> statements and statements made by various Europeans,
> KKKlansmen and neo-nazis claiming that the Jews control
> > everything.
>
> While the Jews do not control EVERYTHING,
> what they do control is the dialogue pertaining to
> Israel in the USA.
>
> Because they own major news publications.
I was wondering why the Times, News,
Post, Village Voice, WSJ all publish
identical editorials each day.
Leonard Pulver
Binyamin Dissen wrote:
>
> On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 18:33:21 +0100 "Jan Pieter Verhey" <pete...@12move.nl>
> wrote:
>
> :> Lapid lambastes `barbaric' settlers
>
> :> By Haaretz Staff
>
> :> Justice Minister Yosef Lapid yesterday launched a verbal assault on
> :>Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, describing their behavior
> :>as "barbaric," and accusing them of having "de facto" control in Israel.
Lapid sits on his brains
Deborah Sharavi
>While the Jews do not control EVERYTHING,
>what they do control is the dialogue pertaining to
>Israel in the USA.
>Because they own major news publications.
Jews also control the Zionist Orbital Weapons Platform,
courtesy of the Jewish Federation of Planets.
So be afraid. Be very, very afraid.
Deborah